Net zero carbon

The Church of England has set the challenging target of reaching net zero carbon by 2030.

No one church could, or should do everything. Every church building is unique and the right combination of actions for your church will need careful consideration.

Churches with the highest carbon emissions are expected to make the biggest changes, and support nationally is targeted to these churches (those among the top 20% emitting churches, or who have annual emissions above 14 tonnes CO2e).

We recognise that we have a shared responsibility to care for our environment, and many smaller churches want to play their part. For these churches, net zero carbon will be achieved by reducing energy consumption, moving to electric heating and switching to a green tariff.

All churches are encouraged to register for Eco Church, use the Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon, and complete the annual Environmental Footprint Tool.

Support and guidance from the Creation Care team is available here.

Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon

This practical guide is a checklist of actions you can take to reduce your carbon footprint. You can download a copy here. Remember that some actions will need List B or Faculty permission.

A well maintained building is more efficient to heat, so keeping on top of maintenance and repairs is essential. Insulation and draught-proofing for historic buildings can do more harm than good, so this always needs careful consideration and permission.

Heating

Like for like replacement of fossil fuel boilers is no longer the easy option it once was – it now needs Faculty permission. When applying for Faculty for a heating system, you are required to show that you have paid ‘due regard’ to Church of England guidance on net zero carbon. This means you must have clear, cogent reasons if you want to use a fossil fuel system and will be expected to evidence that the alternatives have been properly considered.

Parishes with older boilers should start considering their future heating options sooner rather than later.

The most suitable new system will be the one with the lowest carbon cost (embodied and annual emissions), that also provides a good balance of comfort, aesthetics, and cost (installation and running). For many churches, this will be a combination of underpew and radiant heaters.

The installation or replacement of heating always requires some level of permission, in many cases Faculty.

A range of extensive advice and guidance on heating is available on the Church of England website here. The DAC heating and electric advisers are available to provide advice and guidance on choosing a new heating system – their support can be arranged via the Church Buildings Office.

Energy generation

Solar PV is the icing on the cake of net zero actions and is not suitable for all churches. Arrays must be well matched to your actual energy usage.

If you are considering solar PV, please speak to the Church Buildings Office before approaching companies for quotes. Solar PV installation requires both Faculty and Planning Permission. Further guidance is available here.