The Green Bible is meant to "equip and encourage [readers] to see God's vision for creation and help [them] engage in the work of healing and sustaining it".

We believe that the unique and specially added features by some of today's most important thinkers, writers and leaders, across the ecumenical spectrum make it a must-have for those who already find motivation, comfort and inspiration in it and for the many more who might see it freshly as a critical resource in their journey to sustain our planet".

Before the biblical text, the Green Bible provides an introduction from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and essays from Brian McLaren, Cal DeWitt, Barbara Brown Taylor, Pope John Paul II, Ellen F. Davis, N. T. Wright, Ellen Bernstein, Matthew Sleeth, James Jones, and Gordon Aeschliman.

Larry Schweiger, President of the National Wildlife Federation praised the Green Bible for giving "solid context" for environmentalism.

[7] In contrast, some conservatives, like talk show host Pat Gray, accused the Green Bible of merely being a marketing gimmick and money-making scheme for HarperCollins.