Moving towards a sustainable and carbon-neutral building requires us to reframe their use and maintenance. For inspiration and encouragement in where to begin, take a look at the Church of England's pathway to net zero.
Fabric
Reordering and maintenance of churches whilst maintaining and preserving their fabric in line with heritage requirements and local planning can be a daunting task. Each church will face different challenges based upon age, listing status and individual circumstances. However, we have provided some guidance links below to help you, your PCC and your community to access relevant and up-to-date information on the permissions process and how to begin your sustainable project:
- Church of England Roof Guidance
- Church of England Faculty Guidance
- Bath & Wells Diocesan Advisory Committee
Lighting
Improving, upgrading or repairing lighting can significantly reduce your church's carbon footprint and potentially save you money. It can require Faculty permission and must be carefully considered to be sensitive to the heritage of your building. The following links contain current advice on sustainable and practical lighting projects:
- Church of England guidance
- Green Journey provide energy audits and advice for churches on potential savings. Visit the Green Journey website or call 03330 067117.
Heating
Heating your building can be a complex task, especially when trying to keep your congregation warm in an old building! Below are links to current advice for consideration as you begin exploring sustainable heating:
*Forward thinking - new guidance is coming to reflect the new Net Zero 2030 target agreed by Synod in February 2020 so please bear in mind future recommendations will favour low carbon and renewable solutions wherever possible.
Future Heating Plans
We have many examples where churches have suddenly had a breakdown of their heating system and the need to make a quick decision on its replacement. This often leads to “like for like replacement” rather than reviewing more sustainable and appropriate heating options.
To address this, we are inviting all churches to consider developing a future heating plan by the end of 2022 as part of the diocesan plan to support us all getting to net zero by 2030. We think that it many cases this will be fairly straightforward, but are happy to provide support or contacts to assist with the creation of plans including options and consideration of funding.
We will be putting resources on this page to help this process, so please look here again or contact us.
Renewable Energy
Switching to a renewable energy provider is an easy win for carbon footprint reduction and more and more churches are finding ways to install renewable energy technology on and in their buildings. Here are links to aid discussions around whether or not renewables are an option for your church and links to renewable suppliers and energy basket schemes:
Energy Checklist
Are there gaps in and around the windows and doors? Are there cracked or broken windows? Small gaps can be filled with black plasticine, under-door gaps can be fitted with a draft excluder.
- Are lights and appliances being left on? Can you provide some polite reminders above switches to encourage people to turn them off?
- Are you using a 100% renewable energy supplier?
- Are you maintaining your gutters?
- Are there any bulbs you can easily change to LED?
- Are your boiler pipes insulated?
- Do you have any dripping taps?
- Has the boiler been serviced lately?
Note, you must contact the DAC and a professional electrician/gas contractor before commencing work that may require permission or a registered technician.
Sustainable projects advice
Becoming sustainable is a process over time. Incorporating sustainability in your projects from the start is an excellent foundation. Here’s where to look if you’re just beginning:
Who to contact
Sara Emmett, Climate Justice & Environment Advisor