In February 2020, General Synod voted for the whole of the Church of England to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2030, recognising that the global climate emergency is a crisis for God’s creation and a fundamental injustice. In November 2022 the Diocese of Chester adopted the same target.
In July 2022, General Synod endorsed a national Net Zero Carbon Route map, which sets out how dioceses across the country should work to achieve this. It provides key milestones for different parts of dioceses, including churches, clergy housing, schools, cathedrals, TEIs and diocesan offices. One of the first milestones is to create and adopt a Diocesan NZC Action Plan. With this in place, the Diocese of Chester can access National Church funding to help take our plan forward.
Chester’s NZC Action Plan sets out the actions required to progress towards NZC 2030, and concludes with recommendations and identifies levers for change that will support and facilitate implementation. Bringing together headlines from plans developed and owned by entities across the diocese, it presents a ‘direction of travel’, the best estimate based on currently available data in a fast-changing context. Technology is developing rapidly with prices expected to come down, statutory requirements and government investment plans are in flux and energy markets remain volatile.
This plan will be refined and reassessed as we gather clearer data on our emissions and as NZC work progresses across the diocese. Aiming for NZC by 2030 requires a two-pronged approach. Firstly, the diocese and independent entities within it must focus on ‘bricks & mortar’, costing and planning the work required to decarbonise our buildings with the replacement of fossil fuel heating systems presenting the biggest challenge and the greatest carbon reductions. Secondly there is the ‘hearts & minds’ work of communicating the urgency of the project and engaging and empowering people across the diocese to reduce energy use and work to implement the NZC Plan.
Chester’s Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) is responsible for emissions reductions in areas over which it has direct control (Clergy Housing, Diocesan Offices, reimbursable staff travel). Diocesan staff also have a key role to play in providing leadership, strategic oversight and support to sectors of the diocese over which DBF has influence but not direct control as they work to implement their own plans for NZC 2030 (Churches & Parish Property, Schools, Cathedral, Emmanuel Theological College).
You can access the diocesan NZC Action Plan here. Please contact Katy Purvis, Net Zero Carbon Project Officer, katy.purvis@chester.anglican.org for further details.