I wish you every blessing for a restful and fruitful summer. 

Rosalind

Rosalind Cooper

Net Zero Carbon Programme Manager

A great many thanks to churches who submitted their Energy Footprint Tool this year. Across the diocese we were able to achieve a c.63% response rate. I do hope the outputs from the tool will prove useful for church and church halls on environmental journeys. The Energy Footprint Tool is an annual return, so if you weren’t able to submit it this year, mark your calendars for January 2027! 

The national Net Zero Carbon Programme Team has released their most recent data on progress to net zero carbon from the energy used in its buildings, schools and through work-related transport across the Church of England. Find our more and read the most recent report here. A continued thanks from the Diocese of Leeds to all the work you are doing within churches and associated communities to progress this vital environmental work.  

It may come as a surprise to learn that the United Kingdom is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, meaning the natural world needs our support more than ever. One way in which you can support is by entering the Wildlife Gardening Awards, run by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Over 500 awards have been given to ‘different types and sizes of garden… at your home, in a community space, school, workplace, or care home’ since March 2023. Find out more about the scheme here. And if you would like to know more about supporting the Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts, you can contact Helen Pedley, an Eco Mission Enabler for the Diocese of Leeds who is a Yorkshire Wildlife ‘Team Wilder’ Community Champion.  

There is plenty in the news about the dismantling of climate monitoring systems. However, Reuters have released a new ‘Climate Monitor’ report, using data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service to ‘show where temperatures are unusually hot or cold in real time by comparing today’s conditions with what was typical’ as the average between 1960 and 1991. Check out the tool here.

Sometimes it can feel difficult to know where to start to take action against the climate and nature crises our communities are facing. Professor Hugh Montgomery OBE (one of the speakers at the People’s Emergency Briefing) has developed the ‘7 Acts’ to help us all make a difference. GreenChristian have written a piece about it here.

The House of Bishops recently published ‘Hope for All Creation’, “a teaching document articulating the bishops’ theological response to the environmental crises”. If you would like to learn more about this new resource, the Church of England are running various webinars in Creationtide. The webinars are open to all, and particularly aimed at church leaders wanting to engage with the material. The webinars run on Tuesdays in the Season of Creation, with presentations and then a Q&A (details in the events section below). Find more resources on their Hope for All Creation page here.

The Christian environmental charity Operation Noah recently released a report entitled ‘Church Land and the Climate Crisis’, making recommendations to the Church Commissioners and dioceses. They have also released many supporting resources, including webinars which can be found here. The Diocese of Leeds includes Land within the Saving Creation Action Plan, and is currently engaging with the Woodland Trust to investigate the potential for tree planting on diocesan-owned land. 

You may have come across the concept of ‘community energy’ recently, and the Diocese is working on a webinar to introduce churches to this opportunity. In the meantime, you can learn about the Diocese of Bath and Wells’ approach to community energy via this YouTube video on ‘Lower Carbon, Higher Power’.

A reminder that the Diocese has created a very helpful Saving Creation Toolkit for schools, with plenty of Action Sheets covering a diverse range of topics. Please do point any schools you work with to this page.

Takyiwa Denso, Project Specialist - Young Voices for the NZC Programme, writes: 

Applications have opened for the government's Youth Climate and Nature Panel. Open to 16 to 25 year olds as part of the Energising Britain public participation plan published last year. It aims to ensure that young people’s voices are at the heart of climate and nature policy. They will recruit 15 passionate young people from across the UK from a wide range of backgrounds who want to help shape the future of climate and nature policy, share their views, and inspire wider action. Over the summer, they will focus on recruiting 16-18 year olds. You can find more information on the panel and recruitment process here.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have also launched ‘Young Voices for Climate and Nature’, aimed at children under the age of 16. This encourages school or community groups to submit their ideas on the climate and nature issues that are important to them that the panel could consider. The Gov UK page provides further details on this here. Please do share with the young people in your network. 

Many churches need to look to external grant to support their decarbonisation and environmental journey (a reminder of the Practical Path to Net Zero, released by the Church of England and available here). The Church of England has recently updated their fundraising page, which is full of helpful advice and can support churches at every stage.

Many churches across the diocese have received an ‘energy audit’ in the last few years, investigating heating and lighting systems and highlighting opportunities to cut costs and transition away from fossil fuels. If your church has not received an audit and you would like to be considered for one, please contact the Net Zero Carbon Church Buildings Officer at alasdair.hicks@leeds.anglican.org for more information. Alasdair is also available to have 1:1 conversations about your church’s bespoke energy use and heating/lighting profile, so do get in contact with him for support.

Heritage England have a series of helpful webinars on Heritage Carbon Reduction and Decarbonisation Plans, which are regularly updated.  

Time races on and by the next God’s Green Fingers the Season of Creation (Creationtide) will be upon us! The 2026 Season of Creation theme is ‘Living Water’, and there are plenty of resources on the Season of Creation website, including a Celebration Guide, to guide your thinking on Creationtide this year. 

The recent heatwaves impacting the United Kingdom and the continent have raised the profile of the urgency of adapting to climate change, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The below resources may be of interest. And thank you to one of our Parish Environment Officers who shared how to ensure that bees and butterflies have a way of getting fresh water! 

• Heat guide - Yale Climate Connections
• A Well-Adapted UK - Climate Change Committee 
• Adaptation for Climate Resilience: Non-Domestic Buildings - UKGBC 
• Historic and Traditional Buildings at Risk of Flooding - Historic England 
• Cool Spaces Guidance - Warm Welcome Spaces 

A group from the Harrogate Deanery recently took part in the Carbon Literacy Course, taught by Rosalind Cooper, Diocesan Net Zero Carbon Programme Manager, over two very full and interesting mornings. The Carbon Literacy Project offers teaching on climate change, carbon footprints, and on why the subject of carbon emissions is relevant to each of us and to our workplaces - in this case to our church congregations. Read more here.

Rosalind attended the North Yorkshire Community Climate Conference in York in July, and met Toni Bunnell, who writes: “I am a wildlife biologist who has been running a hedgehog rescue in York for many years. The hedgehog is a critically endangered species in the UK. One factor that is contributing to the decline is habitat loss. I have recently gained permission to release rehabilitated hedgehogs to the 24 acres that makes up York Cemetery, having been releasing them for the past 25 years to sites that include the Dean's Garden at York Minster. At both these sites care is taken by the gardeners when strimming, in order to ensure that no hedgehogs are harmed. I would be very interested to hear from any churches who think that their grounds might be suitable places to release hedgehogs.” You can contact Toni here.

Send us your sustainability success stories for the next edition of God’s Green Fingers. The deadline is Friday, September 11.  

People's Emergency Briefing Screenings

Thank you to all those churches and church communities who have already screened the People’s Emergency Briefing, and look out for more upcoming screenings. Find out more about the film and its purpose here.

Embsay St Mary: Sunday, July 26 at 5.30pm

Ben Rhydding St John: Sunday, July 26 at 6.30pm
Whitkirk St Mary: Friday, July 31 at 7pm

Armitage Bridge St Paul: Friday, September 4 at 7.30pm 

Reducing Energy Bills for Community Spaces - Wednesday, August 5

10am, online. Action Renewables (a NI-based charity) are holding this event to introduce community spaces to methods of reducing energy bills. Details here.

Community Energy Information Session - Thursday, August 6

6pm at Huddersfield Mission. The Kirklees Energy Neighbours are running an information session on Community Energy and would like to warmly extend the invitation to churches. If you are interested in starting your community energy journey, Energy Neighbours can help you take the first step by providing 1-2-1 support, building capacity and connecting you to the right partners to take the next steps. Details here.

Carbon Literacy for Congregations Training - Starting Tuesday, September 8

6.30pm-8.30pm, online. 5-session course until Tuesday, October 6. Run by an accredited Trainer so that people in churches can work through the material before running a face-to-face course themselves in small groups in their church or for their PCC. It might also suit someone in a church who wants to do Carbon Literacy but can’t access the course any other way. Please invite people from your churches and ask them to sign up via the Eventbrite link here.

To Tend and To Till: Humanity's Role in Creation - Tuesday, September 8

5.30pm-6.30pm, online. Hope for All Creation webinar. This session will explore the interconnectedness of God's creation and the distinctive role of humanity within it. Register here.  

Missio Dei: The Five Marks of Mission in the Local Church - Tuesday, September 15

5.30pm-6.30pm, online. Hope for All Creation webinar. This session will explore where environmental action fits in the mission of the local church and how the fifth mark of mission works together with all the marks of mission. Register here. 

A New Heaven and a New Earth - Tuesday, September 22

5.30pm-6.30pm, online. Hope for All Creation webinar. This session will explore where our environmental action fits in the coming of God's Kingdom. Register here. 

Sustainable Church Flowers Northern Conference - Friday, September 25

9.30am - 4pm at The Priory Church, Bolton Abbey. The conference is designed to provide an understanding of and to help you consider how your Church can adapt to the recent SCF Motion passed at General Synod earlier this year, and for florists, growers and SCF Ambassadors to understand how they can work to support churches. More details and booking information here.

Hope for the Future - Various

Running free environmental events for children this summer. They are in Sheffield so may be further afield for some, but closer for others! Details here.

Two ready to print articles for your Parish Magazine!

Keep Yorkshire Leafy

Diana Chambers reflects on what we can personally do to reduce the problems associated with flooding and drought.

Download the article here.

Count on Nature & Growing Things

Loretta Williams explores the wildflowers at Ripon Cathedral.

Download the article here.

Thank you to those churches who have registered for Eco Church since the last issue of God’s Green Fingers. You can find out more about the Eco Church scheme here or by speaking with our Eco Mission Enablers.



Congratulations to East Hardwick St Stephen who have recently been awarded an Eco Church Bronze award! 

A recent peer-reviewed study has shown unexpected recovery in mangrove forests (important coastal habitats and natural flood defences). Read more here. 

And remember:  

“Climate disinformation does not need to convince everyone to be effective. It only needs to create enough confusion, at the wrong moment, to interfere with decisions.”

Climate Action Against Disinformation

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