Official Campaign’s photo (credit Vatican Media)
Ten years have passed since the Paris Agreement, yet the world continues to fall short of what science — and justice — demand. As temperatures rise and communities suffer the consequences of inaction, one truth has become clear: we cannot wait for governments to lead.
At the Raising Hope for Climate Justice conference, Pope Leo XIV invited the world to moral courage ahead of COP30, reminding us that “there is no room for indifference or resignation.” His words challenge us to reflect:
“God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world He created, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer?”
That question lies at the heart of a new global initiative: the People’s Determined Contributions (PDC) campaign — inspired by Laudato Si’ and built on a simple idea: when governments delay, people act.
What are PDCs?
PDCs — or People’s Determined Contributions — are personal or community commitments that complement government climate pledges (known as NDCs, or Nationally Determined Contributions). They are the people’s answer to the climate crisis — a moral uprising of hope and action. They were a fruit of the recent Raising Hope Conference and it is our way to influence the world.
Every PDC is a seed of change:
🌱 Reforesting a local area.
💧 Supporting climate migrants or those most affected by floods or droughts.
💡 Divesting from fossil fuels.
🍃 Reducing waste and consumption.
Each act, small or large, becomes a visible sign of our collective love for creation.
A movement inspired by faith
This moral call gained renewed strength when Pope Leo XIV met with King Charles III at the Vatican to discuss Christian unity and care for creation. The meeting reminded the world that caring for our common home transcends politics, borders, and creeds — it is a duty for all people of goodwill.
“We need governments to act, but we can’t wait for them,”
said Lorna Gold, Executive Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement.
“The PDCs are the people’s answer — a moral uprising for our common home.”
How to take part
Visit raisinghope.earth/action and submit your personal or community commitment inspired by the Laudato Si’ Goals. From reducing consumption to reforesting, from supporting the poor to advocating for renewable energy — every step matters.
As Pope Leo XIV said to the participants in Castel Gandolfo:
“There is indeed an action hero with us — it is all of you, who are working together to make a difference.”
Let us answer that call — not by waiting, but by leading. Together, our commitments can shape the story of hope the world needs right now.
When governments hesitate, people lead — with hope as their plan.
I Commit to Act for creation#AnswerTheCry #CommitToOurCommonHome #RaisingHope