Cornwall Alliance

The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation is a United States-based conservative Christian public-policy and advocacy organization focused on environmental issues, energy policy, climate change, economic freedom, and Christian approaches to stewardship. Its central argument is that environmental care is best advanced through a combination of biblical responsibility, technological development, private property, economic freedom, and abundant access to energy rather than through extensive government regulation or limits on fossil-fuel use. The organization was established in 2005 under the name Interfaith Stewardship Alliance. Its formation came amid growing disagreement within American evangelical circles over whether churches and Christian leaders should support action on anthropogenic global warming. The organization later adopted the Cornwall Alliance name, drawing on the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship issued in 2000. That declaration presented human beings as responsible producers and stewards of creation and argued that broad economic freedom could make sound environmental stewardship available to more people. The Cornwall Alliance's intellectual background includes the wise-use movement of the 1980s and 1990s, a collection of ideas emphasizing resource use, private property, local control, and opposition to what its advocates viewed as excessive environmental regulation. The Alliance applies this framework to climate policy and other environmental debates. It maintains that the Earth and its ecosystems are resilient and capable of self-regulation, and it rejects the view that recent warming demonstrates an imminent climate catastrophe caused primarily by human greenhouse-gas emissions. A major part of the Alliance's public work has been the production and circulation of declarations, open letters, policy papers, educational material, and commentary aimed at Christian audiences, policymakers, and the wider public. In 2006 it responded to the Evangelical Climate Initiative, which had urged Christian engagement with climate change and supported measures such as emissions reductions and cap-and-trade. The Cornwall Alliance's response argued that mandatory emissions controls would be economically damaging, particularly for poorer populations that depend on inexpensive and reliable energy. In 2009 the organization issued an Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming. The declaration set out propositions that its supporters accepted and claims they rejected. It characterized recent warming as part of natural climate variability and denied that available evidence established dangerous human-caused global warming. The document was endorsed by a number of scientists, commentators, and Christian figures, although climate-change researchers and social scientists have criticized its scientific conclusions and described it as an effort to counter climate activism among progressive Christians. The Alliance is associated with the Atlas Network and has ties to The Heritage Foundation. Critics have characterized it as an anti-environmental or climate-denial organization and have alleged that its connections with groups previously supported by fossil-fuel interests make it a front group for those interests. The Alliance presents itself instead as a Christian stewardship organization defending human flourishing, economic liberty, and affordable energy. Its public identity therefore combines religious advocacy, free-market policy analysis, and opposition to many contemporary environmental campaigns.

The Cornwall Alliance emerged from disputes within American evangelical Christianity over environmental responsibility and climate change. Its institutional predecessor, the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance, was founded in 2005. The group formed as evangelical leaders and organizations began considering whether global warming should be treated as a major moral and political issue. Its orientation differed from Christian environmental initiatives that favored stronger government action to limit greenhouse-gas emissions. The Alliance's name refers to the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship, a statement released in 2000. The declaration was signed by clergy, theologians, and other participants from several religious traditions. It argued that people should understand themselves as producers and stewards of creation rather than merely consumers and polluters. It also linked environmental stewardship with economic freedom, maintaining that prosperity and access to modern energy could improve societies' ability to care for the natural world. The declaration expressed skepticism toward what it described as excessive or insufficiently supported environmental fears, including concerns about anthropogenic global warming, overpopulation, and widespread species loss. These themes became central to the Alliance's later public identity. The group's outlook was also influenced by the wise-use movement, which had opposed broad environmental restrictions and emphasized resource access, private property, and human use of nature. In 2006, the organization responded to the Evangelical Climate Initiative, an effort by Christian leaders to encourage action on climate change. The Cornwall Alliance circulated an open letter and the paper Call to Truth, Prudence, and the Protection of the Poor. The materials disputed the existence of dangerous human-caused warming and argued that mandatory emissions controls would restrict economic development and make energy less affordable. The argument that climate regulation could harm poor communities became a recurring part of the Alliance's advocacy. The organization continued its climate work through declarations and policy publications. On December 2, 2009, it released the Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming, presenting paired statements of belief and denial. The document described the climate system and ecosystems as robust, resilient, self-regulating, and suited to human flourishing. It rejected the proposition that recent warming was unusually large or rapid and denied that scientific evidence demonstrated dangerous human influence on climate. The declaration attracted endorsements from several scientists and public figures, including climate-policy skeptics. The Alliance also issued A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor. This publication framed the climate debate as a conflict between what it called global-warming alarmism and a theological, scientific, and economic approach centered on affordable energy and human welfare. Through these publications, the Alliance sought to influence Christian opinion and challenge progressive Christian campaigns for climate legislation. The organization has been connected with the Atlas Network and has ties to The Heritage Foundation. Critics, including environmental commentators and climate-policy scholars, have described the Alliance as anti-environmental or as a vehicle for climate-change denial. Some have also pointed to relationships with organizations that received funding from major oil companies and used those relationships to argue that the Alliance served fossil-fuel interests. The Cornwall Alliance rejects that characterization and presents its work as an independent defense of Christian stewardship, free markets, technological innovation, and energy access. Its present public role is primarily that of a nonprofit advocacy and communications organization. Rather than selling consumer products, it distributes ideas and policy arguments through declarations, reports, commentary, educational resources, and public engagement. Its brand is consequently associated with conservative Christian environmental stewardship and opposition to many mainstream climate-policy proposals.

• 2009

  Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming published

  [1]Cornwall Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  The Alliance formalized its climate position in a declaration that rejected dangerous anthropogenic global warming and emphasized ecosystem resilience and affordable energy.

• 2006

  Response to the Evangelical Climate Initiative

  [1]Cornwall Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  The Alliance published an open letter and supporting paper opposing proposed climate regulations and arguing that emissions controls could disproportionately burden poor people.

• 2005

  Interfaith Stewardship Alliance founded

  [1]Cornwall Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  The organization's predecessor was created amid evangelical disagreements over whether global warming should become a central Christian policy concern.

• 2000

  Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship released

  [1]Cornwall Allianceen.wikipedia.org

  A cross-religious declaration articulated the principles later associated with the Cornwall Alliance, including biblical stewardship, human responsibility, economic freedom, and skepticism toward some environmental warnings.

A conservative Christian alternative to environmental and climate-policy movements, emphasizing biblical stewardship, economic freedom, technological progress, resilient ecosystems, and abundant low-cost energy.

• Statement of principles · 2000

  Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship

  A 2000 declaration that provides the theological and economic foundation for the Alliance's approach to environmental questions. It describes people as stewards and producers responsible for creation and argues that economic freedom can expand access to environmental care. The statement also criticizes what it regards as unsupported or excessive fears concerning climate change, population, and biodiversity.

• Policy paper · 2006

  Call to Truth, Prudence, and the Protection of the Poor

  A paper accompanying the Alliance's 2006 response to the Evangelical Climate Initiative. It combines theological, scientific, and economic arguments to dispute dangerous anthropogenic global warming and to oppose mandatory emissions reductions. Its central policy concern is that restrictive energy measures could raise costs and limit development opportunities for poorer populations.

• Climate declaration · 2009

  Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming

  A 2009 declaration organized around statements of belief and denial. It presents Earth's ecosystems and climate as robust and resilient, describes recent warming as part of natural climate history, and rejects the claim that human greenhouse-gas emissions have been shown to produce dangerous warming. It was endorsed by a group of scientists and Christian or public commentators.

• Policy paper

  A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor

  A later policy document that restates the Alliance's opposition to what it calls global-warming alarmism. It evaluates climate policy through theology, science, and economics and argues that reducing fossil-fuel use through coercive measures could undermine affordable energy and human welfare.

• 2009Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming

  United States · Christian audiences

  The Alliance promoted a declaration presenting a religiously framed rejection of dangerous human-caused global warming. The campaign used paired statements of belief and denial to challenge progressive Christian efforts to build support for climate legislation.

  Outcome. The declaration attracted endorsements from several climate skeptics and became one of the organization's principal public statements, while also drawing criticism from climate researchers and environmental commentators.

  Source
• 2006Response to the Evangelical Climate Initiative

  United States · Christian policy networks

  The Alliance organized a public response to evangelical leaders who supported stronger action on climate change, including emissions reductions and cap-and-trade. Its letter and supporting paper disputed the scientific and economic case for those measures and emphasized potential consequences for poor communities.

  Outcome. The response established the Alliance as a visible opponent of climate activism within parts of American evangelical public debate.

  Source

• 2009

  Formalization of climate-change skepticismStrategy

  Background

  The Alliance sought to counter Christian environmental campaigns and arguments for mandatory reductions in fossil-fuel use.

  Action taken

  It issued the Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming and a renewed policy call linking its climate position to theology, science, economic freedom, and protection of the poor.

  Aftermath

  The publications reinforced the Alliance's identity as a Christian free-market organization opposed to climate alarmism and generated continuing criticism from climate-policy scholars and environmental groups.

  Source

• 2005

  Formation as an evangelical climate-policy organizationStrategy

  Background

  Evangelical leaders were increasingly debating whether global warming required organized Christian political action.

  Action taken

  The organization was established as the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance to promote an alternative approach centered on free markets, energy access, and stewardship rather than regulatory climate action.

  Aftermath

  It developed into a prominent conservative Christian voice opposing many mainstream environmental and climate-policy proposals.

  Source

1. 1Cornwall Allianceen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cornwall Alliance official websitecornwallalliance.org