THE Church of England in Cornwall has strengthened its commitment to helping the environment by developing a dedicated plan and hiring an expert to help put it into practice.

Luci Isaacson joins the diocese in a consultancy role as its environment officer, and has been working with the church’s existing environment core group to develop the strategy.

The aim is to help individuals, parish churches and PCCs, and diocesan staff and committees to consider the issues and, where possible, to make changes aimed at slowing climate change.

The Bishop of Truro, the Right Rev Tim Thornton, said: “The imperative to take action at every level to protect and sustain the life of the planet comes not simply in response to the overwhelming evidence of the damage caused by climate change and the consequent threat to life on earth. It comes also for us as Christians from our conviction that all creation is a gift from God, and that we have a responsibility to preserve and hand it on to future generations for their enjoyment. The church should be in the forefront of environmental activity, not least as witness to this belief.”