Mammon goes to the Vatican to discuss climate change

Unusual gathering brings together likes of BlackRock, ExxonMobil and church leaders

The full might of Mammon will descend on the Vatican next week to discuss the Pope’s displeasure with certain earthly things.

According to a list of attendees seen by the Financial Times, nearly 40 top investors and oil industry executives — including Darren Woods, ExxonMobil boss, and Larry Fink, BlackRock chief — will meet church leaders next week in an unusual gathering that underscores the growing pressure on energy groups to address climate change.

Church officials have been coy about whether Pope Francis, who issued an encyclical in 2015 that identified climate change as “one of the principal challenges facing humanity”, will attend the session.

But the forum, titled “energy transition and care for our common home”, will be hosted by the Catholic US University of Notre Dame and attended by senior Vatican officials.

“We’re hopeful that this kind of dialogue can help develop solutions to the dual challenge of managing the risks of climate change while meeting growing demand for energy,” said ExxonMobil.

https://www.ft.com/content/b82b3bac-65a8-11e8-90c2-9563a0613e56