Webinars on getting to net zero carbon

Our webinars are aimed at a wide range of people; diocesan staff/volunteers working in roles with an environmental aspect to them, those running cathedrals, TEIs, or other institutions, individual clergy, church wardens and parishioners who want to make changes to their churches. 

The webinars on low carbon technologies are designed to be "technical webinars for non-technical people" and do not require prior knowledge.  

Webinars are generally an hour long, with around 40-45 minutes of content and then time for some questions at the end, submitted through the 'chat' area. 

Places on all webinars are free but must be booked using the links below. Before the webinar, you will be sent a Zoom link showing you how to join.  

Caring For God's Acre - the conservation charity for burial grounds across the UK - has announced a round of new webinars on Zoom for the autumn. 

• Tuesday 24 October, 2pm-3.30pm: Seeking Sanctuary - conserving amphibians and reptiles in burial grounds
• Tuesday 31 October, 2pm-3.30pm: Burial Ground Mapping - more than just a map
• Tuesday 14 November, 2pm-3.30pm: Wonderful Waxcaps of Wales
• Tuesday 28 November, 2pm-3.30pm: Planning, publicising and running guided walks in your burial ground

For full details and to book visit Caring for God's Acre webinar listings page.

Funders with a keen interest in the Christian faith and the Church of England are clear opportunities for fundraising for your carbon-cutting projects. But how do you ensure your case for support is built around our missional response as a Christian church? This webinar will focus on how you can position your net zero carbon projects for a faith-based audience.

It will cover:

• Where to look for funding from faith-based grant makers
• How to express the missional benefits of the project
• How to plan your fundraising approach

Speakers: Action Planning consultants Andrew Johnson and Andrew Barton. Andrew Johnson is the Project Manager for the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon Funding Feasibility study. He has over 20 years of experience across the voluntary, public and commercial sectors. Andrew Barton has held senior level fundraising roles at World Vision, Oxfam GB, Oxfam International and Christian Aid. His freelance consulting work is mainly with Christian charities and institutions, and he is an expert in developing Cases for Support for charities as part of major capital campaigns.

Dates: 

• Thursday 9 November, 12 noon - 1.30pm (slanted towards larger churches/cathedrals, likely to have staff) book here
• Thursday 9 November, 7pm - 8.30pm (slanted towards small/medium churches with volunteer fundraisers) book here

This webinar is designed specifically for people who are looking to secure funding from statutory sources for carbon-cutting projects. Statutory funding is funding from government sources, and churches often don't realise that this is even an option, and overlook it.

Statutory funding can take the form of grants, contracts and initiatives, from bodies at national, regional and local levels, including local councils and LEPs.

This webinar will help you explore this area of funding and how to access it effectively. It will cover:

• Where to look for statutory funding
• How to express the benefits of the project in ways statutory funders are interested in
• How to plan your fundraising approach

Speakers: Action Planning consultants Andrew Johnson and Andrew Rainsford. Andrew Johnson is the Project Manager for the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon Funding Feasibility study. He has over 20 years of experience across the voluntary, public and commercial sectors. Andrew Rainsford brings a unique perspective to statutory fundraising as it affects churches. In addition to c.25 years working for Anglican Church structures in three different UK locations he has also headed the external funding stream of a local authority. He has a track record of success – both in cash terms and in-kind/influencing terms.

Dates: 

• Tuesday 21 November, 12 noon - 1.30pm (slanted towards larger churches/cathedrals, likely to have staff) book here
• Tuesday 21 November, 7pm - 8.30pm (slanted towards small/medium churches with volunteer fundraisers) book here

Watch the video here

After months of work and consultation, in July 2022 the Church of England published its "Routemap to Net Zero Carbon by 2030". It was endorsed by General Synod on the 8th July. 

The Routemap sets out the change needed to achieve Synod's target, driven by a recognition of the climate crisis and the fundamental injustice it causes. 

This webinar gives an overview of the Routemap, what it contains, and what it means. The webinar is open to all, and will be particularly useful for those in diocesan roles involved in some way in implementing net zero carbon in their area.  

Speaker: Denise Rowley, Net Zero Carbon Planning Officer, Church of England

(Originally run August & September 2022)

There are a number of opportunities in the environmental funding landscape for carbon cutting projects. However, available funding is challenging to secure in a very competitive market-place. With a small number of funders such as Garfield Weston, this webinar will help you work out if your project can fit funders' criteria.

It covers:

• Where to look for funding from environmental grant funders
• How to express the environmental benefits of the project
• How to plan your fundraising approach

Speakers: Action Planning consultants Andrew Johnson and Sean Tully. Andrew is the Project Manager for the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon Funding Feasibility study. He has over 20 years of experience across the voluntary, public and commercial sectors. Sean is a Trusts and Foundations specialist with a successful track record spanning more than 20-years in fundraising and grant-making, and considerable experience across the Christian faith sector. His capital appeals experience spans heritage, arts and church/community projects ranging in size and complexity from £50k to £5m.

View the recording here.

There are a number of opportunities in the environmental funding landscape for carbon cutting projects. However, available funding is challenging to secure in a very competitive market-place. With a small number of funders such as Garfield Weston, this webinar will help you work out if your project can fit funders' criteria.

It covers:

• Where to look for funding 
• The why?
• How to involve your local community to gather input into your plans
• How to express the benefits of the project
• How to plan your fundraising approach

Speakers: Action Planning consultants Andrew Johnson and Andrew Clark. 

View the recording here.

This webinar will give you the key findings from the Church of England's Carbon Emissions Report for 2021. It will also explain what is in- and out-of-scope of the Church of England's Net Zero Carbon target, and how we approach measurement using the Energy Footprint Tool for churches and the wider Energy Toolkit for other buildings and travel.

Speakers:

• Tom Wood from the national Research and Statistics Team, who has developed the Energy Toolkit and has written the national Carbon Emissions report.
• Catherine Ross, who works on Net Zero Carbon as part of the CofE Environment Programme.

Watch the video here

Does your church want to know it's carbon footprint?

This practical webinar will explain what you need to know to use the Energy Footprint Tool; what information you need to have to hand, and how to enter it. It also touches on the wider 360Carbon tool, for those keen churches which want to go further.

The webinar will also tell you how the information can help your parish, and the national Church, to make plans to achieve Net Zero Carbon.

Speakers:
* Tom Wood from the national Research and Stats team (the team which has created and runs the EFT),

* Matthew Barber-Rowell, Eco Transformation, Manchester Diocese, who has actively worked with local churches to complete the EFT

* Caroline Pomeroy / Adrian Frost (tbc) from Climate Stewards, the Christian offsetting charity behind the 360Carbon tool

 Watch the video here

This webinar tells you where to start, if you want to create a net zero carbon action plan for your diocese, church, school, or other organisation. There are pointers about where to find data, the principles to adopt, who to involve, where you can find helpful examples, and the kind of milestones you may want to adopt.

Speakers: Denise Rowley, Church of England Net Zero Carbon Programme Officer, who coordinated the creation of the CofE's Routemap to Net Zero Carbon  

WATCH THE RECORDING HERE

This webinar is primarily aimed at those in diocesan roles who are helping their diocese become Net Zero Carbon. It goes through the key milestones for dioceses, where you can find resources and information to help you, and practical examples of what dioceses are doing. A tour of the online 'Net Zero Carbon Resource Hub' is included, and an update on national funding.

Speakers: Denise Rowley, CofE Net Zero Carbon Programme Officer, will be joined by a panel of people from dioceses around the country at different stages in their work.

Watch the recording here

This webinar will help your church get started on becoming a net zero carbon church. Come along to find out:
* What net zero carbon means?
* What kind of practical change might it require?
* How do you know your start point?
* What resources are out there to help you?
* Plus inspiring examples from churches around the country

Speaker: Catherine Ross, who has led on net zero carbon for the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division, including creating the "Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon for Churches"

Watch the recording here

This webinar is part of our regular series for schools, aiming to become net zero carbon. This update covers:
* NEW resources to help schools,
* what key milestones to include in your own action plan,
* the Energy Toolkit
* two inspiring case study videos from Blackburn and Gloucester dioceses.

It is aimed at school leadership teams, Business Managers, eco-governors, teachers leading on the environment for their school, and those in relevant diocesan roles.

Speakers:
* Robyn Ford, Estates and Policy Officer, national Education Office
* Matt Fulford from Inspired Efficiency, who has carried out hundreds of school energy audits
* Harry Paticas / Kate Trinder from RAFT, who are supporting the CEO to create new school resources

WATCH RECORDING HERE

This webinar will help your theological college get started on becoming net zero carbon. Come along to find out:
* What net zero carbon means?
* What kind of practical change might it require at a TEI?
* How do you know your start point?
* What resources are out there to help TEIs? (A new 'Eco College framework is currently being developed with A Rocha UK)
* Plus inspiring examples from around the country

Speakers:
* Rev Canon Dr Mark Powley, Principal, St Hild's
* Jo Chamberlain, CofE's Environment Officer

 Watch recording here  

This webinar focuses on how to gather the right people within your working group, to help you develop and implement a 'net zero carbon' action plan.

Speaker: Jo Chamberlain, National Environment Officer, Mission and Public Affairs, at the Church of England 

Having run this topic several times, we have no future dates planned.

Missed it? Watch a recording here.

Want us to run it again? email [email protected]

This webinar focuses on developing an action plan for getting to net zero across all diocesan activities, including churches, schools and land.

Speaker: Jo Chamberlain, National Environment Officer, Mission and Public Affairs, at the Church of England 

Having run this topic several times, we have no future dates planned.

Missed it? Watch a recording here.

This webinar focuses on what we mean by net zero; what is in and out of scope.  It also discusses ways we can start to measure net zero.

Speaker: Catherine Ross, Open and Sustainable Churches Officer from the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the Church of England. 

Having run this topic seven times, we have no future dates planned.

Missed it? Watch a recording here.

This webinar focuses on net zero carbon church buildings. What practical changes can be made, to reduce the carbon emissions from heating, lighting, and running the buildings? What does a 'net zero carbon church' look like, and what are the practical steps to get there? 

Speaker: Catherine Ross, Open and Sustainable Churches Officer from the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the Church of England. 

Dates have all passed. Missed it?  Watch a recording here.  Find the slides here.

Speaker; Jurgen Huber, Wallace Collection

Jurgen is a member of one of our national Conservation Committees, has converted his own home to a nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB), and will tell us what the Wallace Collection have done to cut their use of energy.

Missed it? Watch the video here:  https://youtu.be/BSqXsI7DXv0

This webinar will cover

• some of the conservation pitfalls that projects often encounter, when trying to make environmental changes to historic buildings, and how to avoid them,
• questions people can ask themselves at the very beginning of a project, which will help get projects on the right track,
• examples of changes which can be made that are good environmentally and good for the conservation of historic buildings / interiors.

Speaker: Tobit Curteis, Architectural Conservator at Tobit Curteis Associates LLP.

Tobit runs a practice specialising in the diagnosis and control of environmental deterioration in historic buildings and the conservation of wall paintings. As well as extensive work with churches and cathedrals, Tobit also works for private and institutional clients, including English Heritage, the National Trust, and Historic Royal Palaces. He is an accredited member of the Institute for Conservation, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a fellow of the International Institute of Conservation.

This webinar has now been run.  Watch the recording here. 

This webinar is aimed at representatives of churches around the country, DAC staff and advisors, archdeacons and architects. It will focus on the practicalities of how churches who want to carry out environmentally-minded projects (insulation, heating, solar, EV car charging and the like) can best navigate the faculty system. How can they ‘get to yes’ by designing the right project and making their case well?

To cover:

• What can churches do within list A. list B, and what needs full faculty, and why?
• Who should they get input from, and when, in the process?
• How do they prepare and present their application? What information is needed? What does a good project look like?
• What will their archdeacon want to know, and why? What will the DAC want to know? If it comes to the Church Buildings Council, what will the CBC want to know?

Panel:

• Ven Malcolm Chamberlain, Archdeacon of Sheffield & Rotherham,
• Lisa McIntyre, the Leeds Diocese DAC Secretary,
• Keri Dearmer, an experienced case officer in the national Cathedral and Church Buildings Division,
• Nigel Walter, a conservation architect and member of the Church Buildings Council.

Note - this webinar is 1.5 hours long.

This webinar has now run.  Watch the video here.

When considering strategies to reduce emissions in operation, there is a danger that the measures themselves could cause more emissions in the manufacture and installation than they would save in practice - and thus achieves the opposite of what is desired.

This is a particular risk in large buildings with relatively low energy demand, especially those used only intermittently. It is thus necessary to be able to compare "embodied" and "operational" carbon emissions and to understand how a changing energy supply matrix affects decisions in the long run.

The webinar will provide participants with the basic information required to understand the subject, and a framework for making decisions which take embodied carbon into account.

Speakers: Nigel Griffiths, Policy Adviser for the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance and Douglas Kent, Technical and Research Director, Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

 Watch recording here

Detailed studies of twelve Church of England buildings are taking place during winter 2021/22.  For each building, a Net Zero Carbon Action Plan is being created, and costed, which sets out what action would be needed - in practice - to get to net zero. We are also asking about the barriers to action; what is getting in the way of action?

We are focusing on a sample of buildings which we know are relatively high in their energy use; 4 busy churches, 3 secondary schools, 3 primary schools, a diocesan office, and a Theological Education Institution.

This results of this project, the Wayfinders Project, will help test and inform the Church of England's "Routemap to Net Zero Carbon by 2030". 

This webinar will feedback the headlines from the Wayfinders Project.  What are the main recommendations, what do they cost, and what are the barriers?

The webinar will be useful to:

• people in charge of regularly used buildings (church wardens, clergy, school business managers, office managers),
• people in diocesan roles (DEOs, DACs, DCOs, Archdeacons, Giving Officers, School Officers),
• national buildings committee members (CBC, CFCE), and
• General Synod Members, in advance of the Routemap coming to July Synod.    

Speakers:

• Matt Fulford, Inspired Efficiency (the specialist firm carrying out the reviews)  
• Catherine Ross, from the Church of England Environment Programme  

Webinar has now run.  Watch the recording here. (Note, it is 2 hours long because of an extended Q&A.  The actual presentation is the first 45 mins.) 

This session will cover the recent changes to the faculty rules, in the light of the commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2030, as agreed by General Synod at their February session.

It will be useful for DAC members and staff teams, Church Energy Advisor Network members, Diocesan Environment Officers, and to individual parishes planning projects.

Speakers : David Knight and Catherine Ross, from the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the Church of England.    

Watch the recording her

At this webinar, you will hear about the range of support available for parishes from the central procurement activities of Parish Buying and 2Buy2.

Energy audits, solar panels, low-carbon heating, and more.

Speakers: Nick Jenni from Parish Buying and David Thomas & Julie Davies from 2Buy2.

 Watch the recording here 

This webinar has been recently updated and run again - see above.

This webinar will tell you what you should you think about when deciding to replace your heating and lighting. What are the implications for your carbon footprint and the historic context of the church? This will take in LED lighting, historic equipment, running costs, efficiency considerations, embodied carbon, maintenance for minimising carbon emissions.

Speaker: Susan Logan from EcoTeric. Susan is a Chartered Building Services Engineer who has worked for 40 years designing and advising on energy efficiency and latterly carbon efficient solutions. She has been the Heating Advisor for Worcester Diocese for the last 13 years and a member of the DAC for even longer.

Dates have all passed- watch the video of this webinar here.

This 2023 webinar covers heat pumps, electric heating solutions, and more. What are the pros and cons, what is the carbon impact and what is the future of funding? What are the key questions to ask? How do we reduce demand in the first place by improving fabric? How do we make a persuasive case for change?

Speaker: Susan Logan from EcoTeric. Susan is a Chartered Building Services Engineer who has worked for 40 years designing and advising on energy efficiency and latterly carbon efficient solutions. She has been the Heating Advisor for Worcester Diocese for the last 13 years and a member of the DAC for even longer.

Watch the recording here (skip to minute 6:06, to where the webinar begins).

This webinar tells you where to start, if you want to reduce the amount of energy (electricity, gas and oil) that your church uses.  Practical steps like setting boiler/heating controls correctly, DIY draught-proofing, timers, water saving, procurement of energy and energy bills, and basic housekeeping measures.  Simple steps that don’t cost the earth.

There are also pointers towards some of the next steps you might want to consider, like having an energy audit, and the support available from Parish Buying.    

Speakers:

• Matt Fulford from Inspired Efficiency. Matt is the sustainability advisor at Gloucester Diocese, and has carried out countless church energy audits as part of the national audit programme and the Oxford Diocese audit programme. He led a project at his own church, to make St Michael and All Angels Withington a ‘zero carbon’ church.
• Annie Rey, Marketing Manager at Parish Buying will also join, to share links towards support available from Parish Buying. 

 Watch the recording here. 

This webinar will cover church lighting - in all forms.  The focus will be on how changes in the use of lighting can impact positively on the goal of becoming net zero carbon.  Whilst LED lighting is now seen as the most efficient and effective light source it is the extent of use and the management of lighting that determines the energy utilisation and the impact on carbon use.

Speaker: Bruce Kirk from Light Perceptions.  Bruce has designed lighting schemes for more than 200 parish churches and twenty cathedrals, and has 25 years experience as a DAC advisor.

 watch the webinar recording here (start at minute 4:16 when the webinar itself begins).

This 2023 webinar gives you an introduction to solar PV panel technology, its applications, usage and on-going benefits that accrue to system owners. It covers:

• the steps that are involved in developing a Solar PV project from assessment, survey, technical & electrical engineering design, council planning & DAC application and approval processes,
• the introduction of battery storage
• information required from Churches in order to ensure proposals are as accurate as possible
• the installation process, testing, commissioning & certification, on-going maintenance, and funding through the Smart Export Guarantee Scheme.

This is a full update of the same webinar, last run two years ago.

Speaker: Guy Hewitt from Treadlighter. Guy has 11 years experience of designing & installing Solar PV systems across all property types, including many projects for churches and listed buildings.

Watch here.

This webinar will cover the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging; the rationale, technology, costs, benefits and choices surrounding purchasing / leasing an electric vehicle and the charging infrastructure. 

Speaker: Phil Davies from Cumbria Action for Sustainability. CAfS is currently involved in rolling out community owned electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the north of England and the UK.

This topic is complete. Missed it? Watch the video here.

Decarbonising heat is key to achieving Net Zero Carbon. One way to achieve this is to install a heat pump, but this is only suitable for churches in certain circumstances.

This workshop will look at the basics of heat pumps (mainly air source and ground source heat pumps). It will discuss their use, where heat pumps work well, and how to make sure their use is optimised.

The session will also look at some of the common problems that occur with heat pumps. It will give an indication of costs for church installations, but these are very case-by-case.

Speaker: Mark Taylor from TM Energy Solutions is speaking on behalf of the Energy Managers Association. The EMA is dedicated to establishing best-practice in Energy Management and putting Energy Management at the heart of British business.

This webinar has now completed, catch-up with the recording here.

Come to this practical webinar to hear about the range of direct electric heating solutions which exist. The webinar will cover pew heating, far-infra-red heating, panel heaters, storage heaters, heated cushions, and suspended (“chandelier”) heaters.

Solutions like these can help churches achieve Net Zero Carbon. They often work well for occasionally-used churches, who want to move away entirely from oil and gas, and also for regularly-used churches which want a hybrid system, reducing the hours their space heating system runs each week.

(This webinar will not cover heat pumps, which is the subject of the session, above.)

Speaker: George Evans, Managing Director, BN Thermic. George has 9 years of experience designing and installing heating systems, including installations in around 200 churches around the country.

watch the recording here

Updated for October 2023!

This first webinar covers:

• An introduction to the funding landscape for environmental projects in churches
• What are the different types of funding available: trusts and foundations, statutory grants, loans, corporate support, individuals, public campaigns?
• What are the success rates in applying for these types of funding?
• Which type of funding is suitable for different projects, both in scale and type?
• How and where can you find out about the opportunities for you, and what do you need to look out for?

Speakers: Andrew Johnson and Andrew Clark from Action Planning. 

Watch the recording.  

This second webinar will cover:

• How to plan a fundraising strategy for your environmental project – what are the stages and what are the tools and information you need to have to hand before you start?
• How to communicate the need for your environmental project – your case for support
• Different styles of approach for different types of funder
• Common challenges and pitfalls

Speaker: Andrew Evans, Senior Consultant, Philanthropy Company. Andrew is an experienced fundraising director and consultant who has secured seven figure donations from both individual donors and grant-makers in areas including churches, arts and heritage, health and community development. This has included environmental projects such as LED lighting projects and adding insultation when re-roofing. He also brings strong credentials and personal commitment to environmental sustainability projects, including working pro bono to help his own church secure its Gold EcoChurch award.

 Watch the recording. 

This third webinar will cover:

• The national grants directory of environmental funders,
• A sample of funders to consider, and what their criteria are,
• How to make a case for the outputs, outcomes, and impact of an environmental project,
• More innovative sources of funding to consider.

Speaker: Andrew Evans, Senior Consultant, Philanthropy Company. Andrew is an experienced fundraising director and consultant who has secured seven figure donations from both individual donors and grant-makers in areas including churches, arts and heritage, health and community development. This has included environmental projects such as LED lighting projects and adding insultation when re-roofing. He also brings strong credentials and personal commitment to environmental sustainability projects, including working pro bono to help his own church secure its Gold EcoChurch award.

Watch the recording here.

During 5-13 June 2021 churches around the country took part in Churches Count on Nature. This was a nationwide pilot project open to all churches, run in partnership by Caring for God's Acre, A Rocha UK, the Church of England Environment Programme, and the Church in Wales.

During Churches Count on Nature week, we ran a special series of twelve webinars on many different aspects of nature, ecology, churchyard management, and outdoor worship for a church audience.  

You can find all the details and recordings here.   

We have four Eco Church webinars, available to book on this page. 

1. An introduction and overview of eco church - getting started
2. Working towards an award and gaining momentum
3. Working towards net zero carbon with Eco Church
4. Land

Eco Church is an ecumenical programme and, whilst these webinars are being hosted by the Church of England Environment Programme, they are open to all churches to attend. BOOK HERE

Our Education Office has a range of environmental webinars for schools to watch.

What's the Net Zero target for schools?

This webinar from June 2021 outlines the Net Zero Carbon target and next steps. It covers what the net zero target includes, how to measure the carbon footprint of your school, and features Alex Green of "UK Climate Change • Lets Go Zero". This important campaign helps to provide all schools with a clear roadmap to net zero carbon by improving their understanding of energy usage, reducing consumption and helping to identify opportunities for efficiencies.  

• Download the introductory presentation here and Alex Green's slides on Let's Go Zero here. 

Getting started with Net Zero

This October 2021 webinar covers a really informative Net Zero Project Case Study, a demo of the Schools Environmental Footprint Calculator, an update on Lets Go Zero, and a range of Christian Aid resources to help your school host a ‘Mini COP'.

• Watch the recording here. 

Learnings from net zero carbon action plans

This webinar from May 2022 is aimed at school business managers, school leaders, school governors and directors of MATs, diocesan buildings officers, diocesan directors of education, diocesan environment officers, and anyone interested in how our schools can work towards Net Zero.

This session includes:

• findings from over 200 school energy audits about the change needed, the savings and the costs,
• six real world examples of schools with detailed Net Zero Carbon Action Plans, created as part of the national Wayfinders Project,
• a demonstration of the energy footprint tool for schools,
• the part schools play in the national "Routemap to Net Zero Carbon by 2030".

Panellists include Matt Fulford, a consultant at Inspired Efficiency, Tom Wood, statistician at the Church of England, and Denise Rowley, Net Zero Carbon Planning Officer at the Church of England.

• Watch the recording here

If you would like to register your interest in future webinars, please email [email protected]

Find details of our climate resilience webinars here, to help your church and its community prepare for more extreme weather and other climate risks.  

• Historic England "Technical Tuesdays" include climate adaptation 
• The Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings offer a range of online learning
• All of the expert presentations to the UK Climate Assembly were videoed and shared online