‘Save God’s garden from desolation, debris and dirt’

Pope Francis called on Thursday for concerted action against environmental degradation and climate change, renewing a fierce attack on consumerism and financialgreed which, he said, were threatening the planet.

A year after publishing the first papal document dedicated to the environment, the Pope urged Christians to make the defence of nature a core part of their faith, adding it to the seven “works of mercy” they are meant to perform.

“God gave us a bountiful garden, but we have turned it into a polluted wasteland of debris, desolation and filth,” Pope Francis said in a document released to coincide with the World “Economics and politics, society and culture cannot be dominated by thinking only of the short term and immediate financial or electoral gains,” Pope Francis said, suggesting more ambitious action might be needed to curb climate change.

World leaders agreed in Paris last December to commit to limiting greenhouse-gas emissions in an effort to stabilising temperatures, while the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said in July the earth was warming faster than expected and on track for its hottest year ever.

Pope Francis welcomed the Paris accord, but urged voters everywhere to make sure their governments did not backtrack.

“It is up to citizens to insist that this happen, and indeed to advocate for even more ambitious goals,” he said.