Sheffield Cathedral has said the removal of a climate awareness entry into its Christmas Tree Week Festival was a misunderstanding.
Christian Climate Action Sheffield, the group responsible for the tree in question, decorated it with hand-made mock Shell logos and pound notes hanging from it, brandishing a “thank you” message from Shell.
The message behind the decoration was designed to highlight the Church of England’s involvement in Shell’s fossil fuel investments.
Sam Wakeling, who helped decorate the tree, said: “Over recent years, the Church of England has provided a lot of political value to a company that can’t find that kind of value in any other way.
“The idea behind it was to not bombard people with facts and figures and, instead, show a light-hearted view of a heavy subject.”
The group claims the Church of England’s decision to support Shell’s transition strategy in 2021 provides the energy company with unwarranted validity.
The strategy has been widely criticised for its inability to enact real change in how the company operates.
Mr Wakeling added: “Fossil fuel companies can’t be trusted to be acting in good faith over the climate crisis because they’re fundamentally the ones causing it.
“As campaigners and members of the Church of England, we don’t accept what’s being done in our name.”
Only a few minutes after the initial tweet, however, another announcement was made saying Sheffield Cathedral had taken the tree down.
Ben Rossi, development manager at Sheffield Cathedral, who sees the festival as a way for the community to come together, said: “In the way it was portrayed, we felt it may not have been appropriate for a community festival.”
After a discussion between both parties, the tree was then reinstated, with the Cathedral apologising on Twitter for taking it down in the first place.
Mr Rossi said: “The festival is open to everyone, it’s a way to spark conversations.
“The church itself needs to be aware of environmental issues and have conversations about how we best to work so we can achieve our own climate goals.”
The group welcomed this decision by the cathedral and sees it as a way forward for the Diocese of Sheffield to make its own climate commitment.
Mr Wakeling said: “We’re really grateful as a Christian climate action group that the cathedral would reconsider the removal and join the conversation.”
