Climate Change

The Methodist Church has been concerned with changing climate and its impact on human and non human communities across the world for a long period of time. A Methodist Conference Statement, Hope in God's Future, on climate change and a Christian response was agreed in 2011. This statement is intended to help individuals and local groups to:

• understand the position of The Baptist Union, The Methodist Church and The United Reformed Church on climate change;

• become aware of vital connections between climate change and the Christian faith;

• transform lifestyles through studying, praying and acting on the issues; and

• inspire others in the community to live in harmony with the whole of creation.

The Statement calls on churches to confess their guilt in relation to the causes of climate change, to show signs of repentance and redeemed sacramental living and to be a prophetic voice in the life of our communities in the following ways:

1. Through prayer, preaching, bible study, teaching, and discussion to raise awareness of the need for confession and repentance among the churches and thereby enable acts of corporate confession in liturgical settings.

2. To act urgently to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the whole of church life in line with the national goal of a minimum 80% reduction on 1990 levels by 2050 and appropriate interim targets. This will require first a systematic audit of church greenhouse gas emissions at national and local levels and second a strategy to reduce these emissions to achieve this target.

3. To help members of congregations to make similar adjustments in the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their lifestyles by supporting them in a personal audit and strategies to reduce their emissions.

4. To campaign at a local and national level for policies that strengthen and take steps towards realizing the commitment to a minimum 80% reduction by 2050.

The links below are to organisations campaigning to tackle the causes of the Climate Emergency.