Pope Francis denounced the 'negligence' and 'greed' of leaving the Paris Agreement

Pope Francis leveled an oblique criticism at President Trump while speaking Monday at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization offices in Rome. The pope addressed the Paris Agreement, the 2016 climate accord from which Trump withdrew the United States in June.

"We see consequences of climate change every day," the pope said, and "thanks to scientific knowledge, we know how we have to confront the problem and the international community has also worked out the legal methods, such as the Paris accord, which sadly, some have abandoned."

"We can't be satisfied by saying 'someone else will do it,'" Francis added, condemning the "negligence toward the delicate equilibria of ecosystems, the presumption of manipulating and controlling the limited resources of the planet, and the greed for profit" of those who reject policy measures, like the Paris deal, to address man-made climate change.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

The withdrawal process Trump initiated is scheduled to be completed one day after the 2020 election.