70 individuals including community leaders, members of local faith groups and members of the Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum gathered in Leeds on Thursday 5th November for the first region wide event examining the role faith communities can play in the fight against climate change.

The “Faith in the Environment” Conference, organised by the Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum and the Environment Agency, was held ahead of the forthcoming United Nations Climate Conference in December, where world leaders will meet in Copenhagen to discuss a new treaty on climate change.  The event aimed to send the Copenhagen talks a unified message from faith groups in Yorkshire and Humber on the measures that are necessary to deal with the lasting effects of a changing climate in this region.

The conference followed on from a key piece of research by the Environment Agency which questioned leading environmentalists, businesses, NGOs, the media and think tanks to find out what they felt were the top fifty actions that could save the planet. Engaging with faith communities was identified as the second most popular answer, after the use of more energy efficient products.

Councillor Arthur Barker, the Leader of Hambleton District Council and Chair of the Regional Climate Change Executive Group, led the meeting with the guest speaker being celebrity BBC Look North’s weatherman Paul Hudson. 

Speaking about the future Paul said: “Most scientists agree that man is and continues to warm the planet, and if left unchecked, could lead us into irreversible climate change with an increasing number of extreme weather events. Events like this are important in spreading the message throughout our communities.”
Representatives from the Faiths Forum’s Council gave short presentations on the work being done in each of their faith communities to tackle climate change and how this can be taken forward in the future.

Those attending the conference participated in workshops led by the Environment Agency, the Energy Saving Trust and Local Government Yorkshire and Humber who allowed delegates to learn more about flood risk management, energy efficiency, microgeneration and the help that local authorities can provide to community groups.

Inderjit Bhogal, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum said, “Deep respect for the environment is at the heart of the values of faith communities.  We have a very important role to play, alongside partners like the Environment Agency, to ensure that we all play our part in restoring and maintaining the ecological balance of our planet.”

Click here to read the presentation of Craig McGarvey, Yorkshire Area Manager Environment Agency.

Click here to read Professor Aradhana Mehra’s presentation.

Click here to read Paul Hudson’s presentation.

Click here to read John Davis’ presentation on Christianity and the Environment.

Click here to read Daryoush Mazloum’s presentation on the Baha’i Faith and the Enviroment and here to read the Baha’i Statement on Nature.