On 18 November, the Bishops Conference agreed four resolutions on environmental matters, one of which made a specific mention of the Guardians of Creation project.

The resolution, which relates to carbon emissions, asked all dioceses of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to “declare target dates for a stated reduction of carbon emissions or report on how close they are to having the information necessary to set such a target.” Importantly, the Bishops’ Conference pointed to the current research undertaken by the Guardians of Creation project as a guide for dioceses. 

“To have this stated formally is quite significant,” commented Edward de Quay, who leads the project from the LSRI side. The Guardians of Creation project was launched in 2021 to develop a sustainability transition framework for the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Since its launch, two reports have been published, offering practical guidance to dioceses on ways to achieve carbon neutrality.

The Bishops’ Conference plans to report on the progress of the dioceses at the Easter season and November Plenary Assemblies in 2023.

The Guardians of Creation is a collaborative research project between the Catholic diocese of Salford, the LSRI, St Mary’s University, and The Tyndall Centre. More information can be found here.