Net-Zero skills-builder
The Church of England has a very extensive built estate; 16,000 churches, many of which have separate church halls and clergy housing, nearly 5,000 schools, 42 cathedrals, and diocesan offices. Collectively, the “carbon footprint” is between 600,000 and 1,000,000 tCO2e.
With a commitment to radically reducing this, their General Synod has passed a landmark motion, calling on all parts of the Church to plan for ‘net zero’ by 2030, and there is a great deal of commitment to achieving this target.
To support this, the Church has looked to increase the skills of its staff and volunteers in taking the necessary action with a focus on the Church’s very particular context, with the majority of the buildings listed and with fragile heritage interiors.
The objective of this project was to increase the skills and knowledge of Church of England staff and volunteers around the country, giving them the practical skills they need to achieve net zero carbon, and an increased confidence in making changes.
Funding helped to deliver;
• 16 webinars on topics such as heat pumps, draught-proofing, and community solar
• Each will be recorded, to create a lasting legacy from the project, and
• Each will be specific to the Church’s unique context (listed heritage buildings).
The webinars will also be made available to other heritage and religious organisations.