D050 Resolution to Complete the Journey to Net Carbon Neutrality by 2030
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring,
That the 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church acknowledges the immediate and serious threat that climate change poses to humanity, including “the disproportionate impacts of climate change on low-income communities and communities of color around the world, the people and places least responsible for the problem” (according to the University of California Center for Climate Justice), a situation that is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and be it further
Resolved, That The Episcopal Church, as an institution that owns and manages properties and buildings, has an ethical obligation to make those properties and buildings part of the solution to our climate crisis, through concrete actions that will reduce or eliminate the use of fossil fuels, with the goal of becoming net carbon neutral; and be it further
Resolved, That this Convention direct dioceses, congregations, and all other institutions of The Episcopal Church to identify and adopt processes that will lead to the development of site-specific plans for achieving net carbon neutrality by 2030, and that these plans and processes may include: the formation of local green teams; the completion of energy-efficiency assessments; the development of plans to reduce or eliminate reliance on fossil fuels, including transition to renewable energy sources; and purchasing offsets from duly investigated, responsible, and ethical partners; and be it further
Resolved, That these plans be reported to the Creation Care Ministry of The Episcopal Church as they are developed; and be it further
Resolved, That the Creation Care Ministry of The Episcopal Church will support the development and implementation of these plans through the creation of a robust resource hub connecting individuals and organizations as they work on their carbon reduction plans, including the sharing of best practices, funding sources, and information about green energy technology; and be it further
Resolved, That General Convention request a budget allocation of $225,000 to pay for the staffing needed to develop and manage the resource hub.
Explanation
At General Convention 80, Resolution A087 Net Carbon Neutrality by 2030 was passed.(https://www.episcopalarchives.org/sites/default/files/gc_resolutions/2022-A087.pdf)
This resolution committed the Episcopal Church to a goal of net carbon neutrality in its operations and the work of staff, standing commission, interim bodies, and General Convention by 2030. It also encouraged all other institutions within the Episcopal Church to pursue their own goal of net carbon neutrality by 2030.
Specifically, the resolution states: “Resolved, That the General Convention encourage parishes, dioceses, schools, camps, and other Episcopal institutions to pursue their own goal of net carbon neutrality by 2030 through a combination of reducing emissions from travel, reducing energy use, increasing energy efficiency in buildings, and purchasing offsets from duly investigated, responsible, and ethical partners…”
The resolution made it clear that achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 is a high priority for The Episcopal Church. However, it didn’t provide funding or a roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality. It is as if we have set out on a journey knowing only the destination, but with no idea of how to get there or what resources the trip will require. The goal of the current resolution is to fund a position in the Creation Care ministry that will provide resources and guidance to dioceses and churches in their efforts to become carbon neutral, including one or more possible roadmaps.
At the 2022 Diocese of Northern California convention, Resolution R1-2022 Petition to Further Resolution A087 Through the Development of Congregation-Based Plans to Achieve Carbon-Neutral Facilities and Operations by 2030 was passed with overwhelming support. (https://www.norcalepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/R1-2022_Climate_Neutral_2030.pdf)
This resolution specifically responded to the General Convention’s resolution encouraging dioceses to “pursue their own goal of net carbon neutrality.” It committed the churches in the Diocese of Northern California to complete an assessment of their current carbon footprint, including energy assessment, in order to develop a plan to be carbon neutral by 2030. The plan-creation process is to be completed by the end of 2024. At the same time, the Resolution committed the Diocesan Commission on the Environment to provide all of our congregations with the resources they need, both in terms of the tools (a roadmap) and possible sources of funding, that will be necessary to complete this work.
Through careful research and wide-ranging conversations, the Commission on the Environment created a clear, practical, achievable process for the Diocese of Northern California to reach the goal of having all congregations develop plans to be carbon neutral by 2030.
This process is an innovative, unique, and replicable roadmap for other churches and Dioceses. The steps in the process are:
- Create congregation-specific green teams that will lead the local effort.
- Complete initial basic carbon assessments utilizing the church-focused tool created by Interfaith Power and Light.
- Bring-in an expert to do energy-efficiency assessments to identify opportunities for increasing energy efficiency and transition to renewable energy sources. (According to a Department of Energy 2023 report, up to 30% of the energy in non-profit buildings is wasted,[i] so addressing energy efficiency is a critical step in the decarbonization process.)
- Utilize information from the energy-efficiency assessment report to develop a plan to make changes to become carbon neutral.
The Diocese of Northern California encompasses 63 churches, ranging from very small (fewer than 10 ASA) to our Cathedral (approximately 400 ASA). To date, we have engaged with 40 congregations in this process and most of them are either at step 3 or 4 of the above four-step process.
Not every parish or diocese has to follow the roadmap we have created–but nor do they need to start from scratch or reinvent the wheel. What we all need to do is have a plan and begin to implement it. To reiterate, the goal of the current resolution is to fund a position in the Creation Care ministry that will provide resources and guidance to dioceses and churches in their efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030, as per the policy of The Episcopal Church.
Note: this resolution and/or its explanation contains external references, such as URLs of websites, that may not be in the required languages of General Convention. Because of copyright restrictions, the General Convention cannot provide translations. However, your web browser may be able to provide a machine translation into another language. If you need assistance with this, please contact [email protected].