A cathedral has won a gold award for its environmentally friendly initiatives.
Ely in Cambridgeshire is only the third cathedral to receive the Eco Church Award from the Christian conservation organisation A Rocha UK.
The charity said Ely was “a textbook example of what it means to be a Gold Awarded Church”.
How does a church become environmentally friendly?
A Rocha UK describes an ecochurch as one that “takes practical action to protect God’s earth.”
The action in Ely included everything from printing fewer church leaflets to rescuing hedgehogs.
The cathedral says its efforts are paying off, with its latest annual report listing 2023 as the year with the lowest CO2 emissions to date.
Since 2019, emissions have fallen by 42%.
Helen Stephens, Church Relations Manager at A Rocha UK, said: “We warmly congratulate Ely Cathedral on its well-deserved Gold Eco-Church award.
“Their approach in every respect makes them a model of what it means to be a Gold Church, and their strong involvement in local networks provides opportunities to share their knowledge and experiences.”
The cathedral has:
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Reduce paper consumption by using downloadable service sheets
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carried out regular garbage collection campaigns
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worked with the charity Fareshare to turn surplus food into meals
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planted hedges
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created a release site for rescued hedgehogs
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Plans drawn up for the creation of an orchard
Alison Binstead, chair of the cathedral’s environmental working group, said: “It really has been a tremendous team effort across all areas of cathedral life and has brought about so many positive changes.
“The support we have received from Eco Church has been outstanding and we look forward to continuing our journey of environmental improvement with the exceptional team we have here in Ely.”
The Rev. Mark Bonney, Dean of Ely, added: “It is extremely gratifying that our care for God’s creation has been recognised in this way.”
He paid tribute to the work of Reverend Jenny Gage, the cathedral’s Minister for Social Justice, who was “instrumental in putting us on this path” before her death in 2022.
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