Church of England Environment Programme

We believe that responding to the climate crisis is an essential part of our responsibility to safeguard God's creation and achieve a just world. Climate change hits hardest the poorest countries and poorest people of the world. Meantime, the widespread destruction of the natural world is a crisis for creation.

Our Environment Programme exists to enable the whole Church to address this — in faith, practice and mission. This includes tackling our own carbon emissions (aiming for Net Zero Carbon by 2030) and our wider work.

Tackling our carbon emissions (Net Zero Carbon by 2030)

Case studies with videos

Get inspired and see what is possible.

Watch our new videos, and browse our bank of case studies. They show practical action around the country by churches, schools, cathedrals, and on clergy housing.

Projects include solar panels, heat pumps, pew heating, and far more, with many on listed buildings.

Explore the case studies

Routemap to Net Zero Carbon

The national Routemap to Net Zero Carbon by 2030 shows our our direction of travel as a Church, towards General Synod's landmark motion.

General Synod endorsed the Routemap in July 2022.

Reading it will help guide your own plans.

Read the Routemap

Church guidance

Our Net Zero Carbon Church landing page is where to find guidance on how to tackle your church's energy use.

Make a start with the Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon for Churches. Use our interactive diagram to find advice on solar panels, heating, LED lighting, and more.

Find guidance for your church

Other useful Net Zero Carbon pages

Book onto our series of Net Zero Carbon webinars, or watch the videos of past topics (heating, solar panels, EV car charging, and far more).
Read about Net Zero Carbon schools.
Find our Environmental Fundraising resources
Read the joint statement by the Church Buildings Council and Cathedral Fabric Commission of England on how these issues will inform it's decisions and guidance.
Read the best practice notes for architects and surveyors, describing how to integrate environmental matters into Quinquennial Inspections and into project work.
Go to Parish Buying for help with getting green electricity and gas, energy audits, solar panels, and pew heating.
Find your local Diocesan Environment Officer.

Carbon Footprint tools and reports

Use the Energy Footprint Tool to help you work out the carbon footprint of your church.
Use the wider Energy Toolkit for your school, cathedral, TEI, clergy housing, or office.
Read the latest carbon emissions report. This combines data from the Energy Footprint Tool and the Energy Toolkit, showing the total carbon footprint of churches, schools, housing, and other buildings, broken down by type and by diocese.
Use the wider 360 Carbon footprinting tool from Climate Stewards (covering energy, water, transport, food, and purchases).

Our wider work

Land and nature

The crisis affecting nature is as great as the climate crisis. Caring for creation means looking after our land for the benefit of nature and people.

There are lots of ways to get involved. Find guidance and information about how you can look after the land around your church to encourage biodiversity.

Be inspired

Eco Church

The Eco Church scheme is a great way to get all parts of your church life working to care for creation. It helps you to engage practically and spiritually, with people in your church and the community beyond.

Start by filling in the Eco Church survey and see how close you are to winning an award already. Or join our Eco Church webinars during the Season of Creation.

Sign up today

Prayer, worship and teaching

Care for God’s creation is part of the Christian life. That’s why it's so important to include it in our prayer and worship, and explore what the Bible has to say about the environment in sermons and Bible studies.

Find resources here

About the Environment Programme

The National Environment Working Group

The National Environment Working Group is the main national committee on the environment, setting direction and reviewing progress.

Membership:

Rt Revd Graham Usher (chair) - Bishop of Norwich
Rt Revd Olivia Graham - Bishop of Reading
Rt Revd John Thompson - Bishop of Selby
Revd John Bloomer- curate, trustee of Faith in Business and former chemist
Sara Kandiah - Eco Church officer at A Rocha UK
Revd Hannah Malcolm - curate, theologian and member of Young Christian Climate Network
Revd Ruth Newton - parish priest, tutor at St Hild College and member of General Synod
Jemima Parker - Diocesan Environment Officer, Leeds
Dr Ruth Valerio - Director of Global Advocacy and Influencing at Tearfund
Julian Atkins - Net Zero Carbon Programme Director, Cathedral and Church Buildings Division
Malcolm Brown - Director of Faith and Public Life Division
Paul Jaffe - ESG lead, retail assets, Church Commissioners
Robyn Ford - Estates and Policy Officer, Education Office

Secretariat:

Jo Chamberlain - Environment Officer, Faith and Public Life
Adrian Fox - Environmental Sustainability Officer, Cathedral and Church Buildings Division

Lead Bishop for the Environment

Bishop Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, is the lead bishop on the environment. He shares his vision and priorities here.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter for monthly updates, webinar listings and latest resources to help you take action on environmental issues.

Amazing work is already taking place in churches, cathedrals, schools and dioceses across the country and we are well placed to share news, tips and resources. Please contact us to share your news.

Find your local Diocesan Environment Officer

Scroll down below the map to find your local DEO.