Responding to the climate crisis...
... is an essential part of our responsibility to safeguard God’s creation and renewing our relationship with the environment.
The General Synod of the Church of England voted in February 2020 for the whole of the Church of England to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. The vote recognised that the global climate emergency is a crisis for God’s creation and a fundamental injustice.
For the Church of England, being net zero carbon means that the carbon emissions of their buildings and travel will be reduced to less than 10 per cent of their baseline levels. For the next few years, we will be focusing on measures that reduce the carbon footprint of our activities. The Routemap to Net Zero Carbon describes the measures that the Church will be adopting. The Impact Report has just been published, featuring how the CofE's Environment Programme is reducing carbon emissions.
In Coventry Diocese, we now have a Net Zero Carbon Project Officer. This role encompasses encouraging churches, church schools, the Cathedral and clergy across the Diocese to reduce energy use and focus on measures that will reduce carbon emissions. The NZC Project Officer is available to give advice within the Diocese and has several new resources available.
You can download a local Net Zero Carbon Resource Document and a separate new guide for householders is now available too.
Church Demonstrator Project
All Saints Church Bedworth were successful in obtaining grant funding to enable them to install a Solar PV array and generate renewable energy locally. See this video to glimpse the PV Array that was fitted in Decmber 2024. Further coverage and details will follow soon,
Zero Interest is our series of Podcasts to reach a wider audience with the key messages of achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2030.
The whole Series of five episodes is now available on Spotify.
Loan Equipment
Winter is upon us and this means the heating will once again be turned on. If you want to assess heat loss and temperature/humidity cycles in a church or other building, you may be able to borrow equipment from the NZC Project Officer. We now have four sets of six thermo/hygrometers and four thermal imaging cameras. They link to most Smart phones and downloading data or images is relatively simple.
Download this loan kit flyer for more details.
We are producing Case Study notes from recent Net Zero projects in Coventry Diocese. Here is our offering:
Case Study, All Saints Church, Leek Wootton - replacement heating (Far Infra Red heating)
Case Study, St George's Church, Rugby - replacement heating (Air Source Heat Pumps)
Case Study, St Barnabus & St Nicholas Church, Burmington - additional heating (Pew heating - fitted cushioning)
Case Study - St Martin-in-the-Fields, Finham, Coventry - Solar PV installation (ground mounted)
Case Study - Blue Coats School, Coventry - Air Source Heat Pumps providing heating across the school site
** NEW **
We've launched the Carbon Confidence course. Over thirty people have completed this introductory course so far. You can register to attend future events.
Here are some useful Church of England resources: The Routemap to Net Zero Carbon. The Practical Path to Net Zerofor church buildings. The landing pages for net zero carbon churches and net zero carbon schools, and a net zero webinar programme to help you along that path. Heating guidance and energy efficiency guidance. Lastly some CofE inspiring case studies.