Our call
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31
But we are in a climate emergency caused by human activity and we are called by God to respond.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15
In November 2020 our Diocesan Synod resolved to support the 2020 General Synod motion for all parts of the Church to reach ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions by 2030. In July 2022 the General Synod approved a Routemap for Church of England to meet this target.
The Diocese of Sheffield Plan
In November 2023 Diocesan Synod endorsed a Net Zero Action Plan for the Diocese of Sheffield.
In our Diocese this work is overseen by the Net Zero Steering Group, chaired by Bishop Sophie Jelley. The group is made up of Diocesan staff including those responsible for schools, churches and clergy housing, and church leaders from around the Diocese.
The Diocesan Net Zero Action Plan details the milestones and timescales required for the Diocese to reach Net Zero by 2030. This plan is for churches, schools and clergy housing in the Diocese, plus Diocesan Church House. It sets out a blueprint to provide properties, schools and churches with comfortable, bright and energy efficient buildings powered by renewable energy wherever possible and with lower energy costs.
What are churches asked to do?
Churches are being asked to create their own action plans. Plans do not have to be complicated- a lot can be achieved through small steps, for example effective building maintenance, draught-proofing and use of green energy supply tariffs. The key is to have a plan to decarbonise that includes heating and lighting systems, avoids their sudden failure and smooths the path to Net Zero.
The Church of England has published a guidance note which summarises all the key actions you can take, the Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon for Church Buildings.
A great first step is to complete the self-guided checklist of your church against the ‘Practical Path’:
- this version is designed to be printed out and completed in writing, and
- this version is designed to be completed onscreen, with interactive tick-able boxes, and then saved to your computer.
Energy Footprint Tool (EFT)
One of the ways in which progress towards Net Zero will be measured is via the Energy Footprint Tool. This is completed annually via the parish returns system. Churches are asked to complete the EFT to measure their own Carbon Footprint and to provide data to both the Diocese and National Church. Completion of the EFT is often a requirement for funding to support Churches to carry out Net Zero projects.
The deadline for the return for the 2023 calendar year is 31st July 2024. If you or your church need support to complete the EFT, please contact us.
Schools, Cathedrals, Diocesan Offices and Clergy Housing use their own Energy Toolkit.
Additional Resources
The Church of England offers many resources including the Net Zero Carbon Route map, case studies and practical advice to get started on your Net Zero journey. You can also sign up to receive information about regular webinars and download a document with practical suggestions to help parishes save energy and money.
More information and support
Our Church Buildings and Giving & Generosity teams are here to help you with this process.
