Eco Church is an interdenominational Christian environmental awards scheme for churches. It is run by A Rocha UK.
Eco Church provides tools to help churches weave their response to environmental issues into all they do.
In a time of unprecedented environmental stresses, Eco Church enables churches to respond to God’s mandate to human beings to care for His creation, by integrating environmental care throughout their church’s life and mission.
Eco Church was launched in St Paul’s Cathedral in January 2016.
In June 2023, the Diocese was awarded Bronze Award Eco Diocese status.
Now we have begun working towards our Silver Diocesan Award!
The Diocese strongly encourages churches to join Eco Church. Join the thousands of churches nationwide who are making a difference through Eco Church, including 194 churches so far in the London Diocese. These include 96 award winners, including two Gold Award winners, 19 Silvers and 75 Bronze award winners in the Diocese.
Eco Church awards are gained by completing an online questionnaire. Any church can complete the questionnaire and print it out, without commitment or on a trial basis.
To enter any church for an award, it is necessary to sign up and register on the Eco Church App.
Registration and completing the questionnaire are free.
The Diocese originally set a target of 132 churches registered with Eco Church. By the end of 2022, we aimed for a total of 150 churches signed up, including 50 awards. By July 2022, we had already exceeded those targets – half way through the year. By autumn 2023, out of about 490 churches in the diocese we’re up to 194 signups (40%) and 96 awards (20%). Well done to every church involved.
We set a 2023 target of 200 Eco Church registered churches, including 100 awards – and we’re close to both those figures. By 2030 we want every church to be an Eco Church.
Bronze, silver and gold awards are presented to churches for environmental attainment across a wide range of areas, including care of buildings and churchyards, energy-saving, recycling, food and lifestyle, worship, preaching and teaching, engagement in communities and the wider world.
The first Eco Church award, at Bronze level, was presented to the Cathedral itself, by Archbishop Rowan Williams, after he addressed those present at the launch event.
St James Piccadilly and St Paul North Marylebone are our two Eco Church Gold award winners. This is a magnificent achievement, which deserves to be celebrated – and imitated! We now have award winners in every episcopal area.
London is doing relatively well, but we still have a long way to go.
Churches and People
The Environment and Mission Action Plans.
Eco Church
Sign up
Log in/Register with App (churches already registered)
Questionnaire
Resources
Map, or on the App.
Head of Environment and Sustainability.
Environment and Sustainability, front page.
