The People’s Emergency Briefing is a 50-minute film that premiered in April 2026. It presents the latest evidence on the climate crisis in an accessible format and features interviews by leading experts with reactions from members of the public and celebrities.
Christ Church Swindon, who achieved their Gold Eco Church award in August 2025, hosted the film on Monday 27th April, drawing an audience of 75 members of the local community. The event was organised by Christ Church’s Eco Group, with support for the event from members of several church Eco groups across the Swindon area, alongside Swindon Climate Action Network, the Religious Society of Friends, and the Wiltshire Climate Alliance. Their involvement highlighted the growing collaboration between faith communities, environmental organisations, and local campaigners in responding to the climate and nature crisis.
Following the screening, attendees took part in one of seven discussion groups, providing an opportunity to reflect on the film’s messages and consider practical local responses. Facilitators from each group then shared key points from their discussions with the wider audience, creating a sense of shared purpose and collective action.
Daniel Pitt, a member of the Christ Church Eco Group, shared:
“I was very grateful for all the support received in organising the event and was delighted with the number who attended the showing. Whilst the crisis is daunting, I was encouraged by the amount of goodwill and commitment there is for efforts to mitigate and adapt to the crisis. It’s clear that much already goes on locally and how we need to work together, including supporting and encouraging our local leaders.”
A Rocha UK has joined a coalition of the UK’s major church denominations and Christian organisations, calling on churches to host community screenings of the newly released People’s Emergency Briefing film.
The group backing the screening of the film represents over 22,000 churches and includes the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Joint Public Issues Team of the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union and the United Reformed Church and charities Tearfund, CAFOD, A Rocha UK, Operation Noah, Laudato Si Movement, Green Christian, Christian Climate Action and Eco Congregation Scotland.
Churches are encouraged to host screenings and invite their local communities and MPs. Organisers behind the initiative are hoping that church buildings and other faith spaces will be a platform to unite people in awareness of the scale and threat of the climate and nature crisis and enable communities to discuss the issues raised and explore ways to take action locally.
A resource for churches
A dedicated Church Resource Pack has been developed to help you host a screening, whether for your local community or congregation. It includes practical guidance, ideas for facilitating discussion, and suggestions for follow-up activities.
The film may be challenging to watch, but it also opens up opportunities for deeper reflection. Churches may wish to offer time for prayer, lament, and discussion helping people process what they have seen in the light of faith and hope.
Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, said:
“The positive response from churches to the invitation to host and facilitate engagement with the National Emergency Briefing reflects a deep concern with the ways in which climate breakdown is impacting our local communities and the whole of humanity.”
With thanks to David Pitt from Christ Church Swindon for providing the text about their screening of the Public Emergency Briefing.
If you are not in a position to host a screening, you can find a local screening to attend on the national screening map.
