It has become more and more clear that we cannot protect people without protecting their environment, and vice versa. Unmet economic, social, and personal needs can block people from protecting even their own families from environmental hazards. Environmental degradation undermines the human and ecological health on which a productive economy ultimately depends.

Whatever kind of religious agency you work for, there is some aspect that relates to the environment. This is especially true for relief and development agencies, hospitals, and schools. But even if the connections between your agency's mission and environmental concerns are less clear, the office supplies or cleaning products you purchase, the energy you use, or the coffee you brew in the staff room are matters of ethical responsibility.

Religious service organizations of every kind are incorporating environmental responsibility into their vision, goals, and operations. In doing so, they unite the religious passions of love of the human neighbor and care for the fruitful and beautiful earth. That union yields actions that promote the flourishing the whole created community of life.

Health Care

• Making Catholic health care facilities more environmentally responsible and safe is a goal of the Catholic Health Association. Through the Faithfully Healing the Earth initiative, CHA is assisting its members in incorporating energy efficiency and clean energy sources into their ministries, as well helping them to make more environmentally-friendly food and medical supply purchases, reduce waste, and integrate sustainable design into building construction and retrofits.  Their website offers resources and links that can help hospitals and other health care providers more fully integrate environmental responsibility into their model of health care.

International Relief and Development

• Catholic Relief Services sees more and more the impact of environmental degradation and climate change on the poor and vulnerable through their relief and development work overseas.  Based on this experience, CRS is focusing many of its efforts on promoting environmental justice and helping the poorest people in over 100 countries adapt to climate change impacts.  In addition, CRS continues to be a major advocate on Capitol Hill, urging Congress to thoughtfully consider the poor and vulnerable as they discuss ways to combat climate change.
• The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services' joint Catholics Confront Global Poverty program calls on one million Catholics in the United States to confront global poverty by advocating to end hunger, disease, conflict, and other issues that affect the lives of our brothers and sisters worldwide. As part of this initiative, Global Climate Change and our Catholic Response considers how climate change and the response to it will affect poor and vulnerable people here at home and around the world, and outlines the moral criteria which any climate legislation must meet.
• The Church World Service's Social and Economic Development Program promotes sustainable development that "is pro-people, pro-nature, pro-jobs." Providing adequate supplies of clean water is one critical environmental need for the poor addressed by CWS.
• Down-to-Earth Christianity: Creation-care In Ministry provides insights on how to integrate creation-care into relief and development work. Produced by the Association of Relief and Development Organizations (AERDO) and published by the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN).
• Resources on agroforestry, deforestation, poverty, hunger and sustainable development are available on the website of Floresta, an EEN partner organization.
• ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) assists a global network of development workers and missionaries since by providing seeds, information, training and ideas for combating world hunger in environmentally sustainable ways.

Rural Ministry

• The National Catholic Rural Life Conference serves the rural Church in the United States, promoting family farms, a healthy environment, and strong rural communities. Because climate change is impacting agriculture, NCRLC has become a voice for family farmers and migrant workers throughout the U.S.
• Agricultural Missions, Inc., provides education and information to the churches in North America for action and advocacy on issues such as economic justice, food security and the environment that affect rural peoples and their communities. A partner of the National Council of Churches of Christ.

Domestic Antipoverty

• Campaign For Human Development, the U.S. Catholic bishops' domestic antipoverty program, seeks to eliminate the root causes of poverty in America by supporting and promoting community controlled self-help organizations for the poor. Helping low-income communities organize to combat environmental degradation has become a priority for many of the projects funded by the Campaign.
• Catholic Charities USA recognizes that, as Pope Benedict XVI has observed, "“Environmental degradation makes the life of the poor especially unbearable,” despite often contributing least to its causes.  In light of this, Catholic Charities USA is working to help people understand the connections between environmental degradation and poverty, is taking steps to reduce its impact on the environment at Go Green to Reduce Poverty in America. 
• Many of the ways religious agencies can make their office operations more environmentally responsible are the same as those for congregations. Find recommendations and resources on energy use, waste, purchasing, toxic products, landscaping, and events here.