Commenting on Salisbury Cathedral’s success in gaining a Bronze Eco Church Award, Canon Treasurer, Robert Titley said: ‘We believe that the Christian gospel is good news for the whole of creation as well as for human beings. The Eco Church audit is helping us see how we can express that better through the whole range of the cathedral’s life, from the hymns we sing to the heating we use – and with its graded scheme, indicating areas in which we could improve our service to the community and beyond.’
In the Diocese, the cathedral joins the Parish of Woodford Valley with Archer’s Gate with its Bronze, while Hilfield Friary holds a Gold Award. Another ten churches in the Diocese are registered with the scheme.
Christians want to steward the gifts of God and care for his creation. It is great that the cathedral is taking a lead in this, putting Christian teaching on the care of creation into practice. Climate change is already damaging the lives of some of the world’s poorest communities. I hope other churches in the Diocese will follow the cathedral’s lead. We need to care for the earth because there is no Planet B.
THE RT REVD NICHOLAS HOLTAM, BISHOP OF SALISBURY. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND’S LEAD BISHOP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT