Eco-College

Ripon College Cuddesdon is committed to responding to the ecological and climate crises that our world is facing. Since 2021, Cuddesdon has been an EcoCollege through the A Rocha EcoChurch scheme, and we are the first Silver award status among the theological colleges and institutes. We hope that all who live, work and visit are drawn into a wider understanding of God’s love for and sustaining of creation, as well as the responsibility of human beings to join in the mission of God in creation.

As expressed in the video, the ecological journey at Cuddesdon is not complete. We continue to make progress in the A Rocha EcoChurch scheme, and we are undertaking wider initiatives as well. For example, 

• We continue to draw attention in our worship and our teaching to the ecological crisis through our prayers, special services (including Rogation and worship in our Forest Church), integration of ecological concerns into our teaching modules (e.g. climate change as the case study in Christian Ethics), and one module specifically on Environmental Theology in our partnership with CRES (Christian Rural and Environmental Studies);
• We share eco-notes in our weekly term-time Jottings - read some of our Eco-notes;
• We are promoting zero emission travel with electric car charging points at our site in Cuddesdon, as well as promoting a cycling culture (Oxford is only a 20 minute cycle away);
• We are involved with the growing Theological College Environmental Network, which is supporting TEIs in efforts towards carbon neutrality and encouraging the church to interweave ecological concern throughout its corporate life; 
• And each year new ordinands bring their ideas and energies into renewing the ecological life at Cuddesdon and beyond into their lives and ministries.