Last Saturday I spoke at the Act Now Conference in Acomb, York. ACT Now! for a Better World explored how individuals and churches can work together to create a brighter, greener future. The workshops looked at the range of actions we can take at a local and national level, from effective campaigning to going vegan, to improving garden habits. It was encouraging to see Churches making time for these vital issues, examining how faith and the environment are intertwined.
The conference began with the arrival of the Coat of Hopes. This patchwork coat was created on a pilgrimage to COP 26, the UN climate summit, in Glasgow, in 2021. Since then hundreds of people have worn it as it continues its journey around the country. The coat is made of pieces of blanket into which people have stitched their griefs, remembrances, prayers and hopes for the place they call home. The coat will soon be heading towards Bradford and arrives in Sheffield this summer.
Keynote Speech
Colin Beale from A Rocha UK delivered the keynote speech which examined how we can effect real, tangible improvements to the big picture of environmental change. Starting from awful statistics like the 21 species declared extinct in the United States in 2023 and that this March was the 10th month in a row to experience record worldwide temperatures, Colin raised our hopes by explaining a recent survey which shows that people care far more about climate than you might think.
A paper published in Nature Climate Change found high support for political change. A survey of almost 130,000 individuals across 125 countries found that:
89% wanted more political action on climate.
86% think people “should try to fight global warming”.
69% (46% in Britain) would be willing to contribute at least 1% of their income to tackle climate change.
Support for political action was strong across the world.
Colin spoke strongly against the United Nations approach to climate action which still stresses individual lifestyle change. BP invented the Carbon Footprint idea to make people focus on individual action when systemic change is needed, which would hurt BP’s profits. The richest 1% of the world’s population produce equivalent emissions to the poorest 66%. Ordinary people can only have a small impact on emissions. We need systemic change led by Governments.
Colin’s manifesto included replacing petrochemicals, enabling a circular economy, reforming global institutions, ending damaging subsidies ( we fund the oil industry far more than renewables), stopping overfishing and replacing Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
GDP is the measure nearly every politician aims to increase as it measures the size of the economy. But it is a useless measure. Each time there is a car crash we spend money treating the casualties and repairing the cars. This increases GDP. But if I lend my car to a friend no transaction has taken place, so GDP does not count it. Colin wants to replace GDP with a Happiness Index as used in New Zealand and Bhutan.
Sheffield Incinerator and the Tree Campaign
My workshop was about what I have learned from the many different campaigns I have been involved in over the years. I included the campaign to shut down the old Sheffield Incinerator at Bernard Road, the Tree dispute, the growth of the Green Party in Sheffield, the campaigns for the Council to declare and act on the Climate and Nature Emergencies and the campaign to get the Sheffield press to tell the truth about them. The first two campaigns had very similar learning points. The importance of good research and power analysis to work out who has the power to change things and what that change should be. The importance of building a broad alliance of campaigners from different walks of life.The use of Non-Violent Direct Action when required to highlight the problem to bring about change. Acknowledging the harm of PFI contracts that led to both the Incinerator and Trees problems. Both campaigns showed it is not wise to trust those in power.
The rise of the Greens
I have been active with the Greens for over 40 years and have helped Sheffield Greens grow from 0 to 14 Councillors. They have done this using a strategy of Target to Win. Our unfair electoral system means it is not wise to try and campaign everywhere, as this won’t increase seats. Instead, the Greens have chosen carefully where to campaign and ensured that they regularly knock on doors and deliver leaflets in those areas, keeping in touch with residents’ views. We can change politics in this country, even with our unfair electoral system. Even so-called “safe seats” can be overturned. But Green policies won’t always be popular with the electorate as some don’t understand the urgency of the climate and nature emergencies. We need legislators who understand the planetary crisis and are willing to advocate for it.
The local election results were amazing for the Greens, who now have 809 Councillors on 174 Councils. With 74 gains they are now the largest party in Bristol, Hastings, Stroud, East Hertfordshire, East Suffolk, Mid Suffolk, Lewes, Folkestone and Hythe and the Forest of Dean. Here in Sheffield, I am delighted we won a new seat from the Lib Dems in Ecclesall with the dynamic Peter Gilbert as the victorious candidate. Unfortunately, we lost in Walkley, but we remain with 14 Councillors on a Council with no overall control, so the Greens will still have significant influence.Â
Although Target to Win has worked to increase Green influence, a new strategy is now required to meet the urgency of the planetary crisis. We need a massive breakthrough in Parliament and Local Government and this can only come with far more media coverage and mass grassroots participation. The Party seems to lack ambition in only targeting 4 seats in the General Election, none of which are in the North of England. Despite the massive increase in Councillors, the media gave more attention to the 2 Reform candidates that were elected!
We don’t have time
Changes to the climate and loss in biodiversity are fast accelerating. We haven’t got time to wait for a Green Government when radical action is needed now. We need to work with the Independents and the politically homeless that have left the Labour Party, those disillusioned with politics and concerned by the big three parties’ complicity in Genocide in Gaza, people of faith and of no faith, climate activists, conservation and wildlife groups, peace activists, trade unionists and all people of goodwill to build a mass grassroots party that will be unstoppable at the polls. We need to create our own media to get our message out there.Â
Declaring Climate and Nature Emergencies
Sheffield Council were persuaded to declare a climate emergency using lobbying, petitions and protests, but when, after declaring an emergency, they continued to fail to act on it, non-violent direct action was also employed. Having reduced their emissions by 3% when to be on track they should now have halved emissions it is clear Sheffield Council are still not acting like this is an emergency. A long list of questions posed to the Council on TelltheTruthSheffield.org shows how they could do far more to meet their targets, even under the harsh austerity imposed by the Government. Sheffield Diocese joined with the Wildlife Trust, Friends of the Earth and many other groups to persuade Sheffield Council to declare a Nature Emergency. This was a good example of the Church standing up for creation. Every Council needs to be held to account to make sure it is on track to net zero carbon emissions and increasing biodiversity.
Sheffield Newspapers must Tell the Truth
Sheffield Newspapers were also under the spotlight. Back in 2019, a petition was presented to Nancy Fielder, then Editor of the Star, to ask her to tell the truth about the climate and nature emergencies, following the publication of many letters that denied the existence of climate change. This eventually resulted in the birth of this column! Conference attendees were encouraged to use their local media to get the message out about the planetary crises.
Churches Together
The Acomb conference was a great success and I hope other Churches Together groups around the country will follow their lead and organise similar events.
Tell the Truth Sheffield 