Rosie Venner, our Director of Movement Building, explores why it’s important to consider our finances in the steps we take to care for God’s creation.
What do bug hotels, bee-friendly flowers and our banking choices have in common? They are all ways that churches can care for God’s earth, and make progress towards a Bronze, Silver or Gold Eco Church award.
A Rocha UK’s Eco Church1 programme equips churches in England and Wales to care for creation. The Eco Church survey was recently updated, providing churches with a framework for action in response to the climate and nature crises.
If you lead on Eco Church in your congregation, you’ll have spotted that there’s a stronger focus on greener finances in the new survey, particularly in the Community and global engagement and Lifestyle action areas. This applies to church finances – for example, where we choose to bank or invest. But it’s also about educating our members and wider communities too.
Finance is one of the least ‘visible’ areas of creation care, but no less important. Banks have financed fossil fuels by $6.9 trillion dollars since the Paris Agreement. In this blog, we drew attention to the shocking US$5 trillion of private finance that is invested in nature-harming activities worldwide every year.
It’s easy to feel disconnected from these figures. It’s tempting to pursue actions that feel closer to home. But at the same time as we are planting trees, £2 of every £10 in UK pensions is linked to deforestation2. As we make efforts to cut down on single-use plastic packaging, our banks are fuelling the growth of plastic production3. We are connected, and we need to act.
Just as our consumption and spending choices can have an impact on people and planet, so can our banking and investing decisions.
So, if you are just getting started with a Bronze Eco Church award, or looking to make progress beyond this, here are some steps you can take as a church to green your finances and raise awareness of the importance of where our money goes.
5 green finance resources
- Use our banking guide for churches to compare greener, more ethical banking options.
- Join the Green Investment Declaration and move more of your church investments into climate solutions.
- For individuals, join the Big Bank Switch and switch to a greener current account.
- Download this small group resource to explore how the choices we make with money can change the world for the better.
- Share one of these newsletter articles to get people thinking about their banking, investments or pensions.
Get ready for Good Money Sunday
And finally, save the date for Good Money Sunday (12 October 2025) and think about what you and your church could do during Good Money Week (6 – 12 October 2025) to pursue climate justice and protect nature through your financial choices.