Thousands of UK churches abandon fossil fuels in favour of renewable power

More than 3,500 churches are ditching fossil fuels for renewable electricity as part of efforts to tackle climate change.

The churches across the UK have either switched their electricity supply to renewables or registered to do so, it has been announced on the world day of prayer for the care of creation. A total of 1,922 Catholic parishes under 16 dioceses are running entirely on renewable power, with many making the decision to green their electricity in the wake of “Laudato Si” - a key message on the environment from Pope Francis last year.

The majority (920) of the Salvation Army’s UK sites and a third (100) of Britain’s Quaker Meeting Houses have also made the switch.

In addition, 699 individual churches from across different denominations - including Church of England, Methodist, United Reform Church and Baptist congregations - have registered individually with the Big Church Switch website to find a 100 per cent renewable electricity deal. There are at least 173 further Anglican initiatives.

Around 340 congregations have also signed up to a wider eco-church scheme that commits them to a range of environmental improvements.

Salford is one of the 16 Catholic dioceses that has made the switch. The Rt Revd John Arnold, who is the Bishop of Salford and the chairman of Catholic aid agency Cafod, said: “There are many ways in which we may respond to the threat and the reality of climate change and adopting renewable energy for our church buildings must be a priority.

“Pope Francis challenges us all to ‘care for our common home’, and by adopting renewable energy we will directly help people threatened, and already most severely affected, by climate change.”

Other Christian aid agencies welcomed the move by the churches.

Christian Aid chief executive Loretta Minghella said: “We need a big shift to renewable energy.”