Thursday 3 September 2020

Almost 3,000 churches measure carbon footprint with digital tool

Nearly 3,000 churches in the UK have measured their carbon footprint with the help of a digital tool created by the Church of England.

The technology, which was launched in April, helps parishes measure their carbon output and energy use and provides pointers for energy efficiency improvements.

Churches are asked as part of their annual statistics to include information from their energy bills and input some basic dimensions for their buildings.

The tool then provides a calculation and issues a rating in the form of an energy chart, similar to those found on household appliances.

This initiative aims to help the Church of England understand, monitor and reduce the footprint of some 40,000 buildings across England.

The Bishop of Salisbury, Chair of the Church of England’s Environmental Working Group, said: "We cannot take meaningful action in response to the climate emergency threatening our planet until we understand our own carbon footprint.

"Tools such as the Energy Footprint Tool and collaboration between parishes, dioceses and the national church are vital to help us on this journey."

In February, the General Synod announced an ambitious target for the Church of England to become net zero by 2030.