Saint Peter's Caversham aims to go carbon neutral!

PRESS RELEASE                        31st May 2007

A church in Reading is aiming to be carbon-neutral by 2015. It is one of the first churches in the south
 of England to take this step.

The church committee of St. Peter’s Caversham  Reading included the aim in a wide-ranging resolution
on using energy more efficiently and reducing the church’s carbon emissions.  This followed a
comprehensive energy survey that the church commissioned earlier this year.

“The survey identified a number of ways in which the church can cut its carbon emissions. Some can
be done soon - installing low energy light bulbs, improved insulation, for example, while others are
more long term”, said a church lay minister John Madeley.

The survey showed that the church is well positioned to take advantage of solar and wind power, with,
like many Anglican churches, a large south-facing roof.  A group has been set up to examine
these and other renewable energy options and report next year.

“It’s a bold aim but I think we can be a carbon-neutral church by 2015, powered by sources of
energy that do not cause global warming and damage. Climate change is not a distant threat, it’s affecting
the poorest people now”, said John Madeley.

The Church of England’s “Shrinking the Footprint” initiative speaks of  tackling climate change in
“faith, practice, and mission”.

“This is clearly part of the mission of the church”, said John Madeley.

St Peter’s Caversham, Church Committee 29th May 2007

John Madeley proposed the following resolution:

This committee:

1. Records its thanks to Community Action for Energy (CAfE) for the Sustainable Energy Action (SEA)
Energy Efficiency and Renewables Study.

2. Welcomes the study as a basis for continuing to improve the energy efficiency of St Peter’s church
and for reducing our carbon footprint (carbon emissions) on God’s earth, in line with the Church of
England’s “Shrinking the Footprint” initiative, to enable us to tackle, in faith, practice, and mission,
the urgent issue of climate change, (see www.shrinkingthefootprint.cofe.anglican.org)

3. Resolves    
a) With reference to report point 4.1.2, that draft stripping and curtains on all doors be reviewed
and renewed where necessary.
b) With reference to report point 4.1.3, that we check with the Diocesan Church House architect
on the minimum heat required to keep the structure of the church sound.
c) With reference to report point 4.2.1.1, that the candle bulbs used for the choir lamps and the
chandeliers are replaced with compact fluorescent versions, and with reference to report 4.2.1.2,
that the twenty spotlights are replaced with compact fluorescent alternatives, as and when
replacements are needed.
d) With reference to report point 6, that the wardens investigate switching to green tariff electricity.
e) That a cycle rack is installed by a church wall.

4. Notes that on renewable energy systems, (report point 5), the church is well positioned to take
advantage of wind power, that our south facing roof could be suitable for solar technologies and
that a PV system could be installed; but that as the economic return on existing solar technology
would be small, and as more efficient technologies are being developed, decides that no action is
taken this year but that a small group is set up to consider solar, wind and other renewable
sources to report back in a year’s time.

5. Aims at St Peter’s being a carbon-neutral church by 2015.