Engaging in the 2030 Agenda through the lens of Laudato Si’

This document affirms and draws from the best of the 2030 Agenda, recognising this as a new international consensus that is guiding and inspiring many governments. By analysing the 2030 Agenda through the lens of Laudato Si’, the document also poses fundamental questions about assumptions of continued growth, technological advances, the role of business, and lifestyles based on increasing consumption.

How to use this document

Deepening dialogue

Pope Francis invites us all to a dialogue. This document is written in that spirit: to stimulate discussion within our organisations and with other development actors about a more integral human development and to help us articulate what we mean by progress.

Both the 2030 Agenda and Laudato Si’ need to be treated in an integrated way, without simply picking out a few quotations or phrases. This means that discussions should be based on the whole document. However, organisations may also choose to focus more deeply on a dialogue around individual themes, according to their context and priorities.

Dialogue can take place within our organisations, and with communities, governments, churches, workers’ organisations and other groups.

Community mobilisation

This analysis can be adapted and used in communities to consider local government development plans from the perspective of the 2030 Agenda and Laudato Si’. It can mobilise communities into holding their authorities to account for how they use local resources and for the impacts they achieve.

Analysis of current development plans

The document can also be used as a basis to analyse the development approach and plans of different actors, at local, national and international level, to see how they fit with the values and approach of both the SDGs and Laudato Si’.

Organisations may choose to develop their own set of principles, criteria or indicators on which they will analyse current development plans and on which they think plans should be developed.