In September 2020, the Diocese of Hereford recognised the urgency of the climate crisis and confirmed its commitment to achieving Carbon Net-Zero by 2030. A Net-Zero Steering group was established and an action plan and pathway towards that goal were established. Achieving that goal will depend on all of us across the Diocese: churches, communities, and individuals.
Much is happening in response to the climate and ecological emergencies across the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire. Working in partnership with other organisations and local communities is at the core of our approach, here are some of the key organisations who are active in the space and who we liaise with.
Marches Christian Environmental Network
Marches Christian Environmental Network (M-CENT) draws together Christians of all denominations across the Marches who are concerned about the impact of climate change and protecting our environment. Occasional meetings are held to plan events and shape information sharing, but much of our work is done via group emails.
Read Archives from the Marches Christian Environmental Newsletter
Our desire is for Churches throughout the Marches to treasure creation as a precious gift of God and encourage our congregations to respond and take appropriate action. We want to see Churches putting care and responsibility for the environment back at the heart of Christian theology and life.
Our network has six simple yet far-reaching aims:
- Putting the care and responsibility for the environment back at the heart of Christian theology and life
- Facilitating the exchange of ideas and information
- Safeguarding the integrity of creation
- Encouraging sustainable lifestyles
- Responding to the ethical injustices of the impact of climate change
- Encouraging personal ecological conversion and response
We hold regular events and meetings to encourage and support Church communities moving towards net zero and improving their environmental impact. For upcoming events, please see our events calendar and Mission and Ministry Training Brochure.
Strategic Networks within Herefordshire and Shropshire
- Marches Christian Environmental Network
- Borderlands Rural Chaplaincy
- Zero Carbon Shropshire
- South Shropshire Climate Action
- Marches Nature Partnership
- Herefordshire Green Network
- Herefordshire Climate and Nature Partnership
National Networks and Agencies
There are also a host of national and international faith-based agencies that are influential in tackling the Climate and Ecological crises and have other useful resources for churches.