The General Synod voted in February 2020 for the whole of the Church of England to achieve net zero carbon by 2030 and asked for a plan of action to be made, setting out how to get to net zero carbon.
The vote recognised that the global climate emergency is a crisis for God’s creation and a fundamental injustice. Full details on the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon Routemap can be found here>>. To understand how we can meet this ambitious target we commissioned JGC Engineers to conduct a survey in 2023 of the whole estate to map the forms and level of gas and electricity consumption, and to suggest more sustainable ways we could heat our historic buildings, including the Cathedral. We learnt that 90% of our energy emissions are from natural gas which confirms that electrical alternatives, supported by the Cathedral’s green energy tariff, will be the way forward.
Improvements to the buildings are also reducing our energy consumption. Heat emitters throughout Cathedral buildings are routinely replaced with low energy alternatives; thermal insulation, draught excluders and thermostatic radiator valves are regularly installed or upgraded; and we also constantly review where we might be able to install secondary glazing. Lighting in the Cathedral has recently been upgraded to LEDs which will also have a significant impact on our carbon footprint.
We are committed to sharing our learning and journey to net zero with our communities, including other churches and cathedrals.
LED Lighting at Chichester Cathedral
In 2023 the Cathedral installed a low energy lighting system in the Cathedral to replace all incandescent bulbs. This will have a significant impact on the Cathedral’s electricity consumption and we are looking forward to seeing energy reductions in 2024. To encourage good housekeeping behaviours we have also introduced signs in key areas to encourage users of our buildings to switch off lights and turn down heating thermostats when they are finished.
Chichester Cathedral, alongside other churches, cathedrals, and buildings across the Church of England’s cohort, has committed to achieving net zero carbon by 2030.