(Photo : Getty Images/Peter Parks)

As part of its efforts to cut carbon emissions, the Vatican signed a deal with German automaker Volkswagen AG to progressively replace its auto fleet with electric vehicles.

The governor's office of the world's smallest state said the contract will encompass medium- and long-term leasing of Volkswagen and Skoda vehicles.

Ecological Conversion 2030

The Vatican City State is deeply devoted to the adoption of creative and sustainable solutions that allow for the concrete reduction of the impact of human activities on the environment in order to conserve the world.

Mobility is essential to the "Ecological Conversion 2030" program, which aims to minimize the carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint of the state's vehicle fleet. This will also increase the number of charging stations around the territory and ensure that the city's energy demands are met entirely by renewable sources.

To accomplish this, existing vehicles will be gradually replaced by electric vehicles, with the goal of making the entire fleet CO2-neutral by 2030.

The Vatican stated that its cooperation with Volkswagen and its Skoda brand entails medium- and long-term leases, referring to the carmaker as its top "strategic partner for the project to renovate the state's car park."

Volkswagen has been chosen as the project's partner, and it will supply the Vatican State with a fleet beginning in early 2024 through Volkswagen Financial Services.

Later stages of the project will introduce additional zero-emission vehicles from Volkswagen Group brands, with the goal of replacing the entire fleet by 2030.

"The electrification of fleets is becoming increasingly important across the globe. The fact that Vatican employees will now also be among our ID. drivers in the future is a great target and honor for our brand and underscores the attractiveness of our all-electric ID. models," Imelda Labbé, member of the Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and After-Sales at Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said during the vehicle handover in Vatican City.

Pope Francis To Attend COP28

Pope Francis has made environmental stewardship a cornerstone of his papacy, and he will be the first pope to address a United Nations General Assembly and is expected to attend the upcoming COP28 summit in Dubai.

His visit comes a year after the Holy See formally joined the United Nations. Climate Change Framework Convention

According to the Vatican's schedule, the pope's three-day trip will include an address during the high-level meeting at the commencement of COP28 on December 2.

The pope will also participate in private bilateral sessions and help inaugurate the first-ever Faith Pavilion at a United Nations summit.

Catholics and environmental officials claim that the event will allow Pope Francis to use his enormous moral voice at a critical juncture in history as global warming emissions continue to climb.

"The pope is hard to ignore, and the fact he'll speak at the start of the summit will hopefully set the tone for the rest of the negotiations," said Lorna Gold, board president of the Laudato Si' Movement, a network of nearly 900 Catholic institutions working on climate action and ecospirituality.