Obama welcomes Pope's call for action on global climate change

US President Barack Obama has welcomed Pope Francis' plea for bold action on global climate change and his open embrace of the view that humans are largely to blame for the crisis.

"As Pope Francis so eloquently stated this morning, we have a profound responsibility to protect our children, and our children's children, from the damaging impacts of climate change," Obama said in a statement.

"I believe the US must be a leader in this effort, which is why I am committed to taking bold actions at home and abroad to cut carbon pollution, to increase clean energy and energy efficiency, to build resilience in vulnerable communities, and to encourage responsible stewardship of our natural resources," he said.

"We must also protect the world's poor, who have done the least to contribute to this looming crisis and stand to lose the most if we fail to avert it," Obama said, adding that he looks forward to discussing these issues with Pope Francis when he visits the White House in September.

"As we prepare for global climate negotiations in Paris this December, it is my hope that all world leaders - and all God's children - will reflect on Pope Francis' call to come together to care for our common home," Obama said.

Pope Francis' encyclical calls for a common response to the critical threat climate change poses to our common home. His plea for all religions to work together reflects the urgency of the challenge, Secretary of State John Kerry said.

"The faith community - in the US and abroad - has a long history of environmental stewardship and aiding the poor, and Pope Francis has thoughtfully applied those same values to the very real threat our planet is facing today," he added.

The devastating impacts of climate change - like heat waves, damaging floods, coastal sea level rise and historic droughts - are already taking place, threatening the habitat all humans and other creatures depend on to survive, he said.

"We have a responsibility to meet this challenge and prevent the worst impacts. As stewards of our planet, we can all work together to manage our resources sustainably and ensure that the poorest among us are resilient to climate change," he said.

"We have the overwhelming body of peer-reviewed science to show us what is causing this problem, and we are equipped with the tools and resources to begin solving it," Kerry said.

US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said Pope Francis' call to action on climate change is an important milestone in the global effort on this issue.