Pope Francis told both his parishioners and the world at large to change their lifestyles in response to climate change in a paper released Thursday.
Francis cited the scientific consensus that humans are largely at fault for climate change in his writings, CNN reported.
The 192-page paper urges taking public transit, carpooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights and recycling, according to the Washington Post.
A draft of the paper leaked Monday and sparked comments from political leaders who questioned the Pope’s credibility on climate issues, the BBC reported.
“We are not faced with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social,” Francis wrote, “but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.”