Pope Francis warns oil and gas execs on climate change

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

June 14, 2019 - 03:19 PM EDT

GETTY

BY CHRIS MILLS RODRIGO

Pope Francis warned oil and gas executives gathered at the Vatican on Friday about the dangers of climate change and urged them to help mitigate it.

"Time is running out. Deliberations must go beyond mere exploration of what can be done and concentrate on what needs to be done from today onward," he said, according to the National Catholic Reporter.

"We do not have the luxury of waiting for others to step forward or of prioritizing short-term economic benefits. The climate crisis requires our decisive action, here and now," he said.

The remarks came during a conference called "Energy Transition and Care for Our Common Home."

Eni, Exxon, Total, Repsol, BP, Sinopec, ConocoPhillips, Equinor and Chevron all participated in the event, according to BBC.

Pope Francis has been an outspoken supporter of the movement to combat climate change and has made raising awareness about the issue a staple of his papacy.

He has challenged governments around the world to address climate change and implement policies to reduce global warming.

He had previously met with oil and gas executives in June 2018.

Source