Bishop Peter EmbracingEnvironmental Activism

For the sake of our grandchildren and great grandchildren

Last year, the Newcastle bishops supported the Lambeth Call on the Environment and Sustainable Development.

We joined with bishops from around the globe in affirming that: “We have been gifted a world of breathtaking beauty, astounding abundance, and intricate interconnection. It is a world God declared good and loves.”

We heard directly from bishops who were experiencing the ravages of climate change.

Our Synod in 2022 expressed strong support for environmental activism. Slowly and carefully, we are embracing a proactive approach to the environment in our Diocese.

We are blessed by Anglican EcoCare as it motivates continued reflection and action. We are challenged by our insurers. The weather is changing, and they believe our assets face more damage.

One of the most tangible expressions of our activism is to change our investment strategy.

We have decided not to invest in companies that derive more than 20% of revenue from the extraction, production, or refining of coal, oil, or gas. Our decision takes effect during 2024.

This was not an easy decision because we are fully aware of how much our region relies on fossil fuel mining. Our economy is dependent upon it.

We are not alone in this decision. Many Anglican dioceses as well as many faith groups are making similar decisions. The United Nations has estimated that religious institutions, globally, manage a combined $US3 trillion of investments.

The UK-based environment group Operation Noah states:

The investment decisions that churches and faith institutions make are a reflection of the Church, its beliefs, and its values. Investing in climate solutions can be a significant way for churches to stand in solidarity with the most marginalised communities and with the Earth.

Divestment is only part of our response. We state our position in our Environment, Social, and Governance policy this way:

Newcastle Anglican accepts that climate change threatens humanity and our planet. We strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain and renew life on earth. We commit to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040. Initiatives will include undertaking energy audits and implementing measures to improve energy efficiency. We advocate for a just transition for people and organisations in the transition to renewable resources.

The Hunter Jobs Alliance (HJA) comments that “Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG)-linked investment decisions have turned from a trickle to a flood.”

We support the HJA in advocating for the workers and communities of our region.

Rightly, we are concerned about the impact of climate change on our grandchildren and great grandchildren. The Anglican Communion addresses it this way:

The environmental crisis is an existential threat to millions of people and species of plants and animals across the globe.

Slow onset disasters, such as drought and sea level rise, as well as rapid onset disasters, such as catastrophic flooding and wildfires, take lives, destroy habitats and beloved homes, devastate livelihoods, cause food shortages, force migration, disrupt communities, and break up families.

The impacts of the crisis are costly, both financially and in terms of the trauma they create.

Locally, we are also concerned about the nature of our children’s work and life in the decades to come. It is vital the government articulates a strategy that means the people of this region do not “carry the can of economic change.”

A Deloitte report quoted by HJA identifies that “mining and energy concerns directly provide some 13,500 jobs, or 35 percent of the approximately 40,000 jobs in the region, supporting many residents, but also workers living in regions across the lower Hunter and Newcastle.”

We need all political parties to imagine working together on solutions. We all need to imagine that an environmentally and economically sustainable future is possible. This must include models of secure long-term employment.

There are many theological reasons informing our response. One of them is centred on Jesus’ call to care for children. In preparing for the third phase of the Lambeth Conference, Anglicans around the world have been reminded that young people are fearful and anxious about environmental crisis.

A 2021 survey of 10,000 children and young people (aged 16–25 years) in 10 countries found:

• 59% were very or extremely worried about climate change.

• 75% said that they think the future is frightening.

Charlotte Jones, a Tasmanian researcher identifies that young people are “increasingly demanding that their environmental futures are taken into consideration in decision-making and are actively confronting older generations for their continued inaction to the climate crisis.”

We have the opportunity to make a difference by our decisions. We can choose life for our planet and future generations.

May we have sufficient courage to make the decisions that will make a difference.