The Vatican will host a major conference April 28 to “help build a global movement across all religions for sustainable development and climate change [action] throughout 2015 and beyond,” according to a notice last week on several Vatican-run websites.
“The gathering will undoubtedly build momentum for the pope’s forthcoming encyclical on the environment, an influential papal document expected to be released in June or July,” Climate Progress reports. “The Catholic Church has a long history of championing conservation and green initiatives, but Francis has made climate change a fixture of his papacy.”
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During the conference, “attendees hope to offer a joint statement highlighting the ‘intrinsic connection’ between caring for the earth and caring for fellow human beings, ‘especially the poor, the excluded, victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, children, and future generations,’” Jenkins writes, citing a preliminary schedule of events.
Invited participants include UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Jeffrey Sachs, director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
