Environment

Climate Change Bill

LATEST... Urgent Action! Please write to your MP about the Climate Change Bill.

We want the Bill to be more effective and are calling for an 80% reduction in carbon emissions. We also do not want to ignore the contribution of air and sea travel, and want to see reductions of our own emissions rather than relying on buying carbon credits from other countries.
Download a briefing on the Climate Change Bill (PDF)

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Our denominations' environmental polices encourage all churches and church members to consider how we might tread more lightly on the Earth. However, legislative change, appropriate taxation and other incentives are required to drastically reduce national carbon emissions. To this end the Joint Public Issues Team has led our churches in providing a response to the proposed Climate Change Bill.

See Climate Change Bill - submission of evidence to the pre-legislative scrutiny committee (PDF)

Climate Change Bill - response to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) consultation (PDF)

Our Churches' Response

We have encouraged people throughout the church to identify a Christian ethic and response to climate change and encourage churchgoers to be good stewards of God's creation. A variety of ecumenical resources are available and can be found at Creation Challenge www.creationchallenge.org.uk

Resolutions calling for greater engagement in environmental issues by local churches were adopted by both the Methodist Conference and the United Reformed Church General Assembly in July 2007. 

Methodist Conference Climate Change Resolution (Word doc)
URC General Assembly Climate Change Resolution (Word doc)

One of the themes of the 2008 Baptist Assembly will be 'Care for Creation'.

Film on Creation Challenge

Creation Challenge - the URC and Methodist environmental network, has a made a special short film to motivate and inspire Christians and churches to take action on climate change. View it and download it from www.creationchallenge.org.uk (scroll down the page and click on "find out more...".