Operation Noah, the ecumenical charity set up to inspire the church to take action on climate change, is marking its 20-year anniversary this year with a service at St John’s, Waterloo on 18 November with Dr Rowan Williams and a call for churches and faith groups to plant a tree.
“2024 marks 20 years since Operation Noah was founded, and we’ve seen a lot of progress over this time. As a result of campaigning, the UK Church is now taking the climate crisis more seriously, and we rejoice that most UK Church bodies have now divested from fossil fuels. However, we’ve also seen the increasingly severe impact of climate change, and we know the battle is far from won. As we celebrate years of climate campaigning and education work, we know the next 20 years will be crucial” said Clare Fussell, Campaign Director.
One of the ways Operation Noah is celebrating 20 years is by asking churches, Churches Together groups and individuals to plant a tree. According to Operation Noah, one of the most positive things we can do for the climate is to grow more trees as these act as a carbon sink and provide shade, cooling and habitats for wildlife.
Planting trees is part of Operation Noah’s wider campaign on church land use. Many churches own land, not just for buildings but also as part of their asset portfolios, for example, the Church Commissioners of the Church of England own roughly 105,000 acres. This makes the church collectively one of the biggest landowners in the UK and, as Operation Noah argue, a lot of positive action can be done with that land to help tackle the climate crisis. Their report, Church Land and the Climate Crisis, makes three key recommendations to Church landowners in addressing the climate and nature crises: growing more trees, protecting and restoring peatland and supporting tenant farmers to reduce emissions.
If your church or Churches Together group would like to get involved in their tree planting campaign, the best time to plant a tree is between October and March. Find out more on the Operation Noah website.
A prayer for tree planting:
Father God, We thank you for the work of Operation Noah and all those taking action on the climate crisis. As we plant and care for this tree, help us to care for all your wonderful creation and our neighbours around the world who suffer as the climate changes. Help us to be bold taking the actions we can for local and systemic change, and to trust you for fruitful growth. Amen.
Operation Noah is a Charity and Network in Association with Churches Together in England.