On the 18th January, Portsmouth Cathedral will play host to a first-of-its-kind climate change conference aimed at parish church leaders. The one-day event, which is jointly organised by the Dioceses of Portsmouth, Guildford and Chichester will aim to connect tackling climate change to our parish Christian ministry.
The conference, titled 'Hope in the face of climate change', will feature inspirational talks from senior clergy involved in the climate fight as well as interactive workshops providing practical advice on how churches can improve their sustainability.
Attendees will be able to participate in a Q&A session with Andy Atkins, the CEO of A Rocha to learn more about progressing on their net zero carbon journey, and how doing so can play a vital role in their ministry- including outreach to their younger congregation as well as living out the Christian values of caring for God’s creation.
Delegates will also hear more about how Portsmouth Cathedral achieved the remarkable feat of reducing their carbon emissions by almost 50% over the last 10 years. The conference is pitched at churches of all sizes with plenty of transferable and relevant guidance suited to smaller churches with limited resources. This is particularly relevant given a third of churches surveyed in a study by Ecclesiastical Insurance and The Bible Society said that financial struggles were holding them back from implementing eco changes.
One speaker at the conference will be The Rt Revd Paul Davies Bishop of Dorking. He said: “There are unfortunately so many recent examples of the climate emergency- from the hurricanes in Florida, the floods in Spain, and the endless examples of wildfires, droughts and landslides in the developing world which rarely make the headlines.
“As Christians, we are called to protect God’s creation, not just for ourselves, but for future generations. This conference will be a powerful reminder that, together, we can and must make a difference.”
Other speakers include:-
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Rt Rev Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Portsmouth;
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Rt Rev Will Hazelwood, Bishop of Lewes;
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Andy Atkins, CEO of A Rocha UK;
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Richard Abraham, COO of Portsmouth Cathedral.
The conference will take place on Saturday 18th January, 10:15am-4pm. Booking information can be found online.