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January 2023

Dear Friends,

Looking at all that’s wrong in the country and the world, it’s easy to feel discouraged.

The UK Government, which recently approved a coal mine for the first time in 30 years, is also now considering over 100 applications for new North Sea oil and gas developments. Meanwhile, a recent report demonstrated that despite an increase in overall funding for renewables, the share of bank finance going to renewables rather than fossil fuels has changed little in six years.

But things are also changing. For the first time, Keir Starmer said there would be no new oil and gas fields under a Labour government, and momentum for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is building as well, with more global cities joining the movement. In fact, earlier this month the Colombian government announced that it will no longer approve new oil and gas projects.

This year, we’re inviting you to help bring an end to the fossil fuel era by joining our 40-day campaign that begins on Ash Wednesday as we call on the 40 UK dioceses that, at the beginning of 2023, had yet to make a divestment commitment, to divest this Lent.

Will you join our ‘40 Days, 40 Dioceses’ campaign? We’ll share more details in the coming weeks, but we would love to discuss the campaign with you and hear your ideas during a one-hour Zoom call next Tuesday 7 February at 5.30pm, which you can register for here.

The Operation Noah Team

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Join our ‘40 Days, 40 Dioceses’ campaign

At the start of 2023, 40 dioceses across England and Wales had yet to make a commitment to divest from fossil fuels. This Lent, Operation Noah will highlight one of these dioceses every day for 40 days, encouraging Christians to call on diocesan leaders to divest this Lent. To learn more about our ‘40 Days, 40 Dioceses’ campaign, join us for a one-hour Zoom call on Tuesday 7 February at 5.30pm. If you would like to record a short video on why dioceses should divest or give a statement in favour of divestment, get in touch by filling out this short form. Read more.

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Global Divestment Announcement scheduled for 20 April 2023, just before Earth Day

Together with our friends at the Laudato Si’ Movement, World Council of Churches, Green Anglicans and GreenFaith, Operation Noah is delighted to announce the next Global Divestment Announcement for faith institutions on 20 April 2023, just before Earth Day. It will be Earth Day’s 50th anniversary and this year’s theme is ‘Invest in Our Planet’, which echoes our call for faith groups to take their money out of fossil fuels and invest in climate solutions.

To learn how your church, diocese or faith group can participate in our next announcement, email our Bright Now Campaign Officer Bokani Tshidzu at bokani.tshidzu@operationnoah.org.

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Divestment win: Diocese of London to divest from fossil fuel companies

The Diocese of London’s Bishop’s Council has voted to ban future investment in oil and gas companies. The announcement, which was made last week, includes a total exclusion for fossil fuels ‘given their conflict with the missional aims and objectives of the Church, particularly its responsibility for stewardship’, according to a press release from the Diocese of London. This makes London the 16th Church of England diocese to divest from fossil fuels. Read more.

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On the Operation Noah blog

YCCN to hold vigil outside Norwegian embassy in effort to stop Rosebank oil field

On 7 February at 7pm, members of Young Christian Climate Network will gather outside the Norwegian embassy in London, praying for Norway to think again about its endorsement of new oil and gas fields in the midst of a climate crisis. Equinor, a company in which the Norwegian government owns a majority stake, is looking to develop an enormous North Sea oil field called Rosebank that would create more carbon emissions than the combined emissions of 28 low-income countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia and Mozambique. Read more.

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Looking for resources this Lent? Reflect on creation with Tenants of the King

Lent is a season of penance, prayer and repentance – so what better time to use our study guide, Tenants of the King, to reflect on what God might be saying to us through the climate crisis? Available in PDF or printed format, this four-week resource – which has recently been updated and revised – will help Christians understand our place in creation and will encourage us to respond to our environmental challenges with hope. Order here.

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Resources, news, events and opportunities

Our Bright Now Campaign officer Sharon Hall will speak on Church land as part of a 27 February Hazelnut Farm webinar. Building on Operation Noah’s 2022 report, ‘Church Land and the Climate Crisis’, Sharon will speak alongside Alan Radbourne (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) and Margot Hodson (John Ray Initiative) on the theme for the evening: Renewing Church Land for People, Nature and Climate. There is a suggested £5 donation to attend the 7.30pm webinar, but bursaries are available. For more information and to register, click here.

The transition to a greener economy is worth £71bn and has brought jobs and investment to parts of the UK experiencing industrial decline. Those are the key findings of a new report written by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which also found green jobs pay significantly more, with the average wage well above the national average. Read more.

Campaigners have hailed a ‘seismic shift’ in arts funding after the Royal Opera House confirmed it had severed its sponsorship relationship with BP after more than three decades. The oil and gas multinational has been a sponsor of the Royal Opera House since 1988, but last week the opera house said the funding would not be renewed. Read more.

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world – in the bottom 10% of all countries. Gareth Morgan, the Soil Association’s head of farming policy, said the UK Government was ‘tinkering around the edges’, adding, ‘much more is needed to help (farmers) make the transformative changes to help us meet our climate and nature goals’. Read more.

Portugal has signed an agreement to swap Cape Verde’s debt for investments in an environmental and climate fund. Debt-for-nature deals can produce ‘green’ and ‘blue’ bonds to finance conservation efforts, which appeal to environmentally minded investors. Read more.

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Please support the work of Operation Noah

Our campaigns and activities rely on donations from individuals and organisations, so please consider giving a one-off or regular donation.

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