An agrivoltaic hitech plant in Calabria, Italy
(Photo from Renew Economy)
VATICAN CITY, Rome — In support of global initiatives to mitigate the impacts of climate change by promoting the use of clean energy, the Holy See and the Republic of Italy has signed an agreement to build an agrivoltaic plant in the Vatican’s Santa Maria di Galeria area just outside of Rome with the aim of supplying the Vatican City State with a sustainable renewable source of power.
The agreement was signed on Thursday, July 31, at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, signing on behalf of the Holy See’s and Ambassador Francesco Di Nitto representing the Italian Republic.
According to Archbishop Gallagher, the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV is committed to upholding and taking action on a shared commitment to promote ecological responsibility and sustainable development.
The agreement is being hailed as a tangible expression of the strong bilateral relations between the Holy See and Italy as it reflects a shared commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, aligning with Pope Francis’ call for an “integral ecology” and care for our common home, as articulated in the encyclical Laudato si’.
Ambassador Di Nitto explained that the agrivoltaic plant that would be built on Holy See property is targeted to provide Vatican City State with renewable electricity while preserving agricultural use of the land.
The project has been carefully designed to respect the natural landscape, minimize environmental impact, protect cultural and archaeological heritage as well as maintain the area’s hydrogeological balance.