FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Katie Zakrzewski | 501-618-0234 | katie@catholicclimatecovenant.org
DATE: JUNE 4, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Catholic Climate Covenant is proud to announce the launch of Catholic Climate Action Projects (CathCAP), a new initiative designed to empower individuals and faith communities to take meaningful action in response to climate change.
Co-sponsored by the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests and Catholic Climate Covenant, CathCAP offers a platform for schools, universities, parishes, and other groups to partially offset their carbon footprint by funding projects that align with the values of Laudato Si’ — Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on caring for our common home.
CathCAP encourages organizations and individuals to engage in climate action by reducing their emissions as much as possible and then contributing to a community-held fund to offset other emissions. These funds are then allocated towards projects such as tree-planting, energy efficiency for buildings, or other carbon-reduction projects chosen by the organizations. Inspired by the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform, CathCAP invites groups to create accounts, encourage participation, and collectively fund environmental projects that help heal the earth and serve vulnerable communities.
Taking Practical Action Against Climate Change
CathCAP is built around a simple idea: Reduce, rethink, restore.
- Reduce: Participants take steps to lower their carbon footprint through lifestyle changes, such as using less energy, reducing meat consumption, and cutting down on single-use plastics.
- Rethink: For emissions that are difficult to avoid–in this case, air and car travel– participants make a financial contribution for each ton of carbon emitted. This carbon offset supports projects that have tangible ecological and social benefits, including those that focus on reducing emissions from transportation and energy use.
- Restore: Funds raised through CathCAP contributions go directly toward supporting local and global projects that restore the environment and foster ecological and social justice.
CathCAP also helps organizations fulfill their sustainability goals under the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, which calls for specific commitments to ecological economics, sustainable lifestyles, and community resilience.
A Framework for Ecological Conversion
Inspired by Laudato Si’, CathCAP is more than just a carbon offset program — it is a tool for ecological conversion. It encourages communities of faith to come together, quantify their carbon footprint, and be part of the solution. The platform not only helps offset emissions, but it also promotes environmental education and activism in a way that supports lasting change.
The beauty of CathCAP is that organizations choose projects to support. For example, a parish encourages parishioners to donate a small amount for their air and car travel emissions. At the end of the year, that money is given back to the parish for carbon reduction strategies that benefit the parish or another group. Whether a local or international initiative, these projects align with the integral approach to caring for our common home outlined in Laudato Si’.
A Call to Action for Communities of Faith
“We are deeply inspired by the call of Laudato Si’ to take action in caring for the Earth and our common home,” said Dan Misleh, Executive Director of Catholic Climate Covenant. “CathCAP is an opportunity for individuals and communities to make a tangible difference, to live out the teachings of Pope Francis, and to support projects that embody the spirit of ecological conversion.”
CathCAP is designed to support everyone, regardless of their location or size. Whether through individual contributions to a general fund or by creating custom projects for a parish, school, or other community, CathCAP provides a flexible and accessible way for communities to engage in meaningful climate action.
How to Get Involved
Organizations can sign up for CathCAP and start taking action by calculating their carbon footprint and contributing to an offset fund. Contributions typically range from $30 to $300 or more, depending on factors like transportation and energy consumption. Participants can use the platform to track their progress, engage in community learning, and collaborate with others in fulfilling their sustainability goals. You can support a group, such as a school, university, or parish, or you can choose to offset as an individual instead.
About Catholic Climate Covenant
Catholic Climate Covenant is a U.S.-based nonprofit that engages Catholic institutions and communities in taking action to address climate change. Through programs, advocacy, and education, the Covenant seeks to integrate Catholic teachings on social justice and care for creation into climate action. The launch of CathCAP marks the next step in the Covenant’s efforts to provide practical tools for individuals and communities to take meaningful steps toward ecological sustainability.
For more information on CathCAP or to get started, visit https://cathcap.org/.
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