(Photo: Laudato Si’ Movement)
During Laudato Si’ Week and at a time of profound global uncertainty and conflict that underscore the growing risks of dependence on fossil fuels, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) welcomes the Laudato Si’ Movement initiative “Europe, be faithful to our Common Home”, an urgent appeal to the institutions of the European Union promoted by over 100 Christian organisations from 20 EU Member States. Read the Appeal
The appeal calls on the EU to remain steadfast in its founding values of human dignity and the common good by accelerating a just energy transition. The appeal comes at a critical political moment, as Ireland prepares to take over the EU Presidency in the second half of 2026, ahead of the next fossil fuel phase-out conference to be co-hosted by Ireland and Tuvalu in early 2027, and as European leaders begin negotiations on the next seven-year EU budget.
According to the promoters, this urgent call is backed by public sentiment: a recent Eurobarometer survey shows that a vast majority of European citizens continue to support decisive climate action. Furthermore, the economic benefits of the transition are already visible; in March 2026 alone, solar power saved Europe €3 billion in fossil fuel imports, demonstrating that the shift to renewables is as much an economic imperative as a moral one.
The initiative comes at a time when Europe is facing renewed concerns about energy security, rising energy costs and the social impact of dependence on fossil fuels. These challenges remind us that care for Creation, social justice and Europe’s resilience are closely interconnected.
Inspired by the encyclical Laudato Si’, COMECE encourages European decision-makers to pursue an energy transition that protects vulnerable households, supports workers and regions in transition and remains attentive to the impact of extraction and global supply chains on poorer communities and countries.
More information on the Laudato Si’ Movement initiative “Europe, be faithful to our Common Home” can be found here.