May 2020 will mark five years since the publication of Pope Francis' encyclical, “Laudato si'.” After all this time, its proposals continue to inspire ambitious initiatives.
One of them is the so-called “Assisi Manifesto.” It seeks to transform the environmental crisis into an opportunity to build an economy and a society on a human scale, and to renew the European Union's mission.
Various Italian organizations have launched it. It has been supported by the Italian prime minister and the president of the European Parliament.
GIUSEPPE CONTE
Italian Prime Minister
“Italy can be a leader for progress in this area, on the political, economic and social levels. If efforts in this direction aren't global, if we don't manage to convince, not just Italy and Europe, but the other continents, we will never overcome this challenge.”
DAVID SASSOLI
President of European Parliament
“In this moment, we are all asked, not only to choose this path, but to come up with ways to pave it. We want to pave it by putting the planet and the human being at the center of the solution. This is the right direction.”
The so-called “Assisi Manifesto” has already been signed by more than 2,000 institutions and leaders of Italian society.
One of its primary promoters is Francesco Starace, CEO of Enel. This multinational energy company is one of the biggest 100 in the world.
Francesco Starace said his company, for many years, has bet on a circular and ecological economy, based on renewable energy sources.
FRANCESCO STARACE
CEO of Enel
“When we look at what we've accomplished during these five years—doubling the company's value and expanding it to a currently unmatched global dimension—we see that entering into this new type of economy, with courage, determination and initially, a little craziness, is really very logical and rational. That's why I invite everyone to follow suit.”
The Manifesto was presented at the Sacred Convent of St. Francis, in Assisi. The ambitious project brings together the political, business, cultural and technological fields.
It's a lot more than eliminating harmful gas emissions by 2050. As the great artists of Italian culture did, the project aims to show humanity's greatness.
