Pope's decree

Vatican to be supplied with solar energy in future

The photovoltaic system is to be built on the Santa Maria di Galeria site (pictured), where the Vatican Radio transmitters are also located.(Bild: AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)

The Vatican will be supplied with solar energy in future. Pope Francis has decided to build a photovoltaic plant on the extraterritorial site of Santa Maria di Galeria on the outskirts of Rome in order to cover the energy needs of the world's smallest state.

The Pope ordered the construction on the 424-hectare site, which is already home to the Vatican Radio transmitters, the Vatican announced. Since 1951, this area has been declared extraterritorial by a treaty between Italy and the Holy See.

In the decree with which the Pope announced the construction of the photovoltaic plant, the Pontiff emphasizes the need to "move towards a sustainable development model that reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and strives for the goal of climate neutrality".

"Solar energy plays a key role"
 "Humanity has the technological means to manage this ecological transition and its disastrous ethical, social, economic and political consequences, and among these, solar energy plays a key role," said Francis.

The Pope has repeatedly emphasized that humanity must tackle the climate crisis in order to preserve creation, including in his 2015 encyclical "Laudato si'" (Praised be you).