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Bishop of London hosts international environmental meeting
December 10, 2014:
Last week the Bishop of London, in partnership with the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, hosted a key meeting to discuss how major secular organisations are already engaging faith communities on the environment, and how they can best work together in the future.
The meeting, which took place at the Bishop’s office in London, was a chance for organisations including the World Bank, The Nature Conservancy and Rabobank Foundation (from one of the major Dutch ethical banks) to meet with senior representatives from religious organisations involved in environmental work (including EcoSikh, the Bhumi Project, the China Daoist Association’s Eco Temple Alliance). The aim was to explore in what way the faiths might be involved more effectively as partners in protecting the environment and addressing issues designed to end extreme poverty by 2030.
Partnerships with potentialThose attending discussed the role of religion in international programs on environmental conservation, sustainable development, eradication of poverty, and climate change. And they discussed how they could work together.
“Participants returned with a clearer sense on why secular organisations might want the faiths as partners, and why the faiths might be interested in working with secular organisations,” said Martin Palmer, Secretary General of ARC.
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The Bishop of London meeting Chinese delegates attending the meeting in London |
As Bishop of London the Rt Rev & Rt Hon Richard Chartres is the senior environmental bishop of the Church of England both in the UK and internationally.
Useful linksBishop of London
World Bank funded projects
The Nature Conservancy
Rabobank
EcoSikh
Bhumi Project
Daoism and the environment
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How does ARC work with the faiths?
We list some of the far-reaching ways that faiths can affect their environment |
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The Christian Declaration on Nature - Assisi 1986
The original Christian Declaration on Nature was created in 1986, at a meeting held in Assisi by WWF-International. It stemmed from an idea by HRH the Prince Philip, at which five leaders of the five major world religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism – were invited to come and discuss how their faiths could help save the natural world. |
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Faith statements against the illegal wildlife trade
In February 2013 faith groups from Africa, Asia and beyond presented statements committing to action against the illegal trade in wildlife products to HRH Prince Philip at an ARC-organised audience in Buckingham Palace. |
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