Pope Leo XIV Calls for Urgent Action on Climate Change at Global Conference

Pope Leo XIV delivered one of his strongest appeals yet for climate justice during the Raising Hope for Climate Justice conference held near Rome, urging world leaders to act with courage rather than delay.

In a symbolic gesture, the Pope blessed a block of ice before attendees, including actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, rolled out and waved a large blue tarp. Addressing the crowd, he declared: “We will raise hope by demanding that leaders act with courage, not delay. Will you join with us?”

The Pope strongly criticized those who mock climate science, echoing the stance of his predecessor, Pope Francis. “Some have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming, and even to blame the poor for the very thing that affects them the most,” he said.

The event also marked the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si (Praised Be), Pope Francis’s landmark ecological encyclical, which framed environmental care as a moral and existential responsibility. The document sparked a worldwide grassroots movement to protect the planet and defend vulnerable communities most impacted by environmental harm.

Speaking before an estimated 1,000 representatives of environmental and Indigenous groups, Pope Leo urged participants to pressure governments into adopting stronger measures to repair ecological damage. He expressed hope that the upcoming UN climate conference “will listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.”

Though he avoided naming individuals, his remarks came just days after former U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as a “con job” during a speech at the UN General Assembly. Trump has long opposed green energy initiatives, including wind and solar power, and has questioned established climate science.

By embracing and expanding Pope Francis’s environmental legacy, Pope Leo XIV has positioned himself as a leading global moral voice in the fight against climate change.