We currently have an important opportunity to curtail the future of oil and gas in this country. The path forward is something that we can all influence – through prayerful political engagement. This week CCA partnered with organisations including Christian Aid, Tearfund, Green Christian and more, to hold a church service, followed by a 24 hour vigil outside the government department DESNEZ (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero).

If you weren’t able to join us for this, there’s still opportunity for you to be part of changing the course of history, by contacting your local MP/MSP, urging them to stop fossil fuel expansion. Click here to find out how via the Stop Cambo website.

Why is now an important time for Oil and Gas in the UK?

Over the next six months, in the context of the Labour government’s current consultation process and and their manifesto promises, we have an opportunity to bring about the urgent end of new oil and gas developments in the UK. 

Thanks to last year’s Supreme Court’s ruling that the full climate impacts from burning new oil and gas can no longer be ignored in the decision to develop new projects, the UK government has currently paused all new drilling for a public consultation on parts of its regulatory framework for granting licenses to do with assessing environmental impacts. This first consultation ended on Jan 8th and the government will now spend the next few months considering it. We expect that the government will be resuming the making of decisions on new oil and gas fields in the spring/summer of 2025. 

During this next period, they will be launching a second consultation on how they should implement their commitment to end all new oil and gas licensing. The dates of the second consultation were released when we were outside DESNEZ this week. What the government decides will have huge ramifications for the future of oil and gas and funding a just transition to renewable energy in the UK, and will set a precedent around the world.

The Ash Wednesday Service and 24 hour vigil

Lent is a beautiful time, where a key theme is repenting for wrongs we have done to others. Along with our friends at fellow NGO organisations, we held an Ash Wednesday service at St Johns Church Waterloo, London. In the service we reflected on the pain and suffering we are inflicting on our brothers and sisters around the world through the climate crisis. There was time for repentance and also hope with ashing.

We then proceeded to the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, where we held a vigil over-night, from noon on the 5th March, to noon on the 6th March. It was very powerful taking prayerful protest right to the gates of power, and every hour we prayed for a different climate-related flood, wildfire or drought that has happened in the last 5 months. We want to give a huge thank you to those who kept the vigil going over-night.

At the end of the working day for DESNEZ staff members, we were joined by the Climate Choir. Together we sang a clear message to people exiting the building, which included the words ‘Stop Rosebank, end oil and gas’.

How can you get involved?

If you would like to be involved in what Christian Climate Action are doing in this campaign going forward, please email us at christianclimateaction@gmail.com

We’d love to have you as one of our merry team 🙂

The most important thing we can all do right now is contacting our local MP/MSP, urging them to stop fossil fuel expansion. Click here to find out how via the Stop Cambo website.