Environment Working Group

Movers Mitchell, D.

That this General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia: acknowledges God’s sovereignty over His creation through the Lord Jesus Christ; acknowledges the Anglican Communion’s 5th mark of mission “to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth”; and recognises that human activity contributing to Climate change is one of the most pressing ethical issues of our time;
requests –
a) the General Synod Doctrine Commission to develop a Christian Theology for a sustainable future including
a Global Ethic;
b) the General Synod Standing Committee Environment Working Group to generate a Christian response to
the political/economic and social impacts of Climate Change on our Pacific neighbours, our primary producers, the world’s poor and the environment;
c) encourages our Federal and State Governments to produce environmentally sustainable policies on –
– energy production within Australia canvassing all available options but focussing particularly on
renewable energy sources;
– the export of raw materials for energy production overseas cognisant of the effect of such exports on
o Global warming,
o international security and
o the responsible processing of end products especially CO2 emissions and depleted uranium;
d) calls on the Federal Government to accept Pacific Island peoples, our neighbours, seeking refuge as a result of climate change on their island homes and their livelihood;
e) calls upon all Anglican Dioceses to develop and implement an environmental policy which expresses principles of good environmental stewardship and care to all Anglicans, Anglican parishes and agencies, including modelling of sustainable water and energy use; and
f) requests the Australian Anglican Environmental Network to act as a clearing house for policy material developed by Dioceses for collation and dissemination nationally through the General Synod website or other means,

Professor David Mitchell moved, Dr Karin Sowada seconding, 24 Oct 07

Resolution year: 2007
Resolution number: 77/07