Preparing for the Season of Creation 2025: Faith Communities and the Climate Emergency

As we approach this year’s Season of Creation (1st September–4th October), we are invited to reflect and act under the global theme Peace with Creation, inspired by Isaiah 32:14–18. The Season of Creation is not only a time of prayer and ecological reflection, but also an opportunity to recognise the urgent reality of the climate emergency and our shared responsibility to respond.

Northern Ireland has formally declared a climate emergency and legislation now sets ambitious targets for reducing emissions and achieving net zero by 2050. Yet, it is not only governments and policy makers who must act. Faith communities are increasingly stepping into this space, offering both moral guidance and practical action rooted in Scripture and tradition.

The Irish Council of Churches (ICC) has made climate justice a key priority since adopting its Affirmations on Climate Justice in 2019. It continues to encourage churches to see climate action as a question of justice, recognising that the poorest and most vulnerable are those most deeply affected.

The Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland has described climate change as “a defining crisis of our time,” grounding its response in the biblical call to stewardship (Genesis 2:15) and to love of neighbour (Matthew 12:31).

In 2021, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) adopted a “divest and engage” approach, moving investments away from companies heavily dependent on fossil fuels and encouraging others to reduce emissions in line with international targets.

The Islamic perspective on creation care emphasizes the importance of maintaining balance and justice in the natural world, as highlighted in Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth: “The Most Merciful, taught the Qur’an, created humankind, taught him eloquence. The sun and the moon move in precise calculation, and the stars and the trees prostrate. And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance (Mizan), that you not transgress within the balance (Mizan) and establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance (Mizan).”

In the Baháʼí Faith, caring for creation is a spiritual responsibility stemming from the belief that nature is a reflection of God’s attributes. Baháʼu’lláh stated: “Say: Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator. Its manifestations are diversified by varying causes and in this diversity there are signs for men of discernment. Nature is God’s Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world.”

Broader partnerships such as Climate Northern Ireland—which brings together government, civil society, and faith networks—show how collaboration is essential if we are to adapt and respond meaningfully. At the same time, UK-wide initiatives like Green Christian are encouraging churches to make public declarations of a “climate emergency,” offering resources to help faith communities integrate ecological concern into prayer, worship, and witness.

All these efforts point to a deeper truth: that the climate crisis cannot be separated from our call to discipleship and unity. As Archbishop Eamon Martin reflected during this summer’s Church Leaders’ visit to Lough Neagh, this is a moment for “listening, witness and stewardship.” Their joint presence at Lough Neagh underlined the importance of working together, across denominational lines, to protect creation and those whose lives depend on it.

Locally, the Join the Dots Together network will be hosting a series of multi-faith events during the Season of Creation in Belfast and Hillsborough. These will explore how themes such as economics, migration and interfaith collaboration connect to the call to Peace with Creation. By creating spaces for prayer, dialogue and action, these gatherings aim to strengthen unity while offering concrete steps for responding to the climate emergency in our communities.

As the Season of Creation begins, let us take inspiration from these examples. The climate emergency challenges us not only to reduce emissions but also to rediscover our vocation as peacemakers with creation. By praying, acting, and advocating together, we can nurture a culture of hope and unity, caring for our common home as one Christian family.

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