CARING FOR THE EARTH
An Environment Policy for the Church of Scotland

SRT General Assembly Pages

Introduction

This policy affirms the Deliverances of previous General Assemblies concerning the responsibility of the Church of Scotland to care for the environment and pursue sustainable policies, and the recognition in the Church Without Walls Report of "our call to be an example as good stewards of God's creation". Building on this foundation of many years, it lays down guidelines to assist the Church of Scotland to translate these principles into action.

Many examples of good environmental practice are already evident in the Church of Scotland. These include the energy saving practices and recycling initiatives in the main Church offices at 121 George Street, the Better Heating Scheme which has saved the Church a large amount of money over 25 years, and the various activities of increasing numbers of congregations using the Scottish churches' Eco-Congregation Programme. This policy seeks to affirm those initiatives, to encourage others within the church to follow their example, and to help us all to respond to the call to care for God's creation in every aspect of our life and work.

Existing Church of Scotland Policy

i. The Church Without Walls Report "recognises our interdependence in the weave of creation and our call to be an example as good stewards of God's creation" (A.3.9)

ii. Successive General Assemblies from 1989 onwards have affirmed the importance of caring for our environment as individuals, local congregations, presbyteries and church offices, including the following :

iii. In 1989, Boards and Committees of the church were instructed to reduce paper and to recycle and reuse materials. Ministers and staff were encouraged to reduce their car use. Churches were encouraged to reduce energy use and to hold services celebrating God's creation.

iv. In 1998, presbyteries were urged to initiate a process of auditing the environmental impact of the life of congregations - including the use of energy, transport, paper and other consumable resources, purchasing policy, the reuse or recycling of materials, and active engagement in local environmental initiatives. This call was repeated in 2003 when they were urged to encourage congregations to join the Eco-Congregation Programme.

In 1998, the Assembly also invited the Office Management Committee to initiate a similar environmental audit of 121 George Street and its working. This call was repeated in 2002 when the Assembly urged that an environmental and energy audit be performed on the activities of 121 George Street and other office premises of the Church of Scotland, with a view to identifying areas in which their environmental impact could be reduced.

vi. General Assemblies of 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 have urged congregations to undertake an environmental audit and to adopt the Eco-Congregation programme.

Context

1. The Biblical creation stories give human beings privilege and responsibility in relation to the earth and every living creature. We are called to be partners with the rest of creation and co-partners in the ongoing creative and renewing activity of God. Such partnership goes wrong when human beings sin by acting as if the whole earth were simply for their present benefit. God's way, revealed in the Bible and particularly in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is a generous sharing of the divine love to serve the needs of God's creation until in Christ's return it is released from bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of God's children.

2. "We acknowledge that we have spoiled God's gift of creation by selfish exploitation. Instead of exercising humility and prudence in our pursuit of progress, our activities have been marred by greed, pride and ignorance. The more our population and technological power have increased, the more we have multiplied the scale of damage. The physical results have come home to our generation as never before. These have come from a largely utilitarian, human-centred approach to the environment. It cannot be stressed too much that, both individually and collectively, we need to re-examine carefully our lifestyle and assumptions." (1994 Report of the Committee on Church and Nation)

3. Human impact on the environment is serious. In Scotland our beautiful natural heritage continues to be diminished by air and water pollution from land, over-fishing, landfill, the loss of wildlife and the degradation of habitats and landscapes. Our local activities are also contributing to global problems such as the global warming; damage to the ozone layer; deforestation; desertification; species extinctions; habitat degradation; loss of topsoil and pollution of air, water and soil.

4. These environmental impacts in turn have brought severe human disruption in many parts of the world, especially among the poor who are the least equipped to cope. There are now more environmental refugees worldwide - people who have been forced to abandon their lands as a result of flooding, drought, soil erosion, deforestation, earthquakes, nuclear accidents or toxic spills - than those displaced by civil wars and persecution. Sustainable development also includes the social dimension

5. We are called to care for God's creation for its own sake and also for the sake of all people who depend upon it. Christian mission includes sharing in putting right the relationships which have gone wrong within God's creation, and between humankind and the rest of creation, and growing towards the balance and good stewardship which is God's purpose.

6. Church of Scotland members are challenged and encouraged to care for the earth by following sustainable practice and taking into account global and local environmental considerations for present and future generations and other species.

Environmental Policy Objectives

To help the Church of Scotland to fulfil its commitment to caring for God's creation, this policy identifies seven key objectives. The objectives are considered relevant to individual lifestyles, congregational activities and to the construction, maintenance and use of church buildings, including all church offices. In many cases, achieving these objectives will bring significant financial savings.

1. Awareness and Commitment

· to promote awareness by Church of Scotland members of these principles and objectives and of the values underlying them

· to ensure that Church of Scotland employees and office bearers are familiar with and implement this environmental commitment and its objectives, providing training where necessary

· to ensure that Church of Scotland activities comply with all relevant environmental regulations·

2. Energy and Water

· to ensure energy is used efficiently and wherever possible reduce its use

· to choose energy efficient designs when building or renovating buildings

· to use renewable energy wherever possible

· to use water efficiently and with care

· to avoid pollutants entering the drainage system

3. Waste

· to minimise the production of material waste and pollution, including unnecessary packaging

· to encourage re-use, repair and recycling of materials, including the composting of organic waste

· to dispose of waste in a safe and responsible way

4. Materials and Resources

· to avoid materials with undesirable environmental impacts or production processes ,

· to use locally-made and recycled goods, such as paper, where practicablepossible

· to use sub-contractors who comply with the spirit of the Church of Scotland Environmental Policy

· to take into account the lifetime costs of materials when repairing, altering or rebuilding premises

to maximise use of electronic communication and information storage as an alternative to paper

· to take into account the environmental quality and impact of food products and where possible to purchase food which has been grown locally

5. Natural Environment

to protect and enhance protect natural habitats and wildlife on Church land, take appropriate opportunities to enhance them and be sensitive to landscape issues

· to minimise the negative environmental impact of church activities on local habitats and wildlife

· to look for opportunities to work with the local community in caring for the local environment

· to be aware of local planning developments and take appropriate action wheren these are potentially damaging to the environment

· 6. Travel

· to make every effort to reduce air pollution and energy consumption resulting from the use of the car by

Ø avoiding unnecessary travel, for example by taking full advantage of video-and audio-conferencing technology, and making greater use of electronic and traditional means of communication

using energy efficient vehicles and energy efficient driving styles

Ø sharing car transport where possible

· to explore undertaking the work of the Church in ways which reduce the need for travel particularly by car and encourage access by public transport, cycle and on foot

· to support the expansion of good quality public transport, the provision of improved facilities for cyclists and pedestrians and local Green Travel Programmes

7. Targets and Monitoring

· for each part of the Church (offices, centres, local congregations etc) to set appropriate targets for itself in each of these six areas and monitor progress towards those targets.

Action in working towards achievement of these objectives should have regard to:

· the challenge of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

· the potential for harnessing the skills, expertise and enthusiasm of Church members, as witnessed in many Churches engaged in the Eco-Congregation Programme

· the opportunities for co-operation and joint initiatives with other Churches and environmental bodies such as local authorities and environmental NGOs

· the effectiveness of the overall mission of the Church and the overall demands upon Church of Scotland budgets

· the valuable contribution of small steps by individuals as well as major initiatives.·

Resources

The Eco-Congregation Programme is recommended as an excellent resource designed to help local congregations to understand and act on environmental issues. It is promoted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and Action of Churches Together in Scotland. Several parts of the programme are also relevant and helpful for church offices and centres. Other resources can be recommended by the SRT Project. The SRT Project offers itself as a resource and source of advice to help the different parts of the church to meet these objectives and the General Trustees continue to be available to help churches to save energy through the Better Heating Scheme.

Concluding remarks

The Society, Religion and Technology Project will keep this policy under review. It will assess progress towards achievement of the principles and objectives in consultation with the Boards and committees of the church / the General Trustees / etc. Presbyteries and congregations will be encouraged to support and encourage the pursuit of the objectives at the local church level.

This policy contains a commitment to co-operation and joint initiatives with other Churches. To this end, the SRT Project maintains close contact with other denominations and Christian environmental organisations through the Environmental Issues Network (EIN) of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN).

Motions passed by the General Assembly

• Adopt the Environmental policy 'Caring for the Earth' and endorse its policy objectives
• Urge members, congregations, presbyteries, employees and office managers to become aware of the objectives of the Environmental policy and integrate them both into individual lifestyles and into the ongoing life of the Church.