The Diocese of Coventry is celebrating 10 years of environmental action since hosting the landmark Reconciling a Wounded Planet conference at Coventry Cathedral in September 2015. Following the conference, Godfrey Armitage was appointed as Diocesan Environment Officer (DEO). As Godfrey prepares to retire from the DEO role at the end of the year we look back with gratitude at the many achievements of the last 10 years.
In 2016, the Eco Church scheme was launched across the diocese and has remained a core focus for both the DEO and the Diocesan Environment Group (DEG) ever since. As of November 2025, nearly 50% of our churches are Eco Church registered and over 30% have received an award, including two Gold awards. We achieved Eco Diocese Bronze in 2019 and are committed to achieving Eco Diocese Silver by the end of 2026.
Other highlights have included rolling out free energy audits for churches, promoting the Cherishing Churchyards programme, establishing a Creation Care training course, appointing and supporting Deanery Environmental Representatives and parish environmental champions, recruiting the Net Zero Carbon Project Officer, developing and approving the Net Zero Action Plan, updating the Environment Policy and setting up a national pilot Churchyard Biodiversity and Heritage Project and much more. It’s been a very busy 10 years!
Many initiatives which started life in Coventry have since been rolled out nationally and become models of good practice.
Godfrey has also been an active member of the DAC, the national DEO network and involved with many national working groups and initiatives including the Church Energy Advisory Network.
As we look to the future of environmental action across the diocese it would be easy to feel daunted by the scale of the challenge but there is also much reason for hope. There is now widespread recognition that creation care is a gospel imperative, and that responsible environmental stewardship is a missional response, helping us to care for and treasure the fulness of God’s creation. As the search begins for our next Diocesan Environment Officer we give thanks for the legacy of Godfrey’s tireless efforts and close with the prayer used at each DEG meeting: Father, help us to tread your earth lightly, as people Reconciled by God with God, Reconciled by God with one another, and Reconciled by God to his wounded planet. Living simply that all may simply live, to the glory of our risen saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Could you be our next DEO? Details of the role and how to apply can be found on our vacancies page.