FURTHER tens of hundreds of thousands of kilos are to be pumped into efforts to drastically reduce the Church of England’s carbon emissions over the following six years, the primary impact report on its net-zero programme says.
The report summarises progress on the General Synod’s ambition to attain net zero by 2030, which was set in 2020 (News, 12 February 2020). The Synod approved a “route map” to this goal two years later (News, 15 July 2022).
In real terms, the goal is to diminish the Church’s emissions — mainly from its buildings — by 90 per cent against the present baseline: 415,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent (415,000T CO2e). The remaining ten per cent is to be offset by carbon-cancelling schemes, similar to tree-planting and installing solar panels.
The report doesn’t quantify the change made to date to the Church’s carbon footprint. The Church Times understands that the programme is working with an external carbon-accountancy firm to calculate the 2022 and 2023 carbon footprints, which will probably be published towards the top of this 12 months.
Schools are the Church’s highest carbon-emitters, accounting for 48 per cent of all emissions. After that come churches (27 per cent), housing (18 per cent), and church halls (4 per cent). Cathedrals emit two per cent (c.8000 tonnes of carbon dioxide p.a.). NCIs, theological colleges, and work-related travel each emit lower than one per cent.
Millions of kilos are being released towards meeting this goal, including, most recently announced, £5.2 million in grants to 114 “demonstrator” churches, and £30 million from the Church Commissioners (News, 20 October 2023).
Of the Commissioners’ funding, the report says, £14.5 million has been spent on establishing projects and grants; projects value £6.5 million have been agreed and grants assigned; and £1.8 million has been spent on programme costs. The remaining £7.2 million has been allocated but not yet committed.
Jose Sarmento MatosThe Dean of King’s College, Cambridge, the Very Revd Stephen Cherry, on the roof of the 500-year-old chapel where, earlier this 12 months, 438 solar panels were installed to scale back the College’s carbon emissions by greater than 23 tonnes annually: the equivalent of planting 1090 trees
The Church has committed £2 million from the net-zero programme to assist to fund the decarbonisation of its schools, including money to support bids for public funding, audit emissions, and the exploration of sustainable solutions.
The first £30-million phase of the net-zero programme will probably be accomplished in 2025, the report says. The second phase (2025-28) is estimated to cost £100 million. An estimate of £60 million has been set for the third and final phase (2029-31).
Twelve C of E schools in six dioceses have been awarded funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), the report says.
Other accomplished work includes 100 retrofit surveys on clergy and retired clergy housing; pilot projects by 11 dioceses to scale back emission from clergy housing; and the appointment of 35 people to posts of net-zero officer or manager.
There are 9600 clergy homes across the C of E estate, and an additional 1500 homes for retired clergy. The report points to the primary net-zero vicarage within the diocese of Carlisle, achieved by increasing insulation within the roof, providing recent external doors to enhance energy efficiency, installing a recent air-source heat pump and pressurised water-heating system, solar panels, and a battery storage system that gives two-thirds of the electricity supply.
The Priest-in-Charge of Natland, Old Hutton and New Hutton, Canon Angela Whittaker, says within the report: “The home is so warm as compared to the previous vicarage. We open windows now for ventilation moderately than the draught coming through the floorboards and the partitions, and the solar panels are making an enormous difference to our utility bills in addition to helping the environment.”
The report also highlights engagement within the net-zero programme through the Eco Awards established by A Rocha UK: 2304 churches, 38 cathedrals, and 32 diocesan offices have received a bronze, silver, or gold award for green projects.
In March, all cathedrals accomplished sustainability reviews, and net-zero-carbon motion plans have been accepted by 35 diocesan synods.
A pilot match-funding scheme, Give to Go Green, has raised £162,155 for small-scale net-zero projects in 27 churches within the dioceses of Exeter and Leeds, the report says. Three-quarters raised greater than their goal amount, some by 200 per cent.
The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, who leads on the environment, said that the last word goal was to reply “to the climate crisis to assist safeguard God’s creation and achieve a just world. Every environmental motion we take, from installing solar panels to encouraging wildlife in our churchyards, is a step towards caring for God’s planet, nature and folks. It also means cheaper bills and makes our buildings more sustainable.”
Julian Atkins, net-zero programme director, said: “Churches, cathedrals, and schools are already making great progress in reducing their carbon emissions, and lots of have found that making small changes could make an enormous difference. We hope the report will encourage and encourage readers to see that achieving net-zero carbon is feasible.”
