Government and third sectors will work together over the next five years to tackle key environmental issues such as climate change and sustainable development, according to the vision set out in Shaping our future, a new report published this month.

The report is the work of the joint Ministerial and Third Sector Task Force, set up in April 2009, involving ministers and officials from Defra, the Office of the Third Sector, the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Communities and Local Government and 16 third sector organisations.

They jointly agreed a vision for 2015, that: ‘The third sector shapes the future by mobilising and inspiring others to tackle climate change and maximising the social, economic and environmental opportunities of action.”

David Shreeve, the Church of England’s Environment Adviser, and one of the 16 members representing Third Sector organisations on the Task Force, said:  “There is a lot of enthusiasm from the third sector, but much of this can involve reinventing wheels.  Faith groups have a lot of experience in managing local initiatives already which can be overlooked. It was good to have the opportunity to bring the vital role that the faith community is already playing to the Task Force”.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock,who spoke at last year’s Church of England Shrinking the Footprint Conference at Lambeth Palace, said:

 “Organisations and charities across Britain are already having a big impact in helping people take action in their communities to save energy and help reduce emissions. DECC wants to work with these organisations to make sure the transition to a low carbon economy is both effective and fair.”

Notes

For more details on the report see www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/how/third-sector

The Task Force group members were all been chosen for their individual expertise and the networks which they link to. David Shreeve is the CofE’s Environment Adviser taking a lead on the Church’s national Shrinking the Footprint campaign and has co-written two books for churches on the environment. He is also the Director of The Conservation Foundation which he co-founded with David Bellamy in 1982.