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 The Panel Session at our Conference The Annual JRI conference took place on Saturday 5th March and if you missed out, or attended and want to revisit the day, resources are now available on our conference webpage and via the links below. Our theme was ‘A Sustainable Future?’ and we explored the recently agreed United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our first speaker, Helen Dennis of Christian Aid, gave us an overview(mp3, pdf), then Dr Simon Stuart of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature focused in on the SDGs and biodiversity loss (mp3, pdf). After lunch Sheryl Haw of Micah Global encouraged and challenged us with a biblical and missiological view of the SDGs (mp3, pdf). Seminars were led by Ash Barker (pdf), Ian Brooks (pdf), Andrew Francis (pdf), Sheryl Haw and Bob Sluka (pdf), after which they joined with the main speakers for a question and answer panel session (mp3). Rev Dan Yarnell, who shared in leading the worship at the conference kindly wrote this reflection on the day.
Our thanks go to our conference partners ForMission, A Rocha UK and Micah Global, and to the events staff at Bournville College for hosting and providing for us.
A new eco award scheme for UK churches has been developed by JRI partner A Rocha UK with Tearfund and Christian Aid, and was launched at St Paul’s Cathedral on 26th January.  Supported by major denominations including the Church of England, Methodist Church and Baptist Union, and various environmental organisations, Eco Church provides a free online survey for churches to measure their contribution to environmental care, and resources to assist with any issues raised. Points are awarded as the church answers questions on the use of buildings and land, worship and teaching, congregation lifestyles and concern for local and global environment, and these add to the reward of bronze, silver and gold awards. The Eco Church scheme replaces the Eco-congregation awards which were given to more than 300 churches during the 15 years it was running. Among representatives at the launch was JRI Chairman Revd Dr John Weaver who reported on the event for the Baptist Times. Full details of the scheme are available from the A Rocha UK website
 The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were agreed by the United Nations in 2000 and were due to run for fifteen years. In many areas we have seen real progress in that time. So there are less people living in extreme poverty and more have access to clean drinking water. For one goal, however, that most concerned with environment, things have got a lot worse. We have seen little progress on carbon emissions cuts and in stemming biodiversity loss. The worry is that if our global environment spins totally out of control then the real progress that has been made in alleviating poverty could go into reverse. In September 2015 the United Nations agreed new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which focus more on environmental concerns.
For our conference in 2016 we have partnered with ForMission, A Rocha UK and Micah Global. The conference will happen on Saturday, 5 March 2016 from 09:30 to 16:30 at Bournville College, Longbridge, Birmingham.
Ticket prices will be £30-£48 depending on whether you book early! Our conference will look at where we stand now on environmental sustainability. We will consider what is in the new SDGs and how they will help guide us towards a sustainable future over the next 15 years. Our keynote speakers will also look at what the SDGs promise for biodiversity and what an appropriate Christian response should be. We will then have a range of seminars covering topics including food, energy, fisheries and cities (see Speakers and Seminar Leaders). The day will be of interest to all Christians who are concerned about environmental issues and sustainable development. Places will be limited and the day is likely to be popular so book early to ensure your place!
For more information see the Conference Web Page. We also have a Facebook Event Page. This year the majority of our bookings will be taken online at our Bookings Page. We are, however, aware that some people may prefer to use a paper route and, if this is you, then please download a printable leaflet (pdf) from this link and follow the instructions to book by post.
 Paris Well, the Paris COP21 meeting has ended and it is time to start assessing its importance. JRI Operations Manager, Dr Martin Hodson, has been monitoring the run up to Paris and COP21 itself, and has written a Special Briefing. This is a personal reflection and review and should not necessarily be taken as JRI policy. The briefing includes:
Introduction
The Scientific Background A brief look at the latest science.
The Sceptics Seem to be in some disarray in Europe, but a big concern is that all the Republican candidates for the United States presidential election are sceptics.
The Process and the Politics The longest section. Climate action plans and INDCs. The main stumbling blocks to agreement: 2 degrees or 1.5; differentiation; trust; and money.
Our COP21 What Martin & Margot Hodson did as COP21 approached
The Church Pilgrimages and meetings
JRI Our activity including a Storify presentation of tweets from 22nd October to 13 December 2015.
The Outcome What decisions were made at COP21?
The Future
The Briefing Paper is also available in eBook formats – for Kindle readers (.mobi) please click here, and for other eBook readers (.epub – for example for use with Android apps) please click here. The downloaded file can be saved and then opened with the appropriate app or transferred to your reader.
 Starting on Friday 13th November in London a group of pilgrims will walk to Paris and are due to arrive on Friday 27th November, just before the United Nations COP21 meeting begins. Pilgrimage2Paris has been organised by the Church of England, Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund. These organisations also came together to produce a Reflections Booklet with prayers and reflections for each of the days of the pilgrimage, written by people with a very wide range of perspectives on climate change. These can be used by everyone, whether physically taking part in the pilgrimage or not. We in JRI urge everyone to download the booklet and to use it in the next two weeks.
 It was with sadness that I learned of the sudden death of Professor Graham Ashworth CBE. Graham was a past President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, former President of the Foundation for Environmental Education, and a former member of the UK Round Table on Sustainable Development. As a former Professor of Urban Environmental Studies at the University of Salford he was an advocate of urban regeneration and land reclamation. In 1980 he was awarded the CBE for services to the environment. He became well known nationally as Director General of the Tidy Britain Group from 1987 to 2000, leading the Tidy Britain Campaign. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire from 1991, chaired his local Parish Council, and was active in environmental advocacy right up to his death. Graham was for many years a leading voice, in fact one of the first, in support of environmental issues, and a supporter of the John Ray Initiative from its early days under the leadership of Sir John Houghton. I was privileged to work with him both in teaching and at conferences. He and I both taught on the Certificate in Applied Theology course for young Baptist leaders from central and eastern Europe at the International Baptist Theological Seminary, Prague. He was a great encourager of debate. From my own position of chair of the IBTSC Board, I know that Graham’s teaching of environmental theology was greatly appreciated by the students and the staff in Prague.
We can give thanks to God for Graham’s prophetic voice, a voice we will miss in the run up to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris.
Rev. Dr. John Weaver
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Enrol for Christian Rural and Environmental Studies
For those of you in the Reading area this looks like an interesting event. ... See MoreSee Less The Royal Society Join Professor Brian Cox at this special event in Reading bringing together experts on climate change to answer YOUR questions and discuss key issues for the future of our planet. The John Ray Initiative added an event. ... See MoreSee Less Indigenous and grounded November 12, 2016, 10:00am - November 12, 2016, 4:00pm We have now fixed the programme for our CRES Day in November. These days are now opened up to a wider audience and we are very pleased to welcome Professor Sir Ghillean Prance and Andy Lester, Conserv... Peter Harris of A Rocha reports from the World Conservation Congress ... See MoreSee Less Why Conservation Is a Gospel Issue christianitytoday.com Christians who care about conservation are still too rare a species. A report from the World Conservation Congress.
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