VATICAN CITY (CNS) – As part of a plan to reduce its CO2 footprint, Vatican City State has launched a programme to replace its existing vehicle fleet with electric vehicles.
The city state’s “Ecological Conversion 2030” programme includes making all its vehicles CO2-neutral by 2030, according to a press release from the Vatican City State governor’s office on November 15.
“Vatican City State has been dedicated for many years to promoting sustainable development, through environmental policies that safeguard the environment and provide strategies for saving energy,” it said.
The governor’s office “is committed to reaching climate neutrality” through a wide variety of initiatives, it said, making the tiny nation state “one of the first nations in the world to pursue sustainability projects seeking innovative and sustainable solutions that will help change the way that work is done, by caring for the safeguarding of the common home” of creation.
In an effort to have a net-zero-emissions fleet of vehicles by 2030, the Vatican has signed an agreement with Volkswagen to supply “just under 40 fully-electric models” starting at the beginning of 2024, Volkswagen said in a press release on November 15.
“At later stages, further zero-emission vehicles, also from the Volkswagen Group brands, will be progressively handed over until the entire fleet has been completely replaced by 2030,” the car company said.
Pope Francis greeted Christian Dahlheim, chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, Marcus Osegowitsch, CEO of Volkswagen Group Italia, and Imelda Labbé, member of the board of management for sales and marketing at Volkswagen Passenger Cars, on November 15, when they personally handed over the first two electric vehicles – two ID.3 Pro Performance2 models.
Photo: Pope Francis stands with representatives of Volkswagen at the Vatican on November 15 (CNS photo/courtesy of Volkswagen AG)
The Good News is healing and empowering. Planet Earth needs tender care, love, and respect. Vehicle manufacturing firms and vehicle using fellow mortals need to be thoroughly evangelized.