THE CHURCH of England’s General Synod has set new targets for all parts of the church to work to become carbon net zero by 2030, fifteen years ahead of their original goal.
At its 12 February meeting, Synod members voted in favour of a revised date encouraging all parts of the Church to take action and ramp-up efforts to reduce emissions.
Following the decision, the Bishop of Salisbury, Nick Holtam, the Church of England’s lead bishop on Environmental Affairs, said: “Synod has set an ambitious target for the whole Church of England to respond to the urgency of the Climate Crisis.
“To reach Synod’s target of 2030 will not be easy and requires each of us to hear this as an urgent call to action.
“But this is a clear statement of intent across the Church and to wider society about our determination to safeguard God’s creation.
“This is a social justice issue, which affects the world’s poorest soonest and most severely and if the Church is to hold others to account, we have to get our own house in order.
“There is no serious doubt that climate change is happening, and that people are causing it, so it is very encouraging that Synod is grappling with one of the most urgent issues of our time.”
“We will now need to work out a plan to ensure we do everything possible to meet this target.”
The motion follows the launch of the Church of England’s first ever Green Lent campaign for 2020, featuring 40 days of prayers and actions to encourage caring for the environment.
The Church of England has also announced an energy tool for parishes to calculate their carbon footprint.
