FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY: Net zero conference helped to lift our horizons

WE hosted our first Net Zero Carbon conference a week ago in our cathedral – a chance for us all to lift our horizons and think about the future of our planet.

There were more than 100 people there to learn and be inspired by various speakers and leaders. The conference delegates came from across the Portsmouth, Chichester and Guildford parts of the Church of England.

You might wonder why this matters so much to us as churchgoers. Because we believe God created the Earth and asked humankind to look after it, our care for the environment is actually a key part of our faith. Our climate is clearly changing and burning fossil fuels is the main cause of that.

So the Church of England voted in 2022 to go ‘net zero carbon’ by 2030. That means all of our churches, cathedrals, church buildings and schools have to examine their carbon footprints and work out ways to reduce our dependence on carbon.

The theme of this conference was ‘Hope in the face of climate change’ and looked not only at how we can reduce our parish’s carbon footprints but also why care for creation is so important for our churches.

Three of our bishops discussed their journeys towards understanding the effects of climate change. Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson explained what Portsmouth City Council has been doing to reduce the city’s carbon footprint particularly in transport, waste, greening and energy production. And we heard about the significant steps Portsmouth Cathedral has taken to reduce its carbon footprint.

Speakers from the environmental charity A Rocha also explained how our churches could become ‘Eco Churches’ – where positive action is being taken to address environmental concerns.

And the CEO of A Rocha, Andy Atkins, presented our diocese’s bishop with a Bronze Eco Diocese award, acknowledging the achievements across this diocese already to reduce carbon emissions, care for the environment and pursue more environmentally ethical lifestyles.

It was really exciting to be part of our diocese’s very first net zero conference, especially to see the levels of enthusiasm in our churches. We’re hoping it will become an annual event. Find out more on www.portsmouth.anglican.org/environment.

And I’d encourage you to think about how you can reduce the carbon footprint in your own home, workplace, school or college. These things only change in the end because individuals choose to raise people’s awareness of the issues and demand further action. Wherever you are based, you could be the person to do exactly that.