Can you shrink your footprint?

Last year General Synod (the national church parliament) called for the Church of England to shrink its environmental footprint to lessen its impact on future climate change. A national campaign to enable churches to tackle the issue of climate change is now under way. This campaign is called 'shrinking the footprint'. It shows how a smaller environmental impact can be achieved.

In the first stage of the campaign churches, diocesan offices and bishops' houses have started to record the amount of energy they used in 2005. This will provide a first footprint measurement. People are looking at areas in which they can make savings. And another audit will be carried out next year to see how much has been saved.

Areas under review include energy saving light bulbs, boiler maintenance and insulation. Churches are questioning whether or when to use floodlighting. The campaign will move onto biodiversity (the amount and variety of animal and plant life), waste, water management and transport – all with the aim of embedding environmental good practice into everyday choices.

Wendy Boulton,who advises Chelmsford diocese on environmental issues,said: “Energy efficiency is a very important tool in reducing global emissions of carbon dioxide which is the major cause of global warming. Many churches were built in a very different age,and are therefore far removed from the sustainable standards used in today's building industry.

“Even churches built in recent years often lack the insulation, lighting and heating facilities now available to ensure maximum efficiency providing minimum costs, maintenance and waste. Saving energy in church buildings is a challenge,but it can and needs to be done.”

---