Parishes urged to lobby local councils on climate change ahead of elections

‘This is not just political engagement, it is part of our vocation: to care for creation, to stand with the vulnerable, and to act with courage and compassion.’

Parishes have been encouraged to engage with their local politicians on climate change and environmental stewardship ahead of the local elections on 7 May.

The Ecological Conversion Group, the Catholic Diocesan Environmental Leads Network and Bishop John Arnold of Salford, lead bishop for the environment for the Catholic bishops’ conference of England and Wales, held a meeting on 13 April to explore the implications of the elections for the climate and ways parishes should get involved.

“It has never been more urgent for us to make our care for climate topics known to politicians,” John Paul de Quay, director of The Ecological Conversion Group, explained. “The Conservative and Reform parties have said they will scrap current national climate targets if they get into power. There is also an increase in misinformation and disinformation around climate and net zero.

“This is not about telling people how to vote. It is about helping politicians understand that people care about climate change, at both a local and global level. Where there is fear over climate targets being an economic enemy, we can find constructive ways forward that see tackling climate change and economic insecurity, and rebuilding the social fabric, as going hand in hand.”

Bishop Arnold highlighted the importance of speaking to political leaders on creation, opening the meeting with the prayer: “Loving Father, we are by your gift guardians and stewards of creation, a wonderful gift to us.

“We are failing in caring for the climate and our environment. We need to be determined in our efforts to repair the damage so that future generations may enjoy the gift of creation. We thank you for the growing sense of concern and urgency with which we approach this matter.

“We ask that we may have a growing sense of asking our leaders to listen to us, to understand the problems that face our globe, and to unite in ways in which, with proper policies, we may begin to repair the damage done and secure the future for future generations.”

Andrea Asperanza, campaign manager at Cafod, said, “As people of faith, it’s really important that we help our representatives, the politicians, to understand that many people in their constituency care a lot about climate change.

“One of the reasons that we care is because we know that billions of people around the world are being affected. As Catholics, we know that they’re not strangers. They are brothers and sisters. At Cafod, we see that in a very tangible way: we are constantly in touch with our partners and the communities they serve, and they share these stories about the impact of climate.

“Climate change is not something abstract or that might happen in the future. It means lack of water, lack of access to water, lack of access to food, the destruction of livelihoods, the destruction of the future.

“As Catholics, we have quite a lot of experience already in engaging successfully with our representatives, and it’s really important that we talk to other parishioners and to politicians about the climate.”

Cafod has been campaigning for the UK to phase out fossil fuels, give debt relief to climate-vulnerable countries, and contribute justly to financing climate adaptation in countries suffering the effects of climate disasters.

The Ecological Conversion Group has produced a guide to engaging with politicians on climate issues, which states, “With local and national elections approaching, this is an important moment to speak to those who represent us.

“Democracy works best when people take part and when politicians clearly hear what matters to their communities. You do not need to be an expert. You simply need to care and be willing to ask.”

Sir John Battle, chair of Leeds Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission and former cabinet minister, warned that net zero targets are being undermined and the pressure to drill for more oil is “completely wrong”, with disinformation about oil “disempowering people”.

Chee Yan Shek from the Ecological Conversion Group warned, “The research study of the 10 councils won by Reform UK show that, seven of the Reform UK-led councils have scrapped their climate targets and climate change denial has been expressed by Reform UK councillors in five of the councils.”

The Ecological Conversion Group’s guide also said “Many people assume climate action is unpopular, but this is not true. Most people in the UK support action on climate change, and politicians often underestimate that support.

“Hearing from you will help clarify that misunderstanding, and when we speak up, we make it easier for politicians to act. This is not about endorsing any party or candidate, but about making your voice count.

“There is a growing political debate about climate targets and net-zero policies. In some areas, climate and environmental commitments are being weakened or removed, and misinformation is becoming more common.

“At the same time, these debates are closely connected to wider challenges, including biodiversity loss, pollution, land-use change, and the degradation of our oceans, which together constitute a broader ecological crisis. Local elections often have low turnout, which means that small numbers of voices can have a big impact.”

Battle emphasised that on the local level there is often a clearer vision around waste and green spaces: “In our parish, some of the parishioners decided that their Lent penance would be doing litter-picking locally, and I have to say, that has done more for evangelisation of letting people know what the local churches are about during Lent in our community.

“Interestingly, some of the people enjoyed it so much that they said they wanted to carry on and it wasn’t much of a penance!”

He encouraged parish groups to meet their candidates in person and try to work together: “I’m a massive advocate of meeting people face to face. We meet the politicians, perhaps with small groups from our parishes, and we take them invitations and action plans.

“For example, with a few of the youngsters from Christ the King’s School in my own parish in Leeds, we go to the local candidates and say we’re organising a parish litter pick, and would they like to join us?

“We invite them into the conversation – that stands both for parliamentarians and for the council level. I think the key to the future is relationality. Not one-off demands in an email, but building relationships with the candidates and then with the people that get elected.

“Things can be done, and we don’t need to despair and think that nothing can change. It’s not just short term. The real issue is consistent care. If that is our principle, then we can encourage our representatives to champion the ideas of care of the Earth and care for the poor in a more constructive way.”

The Ecological Conversion Group explained that local governments play an important role in delivering climate and environmental action on the ground: through planning, transport, housing, and nature protection, while the national government sets the overall direction.

The document outlined that local councils are responsible for decisions affecting daily life in the community, such as housing, renewable energy projects, public transport, cycling, and local infrastructure, which can have significant environmental impacts.

Councillors also shape local climate action plans and support community energy and insulation schemes, which are often where change is seen fastest.

“You could ask what the candidate will do to help families reduce energy bills through better insulation, or how they will protect your community from flooding or extreme weather,” the guide suggested. “You could ask about their priorities for improving local transport and reducing reliance on expensive fossil fuels.

“You might also highlight how these issues are interconnected with broader environmental pressures (including animal agriculture, deforestation, pollution, ocean degradation, and biodiversity loss) that together drive the broader ecological crisis we face.

“From a values perspective, you might ask how their policies will support the poorest, who are most affected by climate change, both in the UK and globally.”

“Your voice matters, especially when it is rooted in care, dignity, and hope,” the document emphasised. “This is not just political engagement, it is part of our vocation: to care for creation, to stand with the vulnerable, and to act with courage and compassion.”

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