CREATION is “struggling to breathe” in the face of climate change, say advocates for a nature-based Lungs of the Earth initiative which an Anglican Communion delegation will take to COP30 in Brazil in November.
It will focus on three vital ecosystems — oceans, forests, and icecaps and frozen landscapes — which it describes as irreplaceable in their function of generating oxygen, storing carbon, and supporting biodiversity through oceans, coral reefs, and forests. Ice caps regulate global temperatures by reflecting sunlight and driving ocean currents.
“Mounting environmental damage is putting these critical ecosystems at severe risk, creating cascading effects that threaten not only countless species and natural habitats, but the health, security and survival of human communities worldwide,” says a briefing on the initiative. The poorest and most vulnerable communities bear the heaviest burdens, its authors say, noting that many Anglican communities continue to respond on disaster front-lines.
The initiative has been developed with Anglican environmental advocates around the world, and will thus, it promises, “reflect the wisdom, traditions and sustainable practices of indigenous communities in caring for the planet”.
Those behind the project say: “This is more than an environmental emergency. It is a spiritual crisis and a matter of justice. When forests are razed, coral reefs bleach, and ice sheets melt, we are not only witnessing ecological loss, we are failing in our calling as stewards of God’s creation.”
The initiative is intended to amplify environmental and advocacy work from Anglican Provinces around the world, and embrace the work of activists such as Green Anglicans, and the Anglican Communion Environmental Network, which are involved in projects such as reforestation. It also seeks to complement and build on the momentum of the Season of Creation, with its Isaiah-inspired theme, “Peace with Creation”.
The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has consistently called for urgent ocean restoration, emphasising that Pacific futures are inseparable from the health of the seas. It advocates for a fossil-fuel-free Pacific; protection of at least 30 per cent of the ocean; and a global ban on deep-sea mining.
Its Climate Change Commissioner, Fe’iloakitau Tevi, says: “The ocean is not just our highway or our source of food — it is the heart of our identity and our survival. . . We must end plastic pollution, reject destructive practices, and act with courage to protect the blue Pacific for generations to come.”
The Anglican Church of Kenya has adopted 3000 hectares of the Karura urban forest in Nairobi, and aims to plant 15 million trees in the coming years. The Archbishop of Kenya, the Most Revd Jackson Ole Sapit, said: “The Communion Forest is not just a physical forest. It is a spiritual act of worship, where every seedling planted symbolises the step toward reconciliation with the earth.”
A drive to reach net-zero carbon emissions in the Church of England by 2030 is already reducing energy bills and making churches fit for the future, says the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment. Speaking to diocesan environment officers at the British Antarctic Survey, he said recently: “Tackling climate and nature crises demonstrates Christian compassion and is simply ‘the right thing to do.’”
The Anglican delegation to COP30 will deliver a clear and urgent message: “The world must protect and restore the lungs of the earth.” It will urge governments to keep their promises on climate finance, so that vulnerable nations can thrive; speed the just transition away from fossil-fuel dependency; support communities on the front line, “from Pacific islands to Arctic villages, and Amazon settlements to coastal fishing towns”; and “listen to indigenous wisdom that has cared for creation over generations”.
The work begins in every parish, diocese and community, those behind the initiative suggest. “All can be part of this movement for creation care and climate justice.”
