East of England Cathedrals to host online Sustainable Living conference

May 4, 2021

As the UK government commits to radical new targets for cutting carbon emissions and prepares to host the UN Climate Change Conference in November, five cathedrals in the east of England are preparing for their own online Sustainable Living conference, on Saturday 12 June.

The cathedrals’ conference is the first event in a new initiative: Sustaining God’s Creation. Starting with a focus on food and farming, it will look at these key aspects of life in East Anglia in the light of the Christian faith and the role that both individuals and the church can play in living more sustainably.

Opening the conference will be the Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, who has recently been appointed to lead the Church of England’s Environment Programme. The speakers include Dr Hilary Marlow, affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, Revd Professor Simon Oliver, Van Mildert Professor in the University of Durham, Revd Professor Mike Rayner of the University of Oxford who is Chair of Sustain, and Jake Fiennes, Director of Conservation at the Holkham Estate in Norfolk.

Bishop Graham said: “I am delighted to be able to contribute to the network of Eastern Cathedrals’ Sustainable Living conference. Learning how to live gently on this single island planet home isn’t an option for the mission of the Church but an imperative for our life together. I hope that the conference helps us all to take the necessary steps to protect our planet, especially its poorest people, from the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss.”

The programme has been put together by a steering group from the Eastern Cathedrals – Chelmsford, Ely, Norwich, Peterborough and St Edmundsbury. Information and resources emerging from the conference will be remain online afterwards as a reference point for
environmental groups, churches and cathedrals, and for future development.

The Sustainable Living Conference will take place via Zoom on Saturday 12 June, from 10.00am until 12.30pm. Attendance is free of charge and registration in advance is essential. Full details and registration links are available on the Sustainable Living Conference website here:
www.sustaininggodscreation.org/events/sustainable-living