News Brief

A senior bishop and a Government minister have spelled out the importance of the Church of England’s role in mobilising action on climate change, as its Shrinking the Footprint campaign unveiled energy saving toolkits for every parish in a bid to create the ‘20 per cent Church’ by 2050.

Speaking at Lambeth Palace at an event to mark the third anniversary of the Church of England’s environmental campaign, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres urged representatives from all dioceses to go one step further in cutting the carbon, reminding them that caring for the planet is a Christian imperative for the sake of future generations.

He said that by putting its own house in order, the Church could take an even stronger lead in campaigning for change: at a local level in parishes and in the international arena in the run-up to the important climate change talks at Copenhagen in December.

The Church has previously come in for criticism for not investing its £5 billion assets in a greener manner. At a time when others are investing in 'green' funds, the Church’s two biggest shareholdings are both in oil companies, having a combined value of £200 million. It also invests heavily in a number of mining companies whose environmental devastation has been highlighted by campaigners both inside and outside the Church.

During the last decade, its other major investment decisions have involved pulling out of social housing in favour of several large out of town retail parks, which green campaigners have suggested encourage people to make longer car journeys, increasing carbon emissions.

Joan Ruddock MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, backed the bishop’s call at Lambeth Palace. “The Church of England and other faith communities are to be commended for taking the lead in the fight against climate change, both through reducing their own emissions and highlighting the issue with their parishioners. Today’s event is another significant step, helping to build public support for a global deal on climate change in Copenhagen.”

Bishop Chartres, who chairs the Shrinking the Footprint campaign added: “Protecting the most vulnerable from the damaging effects of climate change is a moral imperative for all of those that profess to love their neighbour. Responding to climate change requires immediate action and those in positions of spiritual and moral leadership have a vital part to play.

“In the two years since the launch of the Shrinking the Footprint campaign, the Church of England has taken its own steps towards reducing its carbon footprint. The two year anniversary of the campaign provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the measures taken in dioceses across the country, to reflect on the further steps that the Church needs to take to become fully carbon neutral and to call on our political leaders to do more to safeguard the future of the planet."

The resources are part of the Church of England's Carbon Management Programme (CMP), undertaken by AECOM (formerly Faber Maunsell) on behalf of the Carbon Trust which looked at the institutional footprint of the Church which is estimated to be around a third of a million tonnes).

The CMP report suggested that by ensuring energy was used efficiently in cathedrals and church buildings - updating lighting and heating with more efficient alternatives, adjusting time switches, checking thermostats, installing insulation and stopping draughts - the Church of England could reduce this footprint by as much as 12 per cent or almost 27,000 tons of CO2.

Many carbon saving initiatives are already going on across the country and it is estimated that the Church’s footprint will be considerably less when it is next calculated. The London diocese is carrying out a range of projects, including area environmental audits on energy, carbon, water and waste which aim at a minimum 20.12 per cent saving by 2012.

Shrinking the Footprint is now being extended to include water and biodiversity: representatives of the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management(CIWEM) addressed these new areas at the conference.

A CIWEM spokesperson commended Shrinking the Footprint saying it was vital “for faith leaders to embrace and extol environmentalism, both for the sake of protecting nature and humankind and of furthering social justice.”

No indication was given that the Church intends to ‘green’ its major investment decisions.

New toolkits and resources with energy saving tips and guidance for Church of England churches, cathedrals, schools and clergy homes are now available at www.shrinkingthefootprint.org. These include downloadable action plans and checklists along with advice on considering the appropriate use of renewable energy in church buildings.