Pope Francis has called for immediate climate change action, summoning all humanity, including politicians and the business sector, to protect “our common home” and “resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation.”

In the pope’s 180-page climate change encyclical, released on Thursday and brimming with rich references to religious leaders of the past, scientific evidence and reasons to value the sustainable use of natural resources, the pontiff decries global warming as a human-made phenomenon.

“We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels — especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas — needs to be progressively replaced without delay,” he wrote.

Seen as a moral issue transcending Catholicism, the religious leader also cites multiple references to technology, health and science, such as over consumption and poor waste management strategies in our “throwaway culture,” along with the broad range of health hazards stemming from industrial fumes and transport, for example.

Pope Francis hopes the encyclical will rouse a worldwide movement and transform those “obsessed with maximizing profits” into advocates who reflect on the damage they leave behind for future generations.