Operation Noah has appointed award-winning documentary maker Mark Dowd to the newly-created post of Campaign Strategist.

Dowd, a former Dominican Friar and for more than 20 years, television producer and presenter, was the Churches Media Council's choice as Religious Broadcaster of the year in 2006.

The 48-year-old was also the journalist who successfully challenged the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, to give up flying for a year on the Channel 4 documentary, God Is Green last year.

"Brave leadership from women and men in public life is going to [be] essential if the real calamity of runaway climate change is to be avoided," he said.

"Christians have a huge role to play in bearing prophetic witness and for living simpler lives that respect the increasingly fragile state of God's creation."

"Often they can prepare the way for difficult decisions that politicians are afraid of confronting."

Dowd comes to Operation Noah as the movement seeks to expand its campaign of encouraging religious and political leaders to lead the people of Britain in responding to the threat of dangerous climate change.

One of his responsibilities includes travelling the country to make a passionate, faith-based case for radical reductions in the output of Britain's greenhouse gases. The organisation's stated goal is a 90 per cent reduction by the year 2030.

Since the airing of God Is Green, Mark Dowd has toured the UK giving talks and seminars based on the film. Now the new post with Operation Noah will allow him to extend this role and take the message of the need for action to churches and faith groups.

The aim is to build up a large community of supporters who can demand that government provides the necessary legislative framework to transform Britain into a low carbon society in a way that ensures the burden of adjustment is shared between rich and poor.

"It is a huge boost to have someone of Mark's passion and journalistic experience on board in our expanding organisation," said Operation Noah's Director of Campaigns, Ann Pettifor.