Our Values and Mission

 A Rocha is a Christian environmental protection organisation. Born in Portugal in 1983 in the place from which it takes its name (A Rocha, “the Rock” in Portuguese), it has from the outset directed its choices and concentrated its activities along two lines:

Raising awareness, particularly among Christians, to bring about a change in human behaviour that will lead to respect for the environment (combating climate change and the collapse of biodiversity in particular).

To work actively in the field to preserve and restore nature through scientific studies.

Established in 20 countries around the world, and thus present on six continents, A Rocha builds all its projects on the basis of five committments. In France, A Rocha celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020. We invite you to discover our many activities through our activity reports.

 

Why Christians in environmental protection?

The reasons for conserving nature and its biodiversity are not just utilitarian: they are fundamentally ethical and moral, and refer us to values that transcend time and human interest. For Christians, they are rooted in biblical values that provide a solid foundation for environmental action.

 Here are four of them:

Out of Love

God created out of love, and God loves all his creation. Taking care of his work is an act of love towards God, but also towards our neighbours.


Out of Obedience

God gave humans a mandate to "cultivate and keep" the garden. As stewards of the earth, we must preserve it and all that it contains.

Justice

The great injustice of our time is the environmental crisis, caused by the richest and affecting the poorest first. Taking action for the environment helps to reduce injustice and improve the future for everyone.

By Hope

We can do something because God sustains his creation and helps us in this task. Our actions reflect a God of hope, not fatality.

Find out more about A Rocha’s story and work around the world.