The Diocese of Portsmouth

A GREEN LIST TO SUPPORT

THE DIOCESAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

These suggestions are offered to help congregations and diocesan bodies put together an environmental action plan. Use them, adapt them and add to them as you “develop an environmental policy or action plan” of your own.

This list is ‘organic’ – if you have suggestions to add to it please email them to ; forwarding a copy of any local policies would be helpful in sharing resources too – thank you.

General Clauses:

1. We affirm the Fifth Mark of Mission (‘to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth’) as a central part of our life, work and mission.

2. We will take environmental concerns fully into account in our mission, worship, study,

education, training, pastoral, administrative, social and other programmes and projects.

3. We will identify environmental issues in our village, town, county or area as a whole, and devise appropriate action on them.

1. We will appoint a person as our Environment Officer/Champion/Coordinator and encourage them to bring environmental and related social justice concerns forward on a regular basis.

1. We will seek appropriate information from environmental groups and keep abreast of current thinking. Supporting the work of local and national environmental organisations as appropriate.

6. We will consider the environmental impact of all our policies and plans on the environment and social justice and recognise that additional costs may be incurred.

7. We will ask our members to consider the personal impact of their daily lives on the environment.

8. We will hold a formal debate or discussion on our response to the environment and this policy at least once a year.

Finance, Property & Investments:

9. We will pay attention to environmental concerns in our banking and investment practice, and continue to pay regard to the national church ethical investment policy.

10. We will take environmental concerns into account in managing our land and other property, and seek to encourage tenants and occupiers to do the same.

11.We will seek ways to assess the value of our land and property for wildlife, and to manage them to conserve biodiversity, wherever possible.

12. We will aspire to meet the environmental standards set by the Green Guide for clergy housing.

13. We will require architects and contractors to take environmental concerns into account in their work.

14. We will undertake an ‘environmental audit’ of our premises and property, make a list of the most significant aspects of the natural world for which we are responsible, and devise appropriate plans to care for them.

Liturgy:

15. We will take advantage of existing material produced by the Liturgical Commission to celebrate and reflect upon Creation between 1 September and the second Sunday in October each year.

16. We will include environmental and related social justice concerns in our worship.

Transport:

17. We will encourage environmentally-friendly forms of transport, walk, cycle, use public transport, share cars, keep journeys to meeting venues short, and keep fossil fuel emissions as low as we can, wherever possible.

18. We will encourage the sharing of lifts and car pools for people to attend public worship.

Energy:

19. We will make an energy audit at least every three years, look for economies in heating, use thermostats, fit low-energy light bulbs, improve insulation, switch to ‘green’ energy suppliers, install renewable energy, keep temperatures down, avoid stand-by mode and turn off computers and electrical appliances when not in use, and seek to save energy, wherever possible.

20. We will set a target to reduce our energy consumption.

Purchasing and Waste:

21. We will seek ways to reduce consumption, particularly of paper and envelopes, and the impact of our activities on the environment, use recycled paper, re-use and repair wood and other items, recycle waste and take it to collection points, reduce the negative social and environmental impact of computers, use low-environmental impact cleaning materials (avoiding chlorine-based and phosphate-rich powders), avoid using disposable and plastic items, avoid artificial fertilisers and pesticides, and use wood from sustainable sources, wherever possible.

Biodiversity:

22. We will manage our property and land to conserve biodiversity, wherever possible.

Catering:

23. We will seek to purchase food and drink that meets the LOAF principles (Locally-sourced, Organically-grown, Animal-friendly, Fairly-traded), avoid over-catering and use seasonal foods, wherever possible.

Water:

24. We will avoid using water unnecessarily, install water meters where appropriate, check for leakages regularly, fit water-minimising systems to taps and cisterns, and collect rainwater, wherever possible.

25. When clean tap water is available we will not use bottled water at our meetings or events.

Carbon Offsetting:

26. We will consider how a carbon offsetting fund may be used in reducing our footprint and invest as appropriate.