Bishop: Creation care must go beyond rhetoric

Caring for God’s creation demands action as well as words, the Bishop of London asserted this week.

The Rt Rev Richard Chartres encouraged Christians to take practical initiatives to care for the environment as he led Church of England environment officers in a tour of London in a hybrid bus.

The environment officers came to the capital from across the country to take part in the tour, which took them from Westminster Roman Catholic Cathedral to St Paul’s Cathedral and on to St Saviour’s church in Knightsbridge.

The bus ride was part of the Church of England’s ongoing commitment to environmental issues through its Shrinking the Footprint campaign.

The environment officers were briefed on the Church’s initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint and some of the measures being implemented in church buildings to make them friendlier to the environment.

The hybrid bus was from a new Transport for London fleet which reduces emissions of local pollutants and carbon dioxide by at least 30 per cent compared to conventional diesel buses.

Bishop Chartres, who chairs Shrinking the Footprint, stressed the need for Christians to take action.

“Christians are called on to care for creation, to be stewards of this good Earth for the sake of the common good. But you can’t leave it at the level of rhetoric," he said.

"We have to actually make sure we are taking some very practical initiatives.”