This article first appeared on Independent Catholic News

By: Ellen Teague

Could your church join with other local churches and religious communities across the UK in making a commitment to divest from fossil fuels? In doing so, you can support the campaign for UK Churches to divest at a national level.

If your church has existing fossil fuel investments, this would involve a commitment to divest within five years. Churches without fossil fuel investments (for instance those with just a bank account) can make a divestment commitment by pledging not to invest in fossil fuels in the future.

Operation Noah, an ecumenical Christian organisation responding to the climate crisis, is expecting a joint divestment announcement will be made on the weekend of the First Sunday of Advent (Sunday 3 December). If your church would like to join the announcement, please let Operation Noah know by Thursday 30 November.

For more information or to register your divestment commitment, please email James Buchanan on james.buchanan@operationnoah.org.

The text of the Advent Declaration can be found below:

Advent Declaration for Fossil Free Churches

As we prepare for the coming of Christ into our lives this Christmas, we the undersigned wish for our investments to be a sign of hope, contributing to the flourishing of God’s creation, both now and for generations to come.

We support the campaign for fossil free Churches and, conscious of the impact of climate change on our sisters and brothers around the world – especially those living in poverty, we recognise the urgency of the need to shift from fossil fuels to a brighter, cleaner future.

Our church / religious community, [insert name here], therefore commits to divest any existing fossil fuel investments within the next five years (for churches with existing fossil fuel investments) and pledges not to invest in fossil fuels in the future.

For more information see: http://brightnow.org.uk/