"Church and Earth" - The Church of England's 7 Year Plan on Climate Change



I have posted several articles to do with the environment over the past several months, and there are sure to be more to come. Initiatives and programmes are growing in number to help Christians engage with our calling to be good stewards of the planet. The Church of England has just published a report entitled Church and Earth. It is a statement of the our Church's beliefs, activities and ambitions relating to climate change and environmental action over the next seven years. It is part of the global effort to tackle climate change and associated environmental challenges.

The commitments in the report include:
  • Carbon reduction target of 80% by 2050, with an interim target of 42% by 2020
  • Annual carbon and energy reports for all parishes and dioceses by 2016
  • All church buildings to have carbon footprints calculated and recommendations made by 2012
  • Advice for all parishes on choosing green energy tariffs by 2010
  • Tree-planting to be encouraged on church land
  • ‘Eco-twinning’ between UK and developing world parishes, faced with early effects of climate change
  •  New Climate Justice Fund offering aid to churches in the developing world
  • All dioceses to target Fair Trade status before 2016
On 16 November, at the Church Centre for the United Nations in New York City, Lois M. Dauway, a member of the World Council of Churches Central Committee challenged Christian Churches to embrace the task of addressing climate change. She proposed the "Nike School of Theology", referring to the well-known manufacturer of sports shoes. Nike's brand slogan sums up what the Church is called to do: it is time for action, "Just do it, just do it!"

In the Diocese in Europe we all have work to do!  There are many suggestions in the Church and Earth report that can be followed up in our own congregations. A summary of the Church and Earth report can be found here.

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