The Big Green Believers' Agreement: An Introduction

The Big Green Believers' Agreement is an interfaith environmental initiative open to every faith community and faith group in the local area.

Already 30 differing communities from all across Dorset - and even beyond - have committed to signed up to the Big Green Believers' Agreement, as well as a number of individuals. In becoming signatories, they are committing to engaging in practical and measurable sustainable steps, to sharing their successes and to inspiring others to engage.

Because of the uniqueness of the Big Green Believers' Agreement, the organisers of Climate Week 2012 will be showcasing our agreement across the UK as an exemplar of interfaith sustainability action.

This is an initiative based in the idea of finding "common ground" in both the figurative and literal sense. We all share the Earth and, while our theologies and practices may differ, we all acknowledge our responsibility to protect it. That is why we come together now - because as faith communities we carry the moral responsibility to protect this amazing planet and all its inhabitants.

How to Be Part of This Historic Agreement

To be part of this historic sustainability plan, all you have to do is download the two .pdfs below and start discussing them amongst your community's leaders. To sign up to the Big Green Believers' Agreement a community need not accept all the commitments in the appendix - that must would be impossible. Rather, signing the Agreement shows commitment to looking through the appendix and selecting the commitments that your community feels it can achieve. IDEA will support all individuals and communities who sign up to help them achieve their targets.

Why Be Part of This Historic Agreement?

Simple...

  1. Governments have clearly proven themselves to be incapable of reaching any kind of meaningful agreement in terms of sustainability, so it's up to us, the people, to show that such agreements can be made.
  2. As faith communities, we have a moral imperative to make the world a better place.
  3. It's not enough to act alone anymore. Communities who "go green" by themselves tend to engage in small, tokenistic gestures that are not sizeable enough according to what is needed.
  4. By coming together, we send a message to other faith communities all across the UK that this kind of agreement is possible.
  5. By coming together, we show our own members that the differing faiths share a common thread and that we are not alone in environmental initiatives.

Who has signed up so far?

Over 40 individuals have signed up although we will not be putting their names online. However, below is the list of communities, groups and institutions who have signed up:

A Rocha

Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation

Bournemouth Islamic Centre

Bournemouth Quakers

Bournemouth Reform Synagogue

Bournemouth Town Centre Parish

Broadstone United Reformed Church

Christ the King Church

Churches Together in Dorchester Ecology Group

Churches Together in Dorset

East Cliff United Reformed Church

East Dorset Friends of the Earth

Faith Links

Hilfield Friary

Holy Family R.C. Parish

Kinson Methodist Church

One World Fellowship

Poole and Wimborne Quakers

River of Life MCC, Dorchester

Soka Gakkai International (Dorset & Channel Islands)

Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Poole

St. Anthony's Church, West Moors

St. John the Baptist, Moordown

St. Thomas, Ensbury Park

The University of Winchester

Transition Town Christchurch

Transition Town Poole

United Church, Dorchester

Click here to Download the text of the Agreement

Click here to Download the Appendix

Click here to access the forum