Diocesan Environment Group (DEG)

To navigate the DEG website and for further information, please click one of the pages below. See below for information about the Autumn 2023 Eco Church evenings and to sign on.

The commitment to the environment of the Diocesan Environment Group is rooted in the good news of Jesus Christ. This is expressed in Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Col 1: 15-20), where he relates the role of Christ in the creation and upholding of all things and in reconciling to himself all things “… by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross”.  Jesus shows that God is committed to his created world and to us through his incarnation; therefore, we should be committed to his world too. Jesus not only reconciles us to God but to one another and to his world; it is significant that the first person to see the risen Jesus mistook him for the gardener. He is the ‘new Adam’ and that is what he calls us to be. 

Our main work has been to keep pace with developments over climate change and issues surrounding biodiversity, and to encourage the Diocesan response to the intention of the Church of England to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2030. The major vehicle for this has been promotion of Eco Church in our parishes and Diocese since its inception by A Rocha UK in 2016. We urge every church in the Diocese to register with Eco Church and to work towards its Awards, Currently, in January 2023, 40% of our churches have signed up; to become a Silver Eco Diocese, we need another 20 of these churches to achieve an Eco Church award and another 12 to achieve Silver or Gold.

We also liaise with the Diocesan Net Zero Carbon 2030 Steering Group, which the Diocesan Environment Officer (DEO) currently chairs. We engage with environmental organisations such as Climate Stewards, Operation Noah, Green Christian, Caring for God’s Acre and the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.

Our work can be summed up in the words of our mission statement, which is to inspire, encourage and challenge the people, churches and structures of the Diocese to “strive to take seriously and responsibly our God-given vocation to care for the earth and to demonstrate that care among those with whom we share our lives” (Quote from the Diocese of Coventry Environmental Policy adopted by the Diocesan Synod on 14 November 2009).

Please look at our News page for information about upcoming and recent events. If you would like a speaker at a church service or church event, do contact the DEO at Godfrey.Armitage@Coventry.Anglican.org to see if something suitable can be organised.

More about Eco Church

The Diocesan Environment Group held two Eco Church Evenings, on Thursday 19th October at St Margaret's Wolston and on Tuesday 7th November at Claverdon Church Centre. Each evening had different talks on the Eco Church categories and opportunities to network with other local Eco Church supporters. Each event was attended by about thirty people, mainly from the east of the Diocese for the Wolston event and mainly from the west for the Claverdon event, who came to each to find out more about Eco Church or how to help their churches progress to the next award level. We plan further events in 2024, with particular emphases on helping churches that have signed up to achieve an award or to progress from Bronze to Silver or Gold. Please consider getting your church to support A Rocha UK who run Eco Church (https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/2023EcoChurchAnnualGift)

 

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