Planetary solvency and the rise of two opposing worldviews
- 12 December 2025
- Posted by: Mikki Hall
- Category: ESG
Something fundamental is shifting in how we talk about climate, risk, and the future.
The science has gotten sharper. The public mood, less patient. And global institutions are finally acknowledging what many have known for years: our current trajectory simply isn’t sustainable.
The concept of planetary solvency, ensuring Earth’s systems can continue to support human life and economic stability, is no longer confined to academic circles. It’s entering the mainstream conversation, and with good reason.
The risk we've been underestimating?
At the core of this shift is an uncomfortable truth: our risk models have been too optimistic. The Planetary Solvency analysis reveals we’re already breaching planetary limits, edging closer to tipping points that could trigger cascading disruptions across food systems, water supplies, public heath, migration patterns and the global economy.
Perhaps most concerning? The impacts we once projected for two or three degrees of warming are already happening at lower thresholds. The timelines have compressed. The margins have narrowed.
This is precisely why leadership and worldview matter more than ever.
Two voices, two futures
By the time COP 30 wrapped up in November, the negotiations had crystallised into two starkly opposing viewpoints, leaving the gap between them wider than ever.
The moral imperative: Pope Leo XIV's vision
Pope Leo XIV has emerged as one of the most authoritative moral voices on climate risk. In his recent statements, including his message to COP 30, he’s been unequivocal: the world is “in flames” from global warming and conflict. He’s calling for what he terms “true ecological conversion”, not performative gestures or empty slogans, but a fundamental shift in how humanity understands responsibility.
His framework is elegant in its clarity: climate change cannot be separated from human dignity, justice, and long-term stability. The logic is simple but powerful: we cannot protect people if we do not protect the planet that sustains them.
The Pope urges leaders to transcend narrow interests and act for the common good, particularly for those who will inherit the consequences of today’s choices. This aligns seamlessly with the planetary solvency framework, recognizing systemic risk, demanding moral clarity, and understanding that every day of delay increases the danger.
The contrarian stance: Trump's rejection
Donald Trump occupies the opposite end of this spectrum.
In his UN speech, he called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” He’s dismissed global warming outright and rejected multilateral climate frameworks. His worldview frames environmental protection as economically burdensome and fundamentally unnecessary. His priorities? Fossil fuel expansion, regulatory rollbacks, and isolationist policy.
This makes Trump a genuine outlier in today’s global landscape.
Most governments, scientific institutions, financial organizations, religious leaders, and major corporations now treat climate change as a major systemic risk. Pope Leo XIV’s language reflects this emerging consensus. Trump stands apart – not because he offers a competing risk model, but because he rejects the premise of risk altogether.
A defining divide
As COP 30 concluded, this split has become more than political, it’s philosophical, even existential.
One worldview, represented by leaders like Pope Leo XIV, accepts the scientific evidence, recognizes systemic risk, and calls for coordinated global action rooted in responsibility and long-term thinking.
The other worldview, embodied by Trump’s position, insists climate destabilization is exaggerated, prioritizes national interests over global responsibility, and dismisses environmental risk as an economic inconvenience.
The question isn’t simply who is right. The question is: which worldview can actually sustain the world we live in?
Why this moment matters
The Planetary Solvency analysis makes one thing abundantly clear: we’ve run out of runway to treat climate change as a political football. We’re dealing with structural threats to the systems that underpin food security, water access, public health and global economic stability.
When Pope Leo XIV calls for ecological conversion and shared responsibility, he’s speaking directly to the heart of this challenge. When Trump dismisses the entire issue, he’s not just taking an unpopular position, he’s placing himself outside the global trajectory and outside the reality described by science and risk professionals worldwide.
The path forward
Planetary solvency requires imagination, cooperation and a sense of shared fate. It demands that we see ourselves as part of an interconnected system, not isolated actors maximizing short-term gains.
The real divide now isn’t between political parties or nations. It’s between those who accept this fundamental reality and those who refuse to. Between those who recognize we’re all passengers on the same ship and those who insist the water isn’t rising.
The evidence is in. The science is clear. The choice is ours.
Which worldview will we choose?
How Future Energy Partners can support you?
Future Energy Partners brings together deep ESG expertise and practical energy audit consultancy to help organisations understand and respond to climate and wider ESG risk. We work with governments, energy companies and financial institutions to assess exposure, strengthen resilience and develop strategies that stand up in a world of narrowing margins and accelerating change.
We partner with clients to develop clear, actionable strategies and delivery plans that protect value in the short term and build sustainable performance over the long term. If you want to understand how your operations measure up against rising ESG expectations and where the real risks and opportunities lie, speak to us today.
Sources
Institute and Faculty of Actuaries & University of Exeter (2025).
Planetary Solvency: Global Risk Management for Human Prosperity.
Vatican.va (2025).
“Message of Pope Leo XIV to COP 30.”
https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/pont-messages/2025/documents/20251107-messaggio-cop30.html
National Catholic Reporter (2025).
“Pope Leo calls for true ecological conversion from words to action.”
https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/pope-leo-calls-true-ecological-conversion-words-action-environment
Reuters (23 September 2025).
“Trump tells UN that climate change is ‘greatest con job ever’.”
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/trump-tells-un-that-climate-change-is-con-job-2025-09-23/
Newsweek (2025).
“What has Trump said about global warming? Key quotes.”
https://www.newsweek.com/what-has-trump-said-about-global-warming-quotes-climate-change-paris-agreement-618898
Le Monde (2025).
“New pope follows in the footsteps of Leo XIII, father of the Church’s social doctrine.”
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/05/09/new-pope-follows-in-the-footsteps-of-leo-xiii-father-of-the-church-s-social-doctrine_6741095_4.html