In the environment

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Creation Care

We believe that a fundamental part of our mission as Christians is to care for God’s creation.

We are delighted to have been one of the first Dioceses in the country to be awarded bronze Eco Diocese accreditation under the Eco Church scheme run by Christian environmental charity A Rocha UK, and we are fast closing in on a silver award.

The Diocesan Environment Group, chaired by Environment Officer Canon Sandie Barton, works actively to take our mission forward, by encouraging more local churches to engage with the Eco Church scheme and by seeking to resource and guide the Diocese at every level as the Church of England works towards the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Our Diocesan Environment Policy, agreed unanimously by Diocesan Synod in early 2018, sits firmly within our Diocesan Vision of Flourishing Congregations Making a Difference.

Environmental Policy | PDF

Grow in depth	by focusing on the glory of God revealed in creation, by becoming better informed about environmental issues and by turning our deeper understanding into practical action.
Grow in Influence	by speaking up confidently and prophetically on environmental matters, by collaborating with other agencies locally, nationally and globally, and by working together as a network of parishes to bring about change.
Grow in number	by welcoming members of the wider community to join with us in environmental projects in our parishes.
Grow younger	by working with schools as well as youth and children’s work in parishes to incorporate care for the creation into teaching and practical activities, and by committing ourselves to care for the long term future of the world in which our younger members will live.

Aiming for Net Zero by 2030

Early in 2020 General Synod voted for an important change to the Church of England’s response to the climate emergency, for the whole Church to reach ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions by 2030, “…recognising that the global climate emergency is a crisis for God’s creation, and a fundamental injustice.” The vote called for all parts of the Church of England to work to achieve year on year reductions in emissions, and to draw up a plan of action to aim to achieve that target. We are committed to working towards this ambitious plan, and will support any parishes wishing to know more about how to move forward with it.