On Saturday The Scottish Episcopal Church took the decision at their General Synod to set a 2030 net zero carbon emissions target.

Reverend Elaine Gorman proposed the motion

This move was proposed by Reverend Elaine German who is Acting Convener of the Church in Society Committee for the Scottish Episcopal Church. She said:”We are in a climate emergency We all must act, and act now. As a Church we must lead. Our motion today is designed to enable the Scottish Episcopal Church in reducing our negative impact on our climate. We can be part of Scotland’s preparations for the COP26 climate summit next year.”

The Millennium Windows – designed by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi in St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: © 2020, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com

The Provost of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral Edinburgh, The Very Revd John Conway, welcomed the motion: ‘This is an important first step for the Scottish Episcopal Church, showing our commitment to action in the face of the depth of the climate crisis. Responding to the climate emergency is the most urgent task facing us all, requiring all the spiritual and intellectual resources available. To speak with any authority about that spiritual task of living more simply, however, requires us to put our own house in order, and this motion sets us on that road. I look forward to the resources offered to help us all move to being carbon neutral in 10 years time.’ 

The decision matches those already in place by The Church of England, and The City of Edinburgh Council as well as Glasgow City Council.

Welcome for the decision

Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Christian Aid Scotland, said: “Only this week the Secretary General of the United Nations told the world we have a climate emergency which is impacting most heavily on the world’s most vulnerable people. We know all too well here at Christian Aid that those who have done the least to cause the problem suffer the most. And so it’s really encouraging that today the Scottish Episcopal Church has decided to commit to net zero emissions by 2030. As 2020 draws to a close, we can look ahead to COP26 in Glasgow alongside our Church partners in Scotland, as they continue to pursue decisions that will lead to climate justice for those living on the sharp end of the climate emergency.”

Mary Sweetland, Chair of Eco-congregation Scotland, said: “We are really pleased to see that our supporting Churches are backing the priority to aim for  net zero by 2030, which will bring changes to local congregations and their members.”

James Buchanan, Bright Now Campaign Manager at Operation Noah, said: “It is wonderful news that the Scottish Episcopal Church has set a target of reaching net zero emissions by 2030. In order to demonstrate leadership on the climate crisis ahead of the UN climate talks in Glasgow next year, it is vital that the Scottish Episcopal Church supports a just and green recovery from Covid-19 by completing divestment from fossil fuel companies and investing in the clean technologies of the future.”

The motion, passed by General Synod, reads: “That this Synod, expressing the need for urgent action in relation to the global climate emergency, call on the Church in Society Committee, working in conjunction with other appropriate bodies, to bring forward a programme of actions to General Synod 2021 to resource the Scottish Episcopal Church in working towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030.”

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.