La Chiesa Cattolica torna a parlare di ambiente: l’Esortazione Apostolica Laudate Deum sulla crisi climatica tra riaffermazione della Dottrina sociale ed esigenza di azione

The article provides an overview and a brief comment of the Apostolic Exhor- tation Laudate Deum, adopted by Pope Francesco in view of the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. As results from its opening, the main purpose of the Exhortation lies in a strong rejection of any denial of climate change and of its anthropogenic origin that, ac- cording to a consolidated view of the Catholic Social Doctrine, are intimately linked to the “technocratic paradigm”. The utilitaristic exploitation and the depletion of natural resources, including the climate system, resulting from these trends find reflection in the scarce results brought about by international conferences on climate. This worrying scenario is made even more unacceptable if one considers the unfair consequences of the climate crisis on Developing States, whose contribution to the problem has been limited by their delayed and uncomplete economic development and whose political role is, vice-versa, on the rise. Despite its pessimistic tone, the Exhortation reminds “all people of good will” of the duty and the possibility to remedy the omissive conduct of States and of the international community through the action of environmental NGOs and the influence that consumers can exert on economic actors, in so doing underlying once again the central role, in the creation as a whole, attributed to human beings by Catholic Social Doctrine.