John Evans – an executive coach who joined Operation Noah’s Board of Trustees in 2024 – shares why he decided to join our charity and campaign for climate action. 

There are several reasons why I felt it right to join Operation Noah – reasons which align with Christian values of stewardship, justice, and love for others and are also informed by science.

1. Stewardship of Creation

As a Christian, I believe that humans have a God-given responsibility to care for the earth. 

We are not the owners of creation, rather, ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it’ (Psalm 24:1). Christians are also encouraged to tread lightly on the earth as ‘the land must not be sold permanently because the land is mine, and you are but aliens and my tenants’ (Leviticus 25:23). 

Christians therefore acknowledge that ‘creation care’ is an integral part of our discipleship: we are stewards of the earth, summoned by God to ‘work it and take care of it’ (Genesis 2:15), and our uses of the earth must conserve and renew it rather than to deplete or destroy it.

2. Justice for the Poor and Vulnerable

The Bible frequently calls for special care for the poor and marginalised, and before joining Operation Noah, I worked for World Vision, a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation working with children, families and communities around the world to overcome poverty and injustice. That experience allowed me to see how climate change – largely driven by fossil fuel use – disproportionately affects the most vulnerable communities around the world. 

Ironically, the communities least responsible for emissions often suffer the worst consequences of global heating (e.g., extreme weather events, food insecurity, and displacement). And indeed, during my time at World Vision, I observed some of the ways in which climate change became a ‘threat multiplier’, making existing challenges more complex and creating additional insecurity. 

Later, I became a director of Jubilee+, an organisation that encourages local churches and individual Christians to be ‘mercy-bringers’ in their communities, especially to those who are trapped in poverty or injustice. Through this experience, I saw that people living in poverty in the UK are more affected by climate change and nature loss than people who are not. Why? 

Because even in this country, climate change disproportionately impacts the poorest; for example, lower quality housing often lacks insulation, or is in densely built areas with little tree cover and green space, making it more susceptible to extreme weather. Extreme weather also affects crop yields, leading to food scarcity and higher global food prices, even in the UK. Naturally, this has the most severe impact on those already struggling to make ends meet. 

3. Moral Responsibility for Future Generations

Christian ethics emphasise responsibility both to the present generation and to future ones – but fossil fuel dependence threatens to leave future generations with an uninhabitable planet. 

My concern for my children’s children is just one compelling reason as to why I campaign for climate action and support the work of Operation Noah, including backing global initiatives that Operation Noah supports, such as the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. 

This international effort is fostering cooperation across cities, countries, regions, faith groups and civil society to accelerate a transition to clean energy, to end the expansion of coal, oil and gas, and to advocate for an equitable phase-out of existing fossil fuel production in keeping with what is needed to limit global heating to 1.5C. 

Fifty years ago, the world used international treaties to defuse threats posed by nuclear weapons. Today, we need global cooperation – with Christians and other faith groups playing their part – to phase out fossil fuels and ensure a just transition to a clean energy economy.