VATICAN CITY:
Pope Francis is urging governments to make good on their commitments to curb
climate change, warning that continued unsustainable development and rampant consumption threaten to turn the Earth into a vast pile of "rubble, deserts and refuse."
Francis made the appeal today at a Vatican conference marking the third anniversary of his landmark environmental encyclical "Praise Be."
The document, meant to spur action at the 2015
Paris climate conference, called for a paradigm change in humanity's relationship with Mother Nature.
In his remarks, Francis urged governments to honour their Paris commitments and said institutions like the
IMF and
World Bank had important roles to play in encouraging reforms promoting sustainable development.
He warned: "There is a real danger that we will leave future generations only rubble, deserts and refuse."
