Working towards greater sustainability at the Cathedral

Pursuing Net Zero Carbon (NZC) is a very important issue for us, and as a Cathedral we are looking at a range of ways we can become an increasingly sustainable church. The Church of England has made a pledge to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030, and we are aiming to do our bit to achieve this at St Paul’s.

A small group of colleagues began meeting last month with Neil Evans (Canon Steward) and Emily MacKenzie (COO) to consider initiatives which will help us achieve NZC.

The Cathedral has had a major review undertaken, which explores a range of major initiatives including renewable electricity generation, low carbon heating systems and energy efficient lighting. These along with other initiatives, will be considered as we plan major developments.

Alongside this, the group will be considering and noting smaller initiatives which can make a difference; everything from cycle to work schemes and small energy savings, to ethically and sustainably sourced products and the reduction of single use plastics in the Shop:

• We stopped offering plastic carrier bags in the Shop in 2017

• At present we only offer a medium-sized paper bag and the option to pay for a large handled Kraft paper bag for 50p

• Since 2018 we have upsold a cotton tote bag – now available in two sizes – at £5 for the regular size, and £9 for a large shopper. These are made from sustainably sourced organic cotton.

• As of May 2023 we will be introducing rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) bags. These are made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic, which contributes to the reduction of plastic waste. The plastics used in our bags will be from recycled bottles that were found in our oceans.

In the coming weeks, our weekly news will spotlight some of the other initiatives we are already engaged with, along with new possibilities coming forward. 

Save the date: Summer party

Exciting news! Here's a reminder if you missed this last week:

Please save the date for our summer party, which will take place on Friday 21st July. Times and further details will follow in due course.