14.
IMPLEMENTATION, COSTS AND SAVINGS
Work to be
Done
To carry out
the working party's recommendations the following work needs to
be done:
-
facilitating a continuing
discussion and exploration of the issues in PCCs, LMGs,
Deanery Chapters, Deanery Synods, and community meetings
-
providing PCCs and diocesan
bodies with information on the international impact of
climate change, matters of trade justice, development and
environmental pollution
-
providing PCCs and diocesan
bodies with information on food production and trade
-
advising PCCs on local
environmental matters
-
continuing research into the
issues
-
writing on the issues in
Grapevine and other publications
-
setting up relevant pages and
links on the diocesan website and keeping them up to date
-
networking across the diocese
to help PCCs help each other in generating and assessing
ideas,
-
working with diocesan advisers
in areas such as spirituality, healing and liturgy to
develop courses and resources for parishes, LMGs and
individuals.
-
on behalf of the diocese
contributing to local debates on such matters as Bristol
Airport Expansion, nuclear power, the Severn Barrier
project, etc.
-
providing information on
environmental programmes such as Eco-Congregation and A
Rocha to PCCs
-
providing a link for the
diocese on environmental matters with the national and
international church and other bodies
-
representing the diocese to
local environmental bodies such as Somerset Wildlife Trust,
Somerset Trust for Sustainable Development, Carymoor Centre,
etc.
-
advising clergy and other
worship leaders in developing liturgies reflecting the
themes of creation, responsibility and hope
-
helping PCCs and the Diocesan
Board of Finance obtain grant aid for their own
environmental projects, with information and assistance in
making applications
-
advising the DAC on
environmental matters
-
advising the Houses and Glebe
Committee on environmental matters
-
providing information on
Eco-Schools to Church schools
-
working with the School of
Formation on the development of programmes to help
individuals and churches develop a more environmentally
friendly life
-
working with the Department
for Ministry Development in providing training for clergy
and Readers on environmental matters.
Possible
Ways Forward
In order to do
this the diocese could:
-
appoint a
full time Environment Officer for whom this is their job
description but with a further brief to recruit volunteers
to assist in the work.
-
share out
some of this work (items 13 to 20) among the established
diocesan departments, committees and advisers, and appoint a
half time Environment Officer to (a) carry out the work that
cannot be done by existing diocesan departments (items 1 to
12) and (b) work with the Principal Officers to co-ordinate
the implementation of the recommendations.
-
find some
other way of ensuring this work is done.
-
hope that
these things just happen.
Implications
If option A
is adopted
the person appointed would need to be
multi-skilled, have a clear commitment to working
collaboratively with volunteers from across the diocese, and
would need a budget to fund the work.
This could be
a lay or clergy appointment.
If option B
is adopted
the group would need a chair who has time
available to co-ordinate the work.
Departments
and officers who take on this additional work would need to be
able to give up some of what they are doing already.
The
Environment Officer would need to be able to work as a diocesan
adviser, network with volunteers, keep up to date with
developments, represent the diocese to other bodies, facilitate
groups exploring environmental matters and make presentations in
meetings and services.
The officer
would need a budget to fund the work.
This also
could be a lay or clergy appointment.
If option C
is adopted
creative thinking on structures will be needed to
work out how this work can be done.
Without a
clear commitment to implementing another way of doing things
this is, in effect, option D.
If option D
is adopted
many of these things will not happen because
there will be no person or group that can be identified by PCCs,
the diocese, the national church or the public as dealing with
environmental matters on behalf of the diocese.
It is doubtful
if the diocese could be said to have adopted an environment
policy in any meaningful sense.
Costs and
Savings
Many of the
recommendations made here would cost little or nothing to
implement.
 |
Some,
such as the recommendations concerning transport and the
use of materials, would save the diocese and parishes
money. |
Some
recommendations, such as installing PV cells on churches, would
initially cost PCCs a substantial sum.
However, with
good information and support PCCs who are undertaking such work
could have access to grant aid for such projects.
A diocesan
officer with the time and resources to stay informed about
possible sources of funding for environmental work could provide
this information.
Whilst
employing a diocesan officer with this responsibility would
initially cost the diocese money, there would be a financial
return for the diocese and individual parishes.
Grant aid for
environmental work is likely to increase in the next few years
as the Government works to reach its carbon dioxide emission
targets.
Money is also
sometimes available to churches from landfill tax and other
sources.
The outlay for
a full time Environment Officer would be about £41,750 or for a
part time officer about £19,850, if they are paid the diocesan
stipend. The cost of a full time officer represents about £200
on a parish share of £40,000. A lay appointment would probably
be more expensive.
Steady
Improvement
The Housing
and Glebe committee would need to budget for continual further
improvements to vicarages on environmental grounds. This might
need additional money, beyond the present maintenance budget.
The Diocesan Surveyor and the Environment Working Party consider
that it is better to steadily improve all vicarages than to
spend money building one or two 'green vicarages'.
A system could
be put in place to encourage clergy to invest in energy
generation devices in vicarages, e.g. by partial reimbursement
of costs when they move or with loans repayable from their
financial savings. Such a scheme would involve an initial
capital outlay which would be recouped by the diocese in
repayments or in increased property values.
Loans or
charitable grants might be made available to help clergy equip
themselves with electrically assisted bicycles.
Money and
Mission
Many of the
things we do as churches we do, not because they will make or
save us money but because they are worth doing.
Striving to
safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain and renew the
life of the earth is the fifth mark of mission. It is central to
our task as a church.
Reducing the
environmental impact of our activities and buildings is an
aspect of our mission and should be considered as such by the
Board of Finance, the Joint Budget Committee and the Parish
Development Fund.
An Example
of Costs: St James's Piccadilly, London.
 |
In 2005, with a faculty, the PCC of St
James's installed photo-voltaic cells on the roof of
this grade 1 listed church building. The system cost
thirty six thousand pounds (£36K). They obtained two
grants, £16.5K from the EDF Energy Green Energy Fund,
and £12.5K from the DTI's Energy Saving Trust. The
balance paid from church funds was £7K. At current
energy prices the system reduces their electricity bills
by about £340 pounds per year. It is likely that
electricity prices will increase year on year so the
savings will increase. |
Installing
this system has meant that St James's is effectively emitting
1.8 tons less carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year. The
installation can also be used for educational purposes, it
demonstrates the church's serious commitment to care for the
environment and encourages others to do the same.
St James's is
a busy city centre church. A village church would be a net
generator of electricity and would be paid by the electricity
company for any electricity it supplied to the grid. The
effective carbon dioxide saving would be the same as every unit
of electricity generated from renewable sources does not need to
be generated from fossil fuels. However many of our churches
would need not only the inspiration of this example but
practical help and advice in obtaining grants.
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