Invitation to respond - Diocese of Derry Environmental Strategy

The Diocese of Derry has launched a consultative plan about climate change and the environment and is inviting everyone within the Diocese to read, engage and respond to it. The plan identifies actions and behaviours that support rather than destroy the environment. The suggestions cover such areas as land, buildings, energy, food, travel and waste.

With this strategy the Diocese acknowledges its responsibility to participate in the global challenge to mitigate against environmental degradation and climate change. Pope Francis issued a ground- breaking Encyclical called Laudato Si which lays out the importance of creation, the degradation and depletion happening in the world and the role everyone must play in caring for 'OUR COMMON HOME'. The Pope highlighted the need for an 'ecological conversion' – he said 'Living our vocation to be protectors of God's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience. Human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely entwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself'.

Every attempt has been made to make the Strategy both comprehensive and practical so as to suit each parish's particular situation. In order to ensure that it is as helpful as possible to your various parish communities however, we would appreciate any constructive feedback on it that you may have to give. We therefore request that you:

• Read the draft Strategy document and give feedback on aspects that you feel could be supplemented/improved.
• Begin to implement any aspect(s) of it that you feel can be put into practice quickly and easily.
• Draw the attention of both parish groups and individual parishioners to the Strategy and encourage them to give feedback. (This would be especially relevant to schools and any groups/individuals with particular interest in environmental issues).