Pope Francis will convene a meeting of oil producer and investment firm executives next week at the Vatican to discuss what the industry can do to address climate change, according to a report.
Companies such as BlackRock, BP, ExxonMobil, and Equinor are expected to be represented at the gathering, which will likely take place on June 9, per Axios.
The conversation’s focus will be aligned with Francis’ 2015 “On Care For Our Common Home” encyclical, a papal document arguing climate change is caused by humans and that world leaders were not doing enough to mitigate it, sources told the news outlet.
The University of Notre Dame is helping organize the dialogue.
Addressing the issue of climate change is a priority for Francis. In addition to the encyclical, the pope warned in 2017 in the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma that history would judge the actions of leaders regarding climate change, adding that the science is clear on the matter.
[Related: Oil industry ‘deeply discouraged’ by Trump’s new tariffs]
