Energy & The Diocesan Response to the Climate Emergency

The Vatican released the much-anticipated encyclical by Pope Francis, 'Laudato Si' - Care of our common home, in 2015 and is addressed to "every person living on this planet". An encyclical is a letter circulated by the Pope to Catholic churches worldwide.  'Laudato Si' explained.  Through 'Laudato Si' - On Care For Our Common Home, Pope Francis urges society to move away from the myth of perennial progress at the expense of the Earth's resources, and calls on us to recognise that development which fails to respect the Earth is a false economy.  Love and care for creation are an essential dimension of our Catholic faith.  A social encyclical on human development and the environment, like 'Laudato Si', helps Catholic believers address, reflect and respond to the environmental challenges our world is facing today.  It provides a foundation to build upon.

In 2021 the Archdiocese of Birmingham agreed to several commitments to address the issue of the climate crisis.  The Archdiocese is taking the reduction of its carbon footprint very seriously with environmental action and care for creation built into the Archdiocesan vision and structural planning.

On the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecologists and animals, the Social Justice Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has launched a new edition of its teaching document on the environment. The Call of Creation.

Energy Shutdown Checklist

Strategic Energy Management Policy

CAFOD Live Simply

100+ LiveSimply Award ideas

A number of organisations provide free resources for schools and communities.

Woodland Trust

DfE sustainability and climate change

DfE non-statutory guidance on sustainability