Use of carbon credits would not help global efforts to cut greenhouse gases, according to a draft of Pope Francis’s encyclical on climate change leaked by an Italian magazine on Monday, the release of which was condemned by the Vatican.
The 192-page Italian language document was published on the website of L’Espresso.
The Vatican warned in a statement that the draft was not the final text and asked journalists not to publish details until the final version is published, which is expected on Thursday.
The encyclical is aimed at influencing the debate ahead of UNFCCC talks in Paris in December.
A Google translation of the leaked draft’s paragraph (171) on carbon credits is published in full here:
“The strategy for the sale of ‘carbon credits’ can give rise to a new form of speculation and would not help to reduce the global emission of polluting gases. This system seems to be a quick and easy solution, with the appearance of a certain commitment to the environment, but in no way implies a radical change to the circumstances. Indeed, it may be a device that allows you to support the super-consumption of some countries and sectors.”
The leaked draft also called for changes in lifestyles and energy consumption to avert the destruction of the ecosystem before the end of the century, and that failure to act would have grave consequences for humanity.
