CoE churches call MPs to back Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Rev Daniel Stephenson at St Paul's, Clifton

Last week, churches across the UK demonstrated their support for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill by taking part in a nationwide banner drop and twitter storm.

Last Friday (26 March), the date of the (now postponed) Second Reading of the Bill in parliament, brightly coloured banners were dropped from church buildings calling on MPs to 'Back the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill'. Tweets sharing banner images made #CEEBill trend at number one on Twitter for UK Politics.

Drafted by scientists, legal experts, ecological economists and environmentalists, the Bill is designed to reverse climate and ecological breakdown. It asks the UK Government to take responsibility for our fair share of greenhouse gas emissions, to actively restore biodiverse habitats in the UK and to reduce damage to the environment caused by the production, transportation and disposal of the goods we consume. Tabled by Caroline Lucas of the Green Party, the Bill has support of over 100 MPs in 8 political parties, representing all parts of the UK.

Revd Tamsin Merchant of St Mary's, Hornsey Rise, London, said: "It is time for the Government to act and seek to implement change to protect this amazing Earth, which God has made. Our current situation shows us how we must act now and not delay.' Green Christian member Poppy Pickard, who attends St Mary's, said, 'It is so important that the Government takes this on board; there is no time to lose. We must do all that we possibly can to protect God's wonderful creation from abuse."

Speaking at Lady Saint Mary's Church, Wareham, Revd Hilary Bond said: "The bright yellow banner across the front of our church is an attempt to encourage our Government to actually fulfil the promises that they have already made in respect of taking care of the Earth that we as Christians believe that God made and gave to us to look after. The banner is a statement that our church believes taking care of the natural environment not only matters, but is an integral part of the expression of our Christian faith."

The parishes of St Paul's Clifton and Cotham, the originators of a motion that led to the Diocese of Bristol declaring a Climate Emergency and urging the General Synod of the Church of England to commit to being carbon neutral by 2030. Revd David Stephenson said: "We recognise that we need to continue to take meaningful action ourselves and urge others, and especially government, to meaningful action. We believe that the CEE Bill provides a framework for this kind of action and would enable the UK Government to take a genuine lead as hosts of the COP26 conference. The time has to be now to halt the destruction of ecosystems and irreversible climate change through global warming."

LINKS

Website : www.greenchristian.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristianEcologyLink
Twitter: www.twitter.com/greenchristian