Justice & Peace Projects

The Justice and Peace Commission encourages church congregations to become eco-congregations by asking them to be proactive in the reduction of the energy they use and how much they recycle. The commission also works with schools and youth groups. Each year we organize a tree planting day on the land surrounding Myddelton Youth Retreat Centre in Ilkley.

Is this Justice?

Climate change may be the single biggest issue facing our global village. Climate change is about more than just rising temperatures: It is reducing already scarce water sources. It is shifting farm lands into deserts. It is causing natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis.

While climate change is largely the result of carbon emissions from big business and transport systems in places like Europe and North America, it is the developing countries in Africa, South America and Asia that will be most affected by expanding deserts, rising sea levels and changing weather – especially as such countries do not have the resources to protect themselves from such threats.

Climate change effects us all, but those of us in the develop world especially need to carry the burden of responsibility and reduce our carbon foot print immediately.

1 . Get your Church Council to agree: That Christians should be concerned about climate change. That the church has a 'duty of care' to think globally and act locally on this issue. To nominate a particular person to promote these Ten Steps within the church.
2. Measure your church's 'carbon footprint' (see below).
3. Call the Energy Savings Trust on (0800) 512012, to ask for their advice on ways in which your church's energy consumption (and its energy bills!) could be reduced.
4. Install low-energy light bulbs. Put a sign beside light switches, asking people to turn them off when not in use.
5. Turn the heating thermostat down by 1°C. Reduce the amount of time that the heating is on each Sunday by 15 minutes.
6. Encourage people to share transport. Work out who travels from where, and put people in touch with each other.
7. Encourage individual church members to measure and reduce their own 'carbon footprint'.
8. Get the PCC to switch its electricity supplier to a source of green electricity. Visit or phone one of the following: www.npower.com/greenelectricitv. Tel. (0800) 316 3370 www.greenenergy.uk.com. Tel. (0845) 456 9550 www.good-energy.co.uk. Tel. (0845) 456 1640 www.greenelectricity.org to compare various green electricity suppliers
9. Get your Church Council to agree to off-set the environmental cost of the church's remaining carbon emissions by making a donation through the Carbon Neutral Campaign. Contact Charlie Henderson of the Carbon Neutral Campaign on Charlie@carbonneutrahtewcastle.com or at (0191) 277 7149, or visit www. carbonneutralnewcastle.com.
10. Review these Ten Steps (especially No. 2) in a year's time.