themes
environment and
climate change
news
We also have a separate list of events related to climate change.
26 September 2008
What is the greatest threat to the planet?
The world's resources are running out and many environmentalists blame Church teaching, writes Mark Dowd of Operation Noah in The Catholic Herald.
The Catholic Herald 
26 August 2008
Don't Stop at the Lights: Church plan for a year of action on tackling climate change
A new guide from the Church of England offers church leaders a template for a year-long programme of practical action to reduce their congregations' carbon footprints, as energy prices head upwards.
Press release
26 July 2008
Lambeth Conference 2008 plenary session on climate change
Bishops have no option on climate change
Report by Mark Dowd, Operation Noah, in Church Times
12 July 2008
Address to URC General Assembly
Mark Dowd, from Operation Noah, addressed the United Reformed Church (URC) General Assembly on how climate change will be a catalyst for migration.
Operation Noah
10 July 2008
Church needs to focus on envirionment, not sexuality - Pre-Lambeth statement of the Welsh Bishops
The bishops of the Church in Wales are calling Anglicans to focus on environmental issues rather than sexuality, at the Lambeth Conference, which begins next week.
Press release
10 June 2008
Archbishop and church leaders call for worshippers to make 'Time for God's Creation'
Church leaders have called upon Christians throughout England to use the period from 1st September until 4th October as an opportunity to put the environment at the heart of their worship.
Press release
10 June 2008
Church of England submission to the House of Lords European Union Select Committee's inquiry into proposals to reform the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme.
Submission (Doc)
2 June 2008
Church of England submission to the House of Lords' Select Committee on Economic Affairs inquiry into ‘The Economics of Renewable Energy'.
Submission (Doc)
2 June 2008
Union of Welsh Independents publishes environmental pack
Union of Welsh Independents has produced "a colourful and useful pack - based on solid scriptural and scientific authority - dealing with contemporary ecological themes from a lively Christian viewpoint", in the Welsh language.
News story
30 May 2008
Bishop criticised for speech on climate change
The Bishop of Chester faces criticism for his comments in the House of Lord's about the causes of global warming:
News story from Ekklesia
Open letter to the Bishop of Chester from Mark Dowd, Operation Noah
Bishop of Chester's speech (Hansard)
20 May 2008
100th Eco-congregation Award in England & Wales
St Thomas' Church in Salisbury received its second Eco-congregation Award in May 2008, the 100th award to be given in England & Wales.
Press release: 100th Eco-congregation Award in England and Wales (PDF)
19 May 2008
Government and business leaders talk climate change at Lambeth Palace
A climate change round table, chaired by Jon Snow of Channel 4 News, marked the first anniversary of the Together campaign.
Press release
16 May 2008
CofE Environmental Adviser calls for end to spin
The Church of England's Environmental Adviser, David Shreeve, is calling for households to switch off their energy-hungry tumble dryers and, instead, dry their clothes on good, old-fashioned clothes lines.
Press release
8 May 2008
Bartholomew I honoured for environmental concern
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is listed as one of the world's 100 most influencial people by Time Magazine. He has been honoured for a clear moral and spiritual vision, with a vision dominated by his concern for the environment, according to his entry which was written by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Press release
Time Magazine entry
7 May 2008
Eco-Congregation launches new website
Eco-Congregation has a new website for England and Wales, and is keen to include details of local group of Christians meeting regularly to address environmental issues.
Eco-Congregation - England and Wales
2 May 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury to shun air travel for 2008
In an interview with Green Futures magazine, also reported in The Times, Rowan Williams said, "This year I'm trying to take a rather more radical approach to my own air travel. The only fixed [flight] this year is a trip to Auschwitz. After that I'm looking at travelling by train in Europe, and not going further afield, and just seeing what that feels like and what issues it raises." Extracts from the interview are available on:
Archbishop of Canterbury website
2 April 2008
Bishops call for a greener EU Budget
The Church of England, House of Bishops' Europe Panel has made a submission to the European Commission's Budget Review exercise calling for a greener Budget.
Church of England press release
Church of England submission to EU Budget review (PDF)
25 March 2008
Climate change briefings
Operation Noah has updated briefings on climate change:
Update on the Climate Change Bill
Latest on climate change science
20 March 2008
Storm of Hope brochures
In April, Christian Ecology Link is producing a four page A4 colour brochure called Storm of Hope, encouraging people to take more care of the environment, with features about CEL, its aims and resources. Members of CEL will receive a copy, but CEL is making available free extra copies (also for non-members) for use on stalls, events, in churches and so on. Please email
if you would like copies.
27 February 2008
Operation Noah's Mark Dowd addresses MPs
Mark Dowd, Campaign Strategist for Operation Noah, tells Members of Parliament "humanity is sleepwalking its way towards climate disaster".
Operation Noah
27 February 2008
Tearfund's Carbon Fast for Lent
Sign up for daily emails setting out the most compelling pieces of evidence proving climate change and download 40 actions for every day in Lent.
Tearfund
1 February 2008
Reports from the Hoping Rising climate change festival
Diocese of Exeter
Anne Pettifor, Operation Noah
14 January 2008
Documentary God is Green available from Operation Noah
Operation Noah's web site now includes a number of videos, including the documentary God is Green made by Mark Dowd, now Campaign Strategist for Operation Noah, which has been shown on Channel 4:
Operation Noah videos
9 January 2008
Operation Noah appoints Campaign Strategist
Operation Noah has recruited Mark Dowd, a former Dominican Friar and for more than 20 years a television producer and presenter, to a newly-created post of Campaign Strategist. Mark was the Churches Media Council's choice as Religious Broadcaster of the year in 2006.
Operation Noah press release
3 January 2008
Bible study pack for Lent
The Methodist Relief and Development fund has announced a new Bible study pack for Lent and beyond:
This Lent, don’t just change your light-bulbs, change your life (PDF)
31 December 2007
Archbishop of Canterbury's New Year message
God 'doesn't do waste':
Full text on the Archbishop of Canterbury's web site
Video on YouTube
13 December 2007
Climate change and human security
The Churches' Together International Affairs Network recently discussed climate change from the perspective of human security. A number of briefing papers are available relating to this:
CTBI International Affairs network update
28 November 2007
Green Church awards
The first-ever Church Times Green Church Awards ceremony was held on 19th November 2007 at St Mary-le-Bow church in the City of London. The Awards scheme, first announced in February 2007, was conceived by the Church Times, which then worked with a number of leading Christian agencies in the field of environmental action to make awards in six different categories. Holy Trinity, Cleeve, won the overall first prize as Green Church of the Year for its range of environmental activities. Full information about the scheme is available at www.greenchurchawards.org
