The Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN) has joined forces with the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) to produce a multi-lingual Lenten carbon fast. The five-language Lent campaign begins with an introductory week, from 15 February – the day after Ash Wednesday – to 17 February, where the focus is on prayer. This is followed by four themed weeks, on waste, food, energy and water; with a final “Week of Appreciating Nature” in the run up to Holy Week.

Each day contains an action, a prayer, or a reflection. Suggested “actions” including making a list of everything thrown away during one day in “Waste Week” and then identifying wasteful items that participants can eliminate from their daily habits. In “Food Week”, participants are asked to “choose compassion” by using meat, eggs, and dairy products that were farmed ethically and sustainably.

In “Energy Week”, participants are encouraged to “set large appliances like refrigerators and water heaters on the lowest possible setting” and to “turn off anything that has a switch” when it isn’t being used. And in “Water Week”, one of the actions encourages participants to “practice agro-ecology” by watering gardens in the evening or early morning, when the water evaporates less; and to install landscaping that suits the natural rainfall in their area.

The Lenten Fast for Creation is designed to encourage participants to think about how they use natural resources and, on the final day, to continue the actions by pledging to “pray, act, and advocate for creation.”

The full calendar and resources is available online in English and as a downloadable pdf in French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

A single-page edition of the calendar with 40 actions is also available as a pdf for printing, in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.