CIEP researchers take part in "The Living Laudato Si' in Europe" project

As part of the collaboration between the Research Centre of the Institute of Political Studies (CIEP) and the project "The Living Laudato Si' in Europe", launched by the European Laudato Si' Alliance (ELSiA), a group of researchers from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) played an important role in the development and presentation of a report highlighting the impact of the Encyclical Laudato Si' in Europe.  

With a survey carried out in two dozen countries in Europe of almost 300 Catholic organisations - including parishes, dioceses, religious communities and charities - the main findings of the research reveal that 95% of the Catholic organisations surveyed indicated that the Encyclical Laudato Si' had a significant impact on their organisations, with 36% reporting substantial changes or total transformations. 

The European Laudato Si' Alliance, made up of seven major Catholic organisations working together on the subject of ecology, has carried out a survey of initiatives and activities related to the Encyclical Laudato Si' in Europe. 

The project was conducted by a consortium of European universities, led by St. Mary's University, with the collaboration of UCP through researchers André Azevedo Alves and Inês Gregório, from CIEP, and João António, Technical Director of the Centre for Studies and Opinion Polls (CESOP). 

João António emphasised the importance of cooperation between Catholic universities and the European Laudato Si' Alliance: "This was yet another piece of work resulting from cooperation between several Catholic universities. In close collaboration with the European Laudato Si' Alliance, it was possible to develop and apply a survey to Catholic organisations in various European countries. For CESOP in particular, it was an interesting challenge, not only because of the international collaboration and the relevance of the topic, but also because of the challenge of managing a survey in ten languages and with technical details that required innovative responses in our way of constructing online questionnaires. The results of this first study are proof of the impact of Laudato Si' in Europe and provide clues about the initiatives developed at local level across the continent." 

The report presents a qualitative and descriptive statistical analysis of ecological initiatives carried out by Catholic organisations across Europe based on data collected in 2023. 

Almost half of the participants in the study predict that their organisations will continue or intensify their commitment to integral ecology in the future and around 60% of the initiatives involved community and participatory actions, highlighting a shift towards practical and community-based ecological activities. 

Of the organisations, 82% collaborated with other religious groups and 81% worked with non-religious entities on ecological issues, demonstrating an inclusive approach to ecological sustainability. Volunteering also played a crucial role, with 93% of initiatives relying on the support of volunteers and 37% relying entirely on them. 

The report suggests that by providing more time and resources, promoting green discussions, and equipping organisations with practical tools and knowledge, it is possible to increase the effectiveness of green initiatives.  

Different successful green initiatives across Europe were included in the report, serving as models that can be replicated in other contexts, thus highlighting the innovative ways in which Catholic organisations are tackling the ecological crisis. 

For more information, the full research report "The Living Laudato Si' in Europe" can be found here.