Vatican strikes solar farm deal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral state

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🗞️ Driving the news: The Vatican has reached an agreement with Italy to build a large-scale solar farm on a 430-hectare site north of Rome, aiming to become the world’s first carbon-neutral state
• The Santa Maria Galeria site, previously a source of controversy over Vatican Radio’s electromagnetic emissions, will now host solar infrastructure estimated to cost under €100 million and generate enough clean electricity to meet the Holy See’s energy needs

🔭 The context: Since the 1950s, the Santa Maria Galeria site housed Vatican Radio towers, but growing urbanization and public health concerns led to scaled-back operations
• The transformation of the site into a renewable energy hub fulfills a vision initiated by Pope Francis and advanced by his successor Pope Leo XIV, who has embraced climate action as central to Catholic teaching
• The agreement requires Italian parliamentary approval due to its financial and jurisdictional implications

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The Vatican’s move signals a powerful symbolic and practical shift by a global religious institution toward decarbonization
• By converting contested land into a solar farm and donating surplus energy to local communities, the project offers a replicable model for faith-based or diplomatic entities with extraterritorial holdings
• It also contributes to EU clean energy targets and underlines the role of leadership and moral authority in climate action

⏭️ What's next: Pending parliamentary approval, the Vatican will open tenders for construction
• Italy gains the right to count the renewable output toward its national climate commitments, while the Vatican receives a tax exemption on solar imports but not Italian subsidies
• As part of the deal, agricultural land use will be preserved, and community energy sharing mechanisms will be developed
• The solar farm is expected to go live before the end of the decade

💬 One quote: “Pope Leo XIV visited the site in June and affirmed that he intended to see Francis’ vision through,” – Vatican statement

📈 One stat: The solar farm will span 430 hectares and is projected to cost under €100 million, providing carbon-neutral electricity to the entire Vatican City

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