We are seeking to inspire and to encourage Church of England schools to sign up to a vision of Net Zero Carbon schools for the benefit of the whole school community, to conserve the environment and to enable the planet to flourish for future generations. Scroll down to discover the support and guidance available to Church of England schools.
Net Zero Carbon schools
The vision
General Synod voted in February 2020 for the whole of the Church of England to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. The vote recognised that the global climate emergency is a crisis for God’s creation and a fundamental injustice.
The Net Zero Carbon Programme was established as a practical expression of our Christian faith and mission. It reflects our calling to care for God’s creation, act justly towards those most affected by climate change, and to steward our buildings for future generations.
Schools account for roughly 50% of the Church of England’s carbon emissions and therefore to achieve the ambition of net zero carbon by 2030, schools must be aided in this work. The Net Zero Carbon Schools' Workstream exists to support the decarbonisation of the Church of England school estate.
For more information about the Church of England's Net Zero Carbon Programme, use the link below.
The Church’s commitment to Net Zero Carbon schools
Routemap
The Church of England’s Routemap to Net Zero Carbon by 2030 has been designed to support schools to decarbonise by breaking down the journey to net zero into clear milestones.
Resources
The Church of England has produced a range of resources to assist schools on their net zero carbon journey. Check out the links below to see what support is available.
Support for Climate Action Plans
The Department for Education’s sustainability and climate change strategy for education outlines their expectation that all schools will have a sustainability lead owning a climate action plan.
Use the links below to access support in developing a Climate Action Plan for your school.
Further support on sustainability in schools
For help and advice on calculating, understanding, tracking and reducing carbon emissions in schools, as well as supporting students to act on climate change, check out the links below.