Eco Church

Eco Church is a scheme run by A Rocha UK equipping churches to care for God's creation through their worship, buildings, land, community engagement, and individual lifestyles.

By completing an online survey, churches can be considered for an Eco Church Award at either Bronze, Silver, or Gold level. As of the end of 2022, there are 1155 Bronze, 401 Silver, and 23 Gold Church of England Eco Churches, and our first two gold cathedrals; Salisbury and Chelmsford. The scheme is a fantastic resource for encouraging churches, cathedrals, and dioceses to embody the fifth mark of mission.

There are five areas that a church must demonstrate environmental engagement with to receive an award:

  • Worship and teaching
  • Management of church buildings
  • Management of church land
  • Community and global engagement
  • Lifestyle

You can see the full list of survey questions here.

Listen to Dr Gillian Perrott reflect on St Mary's Beaminster achieving a Gold award. You can also read here about the experience of becoming an Eco Church by St Hugh's in Scunthorpe. Below, you'll find more case studies of churches who have been awarded Eco Church status, highlighting good practice in relation to each of the five assessment areas above.

Learn more at our Eco Church webinars

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

1. An introduction to and overview of Eco Church: Getting started
2. Working towards an award and maintaining momentum
3. Working towards Net Zero Carbon
4. Eco Church Land

Worship and Teaching

Large bible sitting on cathedral lectern

 

St John's Church, Ben Rhydding (Bronze)
Christ Church East Greenwich (Silver)
St Matthew's, Bristol (Silver)
St Helen's, Isle of Wight (Gold)

Management of church buildings

Solar panels on Gloucester Cathedral roof
Christ Church, Selly Park (Bronze)
St Paul's Church, St Alban's (Bronze)
All Saints Church, Hethel (Silver)
Lee Abbey, Devon (Silver)
Christ Church, Toxteth (Gold)
St James's, Piccadilly (Gold)

Management of church land

Meadow with wildflowers
St Luke's, Crosby (Bronze)
St Edward's, Plymouth (Silver)
St Mary's, East Grinstead (Silver)
St Peter's and St Francis, Frimley (Silver)

Community and global engagement

A giant globe hangs in Salisbury Cathedral
A giant globe takes the breath of two onlookers suspended high above Salisbury Cathedral's medieval nave
Combe St Nicholas (Bronze)
St James, Woodley (Bronze)
Cathedral, Isle of Man (Silver)
Salisbury Cathedral (Silver)

Lifestyle

A reusable coffee cup on wooden table.
St Luke's, Maidstone (Bronze)
Holy Trinity Church, Guernsey (Bronze)
St Andrew's, Churchdown (Silver)
St John and St Stephen's Church, Reading (Silver)
St Andrew's, Rugby (Gold)

Want your church to become an Eco Church? Start by registering here.