The Rev. Matt Farr, Chair of the Committee on General Resolutions, as well as the resolution author, Ms. Courtney Shea, present this year’s resolution on Carbon Net Neutrality.
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THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN EAST TENNESSEE
2024 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
TITLE: Resolution to further 2022 General Convention Resolution A087 by developing plans to achieve carbon-neutral facilities.
Proposed by: Vestry of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Knoxville
Representative’s Contact Information: Courtney Shea, 865-387-7466, courtshea@aol.com
Representative at the Convention: Tom Anderson, Delegate, Church of the Good Shepherd, Knoxville, ruadhainwolf@yahoo.com.
Date of Submittal:
RESOLVED: That the Bishop and Council shall establish a task force of at least 3 members to provide coordination and communication for the pursuit of a goal of carbon net neutrality by 2030.
RESOLVED: That the task force is charged with developing information, resources and guidance regarding how each congregation and diocesan organization or ministry can develop a facility needs assessment to identify the actions necessary to enable its facilities and operations, with a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
RESOLVED: That the task force will report yearly to the Diocesan Convention on its progress towards developing information, resources and guidance on the steps to pursue carbon net neutrality, on the progress made by congregations and diocesan organizations and ministries to develop facility needs assessments, and on any further recommendations to the Diocese regarding reducing facility energy use and increasing facility energy efficiency.
EXPLANATION OF THE RESOLUTION:
At the General Convention in 2022, the Episcopal Church passed Resolution A087 which stated in part
Resolved, That the Episcopal Church commit to a goal of net carbon neutrality in its operations and the work of staff, standing commissions, interim bodies, and General Convention by 2030, through a combination of reducing emissions from travel, reducing energy use, increasing energy efficiency in buildings, and purchasing offsets from duly investigated, responsible, and ethical partners; …
Resolved, That the General Convention encourage parishes, dioceses, schools, camps, and other Episcopal institutions to pursue their own goal of net carbon neutrality by 2030 through a combination of reducing emissions from travel, reducing energy use, increasing energy efficiency in buildings, and purchasing offsets from duly investigated, responsible, and ethical partners; and be it further
Climate neutrality refers to the idea of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by balancing those emissions so they are equal (or less than) the emissions that get removed through the planet’s natural absorption. Most discussions, including Resolution A087, include purchasing offsets as a part of a carbon neutrality strategy.
To carry out the intent of this resolution, one necessary set of actions will be for our parishes to first educate themselves regarding the carbon footprint of their facilities using standard tools and data to estimate parish facility greenhouse gas emissions, and to next develop a facility needs assessment to identify the actions necessary to enable its facilities and operations to become carbon neutral by 2030.
We recognize that there are no one size fits all solutions to achieving the Church’s goal of net carbon neutrality. Our churches have facilities which differ greatly in age, use, size and other factors. Churches which have begun this process have encountered difficulties in obtaining reliable facility information such as energy audits, and financial barriers. However, there are increasing numbers of resources and there are many lower cost steps which can be implemented without undue financial investments.
The Diocese recognizes that our congregations and other diocesan organizations will need assistance with information and resources as they develop their needs assessments, and further recognizes that within our congregations, there may be untapped expertise and resources that could assist the achievement of energy efficiency goals. The Dioceses further recognizes that other institutions, including government agencies, non-profits such as Interfaith Power and Light, and business entities are supporting and pursuing goals of carbon net neutrality. A task force of dedicated individuals could assist our parishes by sharing stories of progress in achieving goals, compiling reliable resources, coordinating communications and highlighting barriers to progress towards a goal of carbon neutrality.
General Resolutions Hearing
February 6th, 2024
12:00 pm Eastern
The Rev. Christopher Hogin, Secretary of Convention, opened the hearing.
- He noted that more people can participate now that we are doing the hearings online.
- We meet in the Convention for four purposes. In his words, the purpose of the Diocesan Convention is to:
- Worship as a body
- Legislation
- Elect officers
- To connect and learn
The Rt. Rev. Brian Cole opened the hearing in prayer.
The Rev. Matt Farr, chair of the General Resolution Committee, welcomed those in attendance and introduced committee members who were present:
- Ms. Elizabeth Jones, Good Shepherd, Lookout Mtn
- The Rev. Chis Hacket, St. John’s Cathedral
There is one general resolution at this time for the Convention to consider.
Courtney Shey, Church of the Good Shepherd, Knoxville, formally read the resolution.
- An explanation of the resolution can be found in the Convention PDF
The Rev. Matt Farr opened the floor to questions and comments regarding the resolution.
- The Rev. Kim Hobby, Christ Church, South Pittsburgh, asked if the General Convention would be helping to compile resources to aid in this effort.
- Ms. Shey said that other dioceses are working on efforts and that the Diocese of East Tennessee would not be working from scratch, but rather would be using resources from other dioceses and local non-profits.
- Rev. Hobby noted that her parish is on the National Register of Historic Places and that as such it would be helpful if, at the national level of the Church, such information would be disseminated especially for parishes that have differing needs, such as being on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Ms. Shea said that local non-profits are helpful to churches in this work and thanked Rev. Hobby for bringing up the point of the National Register of Historic Places
- Rev. Hobby noted that her parish is on the National Register of Historic Places and that as such it would be helpful if, at the national level of the Church, such information would be disseminated especially for parishes that have differing needs, such as being on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Ms. Shey said that other dioceses are working on efforts and that the Diocese of East Tennessee would not be working from scratch, but rather would be using resources from other dioceses and local non-profits.
- Rev. Farr thanked Ms. Shea and the drafters of the resolution for bringing this resolution to the Convention to consider in helping to further care for God’s creation.
Rev. Farr invited Bishop Cole to share a few words.
- Bishop Cole thanked Ms. Shea and the others who have brought this resolution to the convention.
- He also shared that the two resolutions from last year are being actively worked on at the diocesan level.
Rev. Farr again thanked those in attendance for coming to the hearing and added that there would be a chance to still speak about the resolution at the Convention.
- Jim Shearhouse then added that he had a concern about setting a date for 2030 to obtain carbon neutrality. He said that he thought that it would need more time, and suggested setting the date to 2040.
- Secretary Hogin said that these are aspirational goals and not a mandate to reach neutrality by 2030.
- Ms. Shea concurred and that the drafters just used the language of the General Convention resolution. She said that 2030 does give a sense of urgency to the matter, however.
- Secretary Hogin said that these are aspirational goals and not a mandate to reach neutrality by 2030.
Secretary Hogin said that resolutions will not be added to the consent agenda, the Convention will be able to discuss them, but that there appears to be alignment regarding the resolution. He thanked the parish of Good Shepherd, and Ms. Shea for bringing this resolution to the Convention for consideration.
Bishop Cole closed the hearing in prayer.
Respectfully Submitted,
The Rev. William Simerly
Assistant Secretary to Convention