Published: 07 March 2024
Benefact Trust has pledged £1.5m towards a major Church of England climate project, which will support 60 churches to achieve net zero (or close to) by the end of 2025. These churches will act as a blueprint to inspire other churches to adopt good net zero practices, and the project forms part of a wider target for the entire Church of England network to be net zero carbon by 2030.
The Church of England’s 2021 Carbon Emissions Report revealed that church buildings emitted around 411,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases. Caring for creation is a core mission for the Church and so it’s taking action to help protect our planet and future generations. The ambition is that by 2030, churches across the country will be bright and welcoming, consuming much less energy and emitting significantly less carbon.
We’re helping to fund the Demonstrator Churches Project which is one of a series of Church of England projects aimed at supporting dioceses, parishes and other buildings in their care to achieve net zero.
Through the project, churches nominated by their Diocesan Advisory Committees (DACs) can apply for two grants from the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon Programme:
• A Stage 1 Preparatory Grant to help develop a net zero project, plus hands-on fundraising support from expert charity consultants.
OR
• A Stage 2 Capital Grant for up to 25% of the cost of a well-developed project, where necessary permissions are secured, and the church has raised 50% of the funding.
The churches will be required to meet certain criteria and will be selected from dioceses across the breadth of England.
The network of Demonstrator Churches will share learnings and best practices to support dioceses and parishes more widely to achieve the national ambition of reaching net zero. All Church of England churches will have access to experience, case studies and champions that are local and relevant to their own circumstances.
We’ve awarded £750,000 of funding to support the 2024 cohort of churches. Another £750,000 has been pledged for 2025. As the Trust moves to take an active role in tackling climate change, the partnership with the Church of England provides an opportunity to work with an organisation that is already on the ground, making a tangible difference.
An insight into the Church of England's commitment to Net Zero:
Helen Gray, Benefact Trust Director, said: “Last year, we developed our grants programmes so that we could help organisations to make a greater impact in society. In 2024, we’ve focused our funding even further, with strategic grants that tackle key issues.
“This grant is our first strategic grant that focuses on climate. It’s a privilege to partner with the Church of England, which has bold and impactful plans, as we make significant steps in our commitment to tackling climate change.”
Julian Atkins, Net Zero Programme Director for The Church of England, said: “This is great news and we’re delighted to partner with Benefact Trust to deliver the Demonstrator Churches Project across the country.
“Through our national Net Zero Carbon Programme we are providing financial support to dioceses and parishes to help them in making progress with their net zero plans. The Church of England is committed to reducing the carbon emissions from our buildings, as caring for God’s creation and reducing the impact we have upon our planet are fundamental parts of our Christian mission.
“The funding that Benefact Trust is providing will help us deliver a wide range of net zero projects and help us move closer towards our goal. We look forward to a fruitful partnership together and sharing the stories of the churches taking part as the year progresses to ensure we can share learnings and encourage other churches across the country to kickstart their own local net zero projects.”
Find out more about the Church of England's Routemap to Net Zero. You also learn more about Benefact Trust's open grants programmes, here.
*Header Image: a group shot with Church of England net zero officers and diocesan environment officers from around the country.
