The Routemap to Net Zero Carbo by 2030 published last month, encourages cathedrals, churches, schools and theological education institutions to make changes to their day-to-day activities to reduce carbon emissions. In February 2020, General Synod voted to adopt the ambitious target of 2030, and following a widespread consultation with parishes, dioceses, cathedrals, and the wider Church, the Routemap was drawn up by members of the Environment Working Group.Included are explanations of simple changes which can be made, such as fixing basic insulation gaps or switching lightbulbs.Members of the Synod are currently meeting in York for the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.Introducing the motion, the Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher (see photo), the Church of England’s lead Bishop for the Environment, said: “The 2030 target is hugely ambitious, but the process is as important as the target.“This work is central to our story with God and creation; central to our story about God and creation. “And I see it as a key part of our obedience to God’s call to be stewards of creation. “The Routemap before you has been refined in consultation. It’s a pragmatic, it’s a step-by-step approach. “It charts the territory into an unknown landscape, with the best knowledge that we currently have. “But no doubt it will need to flex and adapt as the wider picture changes in the coming years.“It focuses first on simple steps that every church community can take. Changing to LED lighting on a renewable energy tariff, reducing draughts, good maintenance - each has a part of how we live this out especially for our rural churches.“As does heating people, rather than the angels carved on our church roof bosses.“If we think of reaching net zero as a list of 10 things, eight of them are fairly straight forward and let’s work together on the other two.”Synod was shown a short film highlighting successful examples of net zero carbon churches and schools. It came from a series of short films which show projects from across the country, ranging from heat pumps in rural Cumbria to solar panels in central London. They also include net zero carbon schools like St Andrew’s School, Chedworth, Gloucestershire, which has installed solar panels and an air-source heat pump, and Newcastle Cathedral which has installed a new, sustainable, heating system. Approved by Synod, the Routemap is not legislative and does not obligate any part of the Church but is the basis of the road to net zero carbon by 2030.
THE Primate of Ukraine’s independent Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epiphany (Dumenko), visited Lambeth Palace on Thursday to discuss the Russian invasion.The Ukrainian Primate, accompanied by the Archbishop of Chernihiv & Nizhyn, His Eminence Yevstratiy Zoria, held a round-table discussion with the Archbishop of Canterbury; Lord Chartres, a former Bishop of London; the Revd Professor James Walters, director of the LSE Faith Centre; and the Revd Dr Jamie Hawkey, Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey.Metropolitan Epiphany described the daily deaths in the country: “The Ukrainian people are suffering to a very great extent from this atrocious war. Everyday a lot of people die, literally every day, and this includes children, elderly people, peaceful residents, peaceful citizens. We are very grateful for your prayer support.”The church leaders participated in the midday eucharist in the Lambeth Palace crypt chapel, during which Archbishop Welby received a blessing from Metropolitan Epiphany. In his homily, Archbishop Welby said: “We know that we are in the presence of those who bear a heavy burden of leadership in war. Let us pray that our love for them and their people, and our peace with which we bless them, may strengthen them in the difficult and stony path that they travel at this time.”Archbishop Welby spoke of his great sadness that their visit was taking place against a backdrop of the terrible suffering of the people of Ukraine. “The cruelty of the occupation has been extraordinary,” he said.
The Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen, told a global summit on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) hosted by the UK Government, that there had been some good progress in some areas made since the publication of the review in 2019, but ‘much’ still needed to be done. “The challenge going forward is to keep up the corporate momentum that has developed around this issue because this is a really, really significant global issue,” he told a panel session of the Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in London today.“We must not let it sink back into the place that it was before, largely ignored and overlooked.”Asked what his advice would be to Parliamentarians, Bishop Philip said: “My key message to Parliamentarians would be: understand what the main drivers behind freedom of religion or belief abuses are – we are looking at totalitarian regimes, religious fundamentalism, militant nationalism - these are really serious issues that must be addressed. So please Parliamentarians, make this a bipartisan issue, espouse it across the political spectrum.”In his remarks during the panel session Bishop Philip welcomed the creation of the UK Freedom of Religion or Belief Public Forum made since the publication of the 2019 report. The group brings together a ‘huge variety’ of civil society groups in coalition, he said, including Humanists UK and faith groups. “I think that is very effective to have that number of groups working together and making common cause,” he said.“There is a huge variety, from Humanists UK through to avowedly faith groups at the other end of the spectrum – those people working together - I think that has been really, really effective.”He told the conference that the recommendations of the 2019 report were ‘intentionally framed’ in the broad understanding of the need to guarantee freedom of religion or belief for everyone. “The best way to protect any one minority is to protect all minorities,” he said. Bishop Philip was speaking in a panel discussion Inspiring Parliamentarians at the Ministerial Conference hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
