From the Rt Revd Dr David Atkinson
Sir, - Without suggesting that church officials are suffering
from bureaucratic lethargy, I find it hard to understand how, five
months on from the decision at the February Synod sessions to set
up a working group on the environment, there is still no
announcement of progress.
Christiana Figueres of the UN, speaking recently in St Paul's
Cathedral, urged church leaders to make their voices heard about
climate change. Time is not on our side. If the Church is to make
any adequate contribution to the decisions being made now before
the UN conference in Paris in 2015, and if the Church is going to
be able to offer a considered response to the expected papal
encyclical on ecology, we really need to get our act together.
In my view what is needed is a named Head of Environment and
Sustainability, working with a group that includes "external"
experts - as proposed as long ago as 2009 in the forgotten C of E
report Church and Earth. It then suggested: "By 2012, at
national level [Shrinking the Footprint] will work with a new
Environment and Sustainability Strategy Board, bringing together
church leaders and expert voices from partner organisations."
It really is time to get on with this.
DAVID ATKINSON
6 Bynes Road
South Croydon CR2 0PR
