Thousands of churches in the UK, across Christian denominations, have signed up to a new campaign that invites Christian worshippers to commit to green power. The list includes Westminster Cathedral, which is one of 3,500 which have switched from damaging fossil fuels to using renewable power thanks to the 'Big Church Switch' campaign.

The 'Big Church Switch' was launched earlier this year and supported by Cafod, Christian Aid and the Tear Fund, inviting churches and worshippers from across various Christian denominations to make the switch as part of their commitment to the Earth and their neighbours.

The announcement of the campaign's success coincided with the World Day of Prayer, which focuses this period on care for the environment. The Bishop of Salford for the Catholic Church, John Arnold, said that there were different ways in which people could respond to the reality of climate change, adding that adoption green energy options for church buildings had been a necessity.

He explained that Pope Francis had published a paper last year that called for a concerted global strategy to tackle climate change and to preserve the environment. Around 2,000 of the green switches have been requested by Catholic churches, many of which responded directly to the topic of the paper.

A spokesperson said that it was a simple step to tackle the mounting threat of climate change by simply committing to use cleaner energy sources in communities, homes, churches and schools. The campaign is also calling on the government to further commit to its renewable energy and climate change goals.

Cross-denominational church-goers will this month participate in an environmental action week, during which they will join groups to lobby the government for an ambitious sustainable energy plan with challenging low-carbon investment measures that deliver true change.