Communities everywhere are stepping up to make a difference against the impacts of climate change and we continue to see an increasing number of churches in the diocese taking their stand.
We’re hugely excited to announce that, as of January 2025, 66% of our churches have signed up to the Eco Church scheme and over 100 of our churches have now achieved an award from the A Rocha UK Eco Church programme. The programme provides a framework to support churches and their leadership to take practical steps on caring for God’s earth.
Among the 104 ‘churches’ is the Diocese of Guildford’s own headquarters, Church House Guildford, which was awarded the Silver Eco Church award at the beginning of the year. The Diocesan Net Zero Carbon Team have been working hard to ensure that we support our churches by practicing what we preach. Completing the application for the award was made somewhat difficult while navigating an office move, which makes the achievement that much more satisfying.
“I’m thrilled by the progress our parishes continue to make on the environment and net zero front.” Says Diocesan Environmental Officer, Alison Moulden. “We’ve had the highest percentage of Eco Churches in the country for a number of years now, and we are actually only 2 awards away from half the churches in the diocese being awarded. I can’t wait to get those two new bronzes in.”
Church House Guildford was one of seven silver awards in the diocese in January alone. The other 6 were:
- St George’s Christian Centre, Ashtead
- St Alban’s Church, Hindhead
- St Stephen’s Church, Shottermill
- Fleet
- Holy Trinity Church, Knaphill
- St Martin’s Church, Epsom
Polly Eaton, Eco Diocese Officer A Rocha UK, commented saying, "We are delighted that the Diocese of Guildford completed all sections of the survey (not just Buildings and Land), and that they achieved silver or above in all of them. We were especially encouraged by the additional comments demonstrating the creative steps staff have taken to progress creation care within the whole team - I especially love the idea of sharing vegetarian recipes at the office Summer picnic!"
Reaching this milestone demonstrates a collective commitment from churches in the diocese to environmental responsibility. According to the Church of England’s research, if all of its churches reduced their energy consumption by just 10%, it would be equivalent to taking 5,000 cars off the road annually, so thank you for playing your part.
Earth Hour on Saturday (22 March) presents a timely opportunity for reflection and action. Taking place at 8.30pm local time across the world, it serves as a global reminder of our shared responsibility to protect God’s planet. Small actions, when multiplied across a community, can lead to substantial change.
For churches eager to embark on or continue their eco journey, it's important to remember that you are not alone. The Diocesan Net Zero Carbon Team offers a wealth of support and resources to assist churches in achieving their environmental goals.
To find out more visit our Environment and Net Zero Carbon pages on the website. Maybe your church could be the one that takes the diocese over the 50% mark!