10:08 am, November 17, 2023
For those trying to convince motorists to switch to an EV it can sometimes feel like help is needed from a higher power.
Well now, that is exactly what has come after the Vatican signed an agreement with Volkswagen to gradually replace its auto fleet with electric vehicles.
The announcement comes as the Catholic Church looks towards a greener future with Pope Francis said to be driving the change himself.
No details have yet been revealed on the value of the deal and the timetable for completing the switch to electric vehicles is yet to be established.
However, the partnership does fall under the Vatican’s Ecological Conversion 2030 plan, which aims to pursue sustainable, carbon-neutral projects and technologies in the city state in the centre of Rome.
The Vatican said the new deal with the Volkswagen Group involves medium and long-term leases. It also called the carmaker its top ‘strategic partner for the project to renovate the state’s car park’.
His Holiness currently cruises around the Vatican in a Fiat but the new deal will see him turn his back on the brand and instead use Volkswagen and Skoda.
There are now plans in place to increase the number of charging stations throughout the territory and ensure the city state’s energy needs are provided exclusively by renewable sources.
The Pope has placed eco issues at the heart of his leadership and will become the first pontiff to address a UN climate conference when he attends the upcoming Cop28 meeting in Dubai.
A statement on Wednesday from the Vatican City State administration said it was committed to pursuing net-zero emissions technologies and sustainable transport projects to reduce the carbon footprint of its vehicle fleet.
