What Is The Methodist Church Doing About Climate Change and Net Zero?

Updated

The Methodist Church treats the climate emergency as one of the most pressing concerns in the world today and frames its response as "Action for hope." Its stated aim is to reach net zero carbon emissions, and one concrete step toward that is a pilot carbon footprint trail that lets churches track their own emissions. The public page does not state a target date, interim milestones, or costs, so those details should be confirmed with the Church directly rather than assumed.

The stated aim: net zero carbon emissions

On its website, the Church lists "Aiming for Net Zero carbon emissions" alongside its inclusion and justice commitments. The framing matters: climate action is presented as part of the same calling as its work on justice, dignity and solidarity, not as a separate technical programme. The page anchors this in a theological claim — that creation is "very good" (Genesis 1:31) — and describes the climate emergency as a pressing global concern that the Church is responding to with hope rather than only alarm.

What the page does not provide is a timeline. There is no net zero target year, no stated reduction percentage, and no breakdown of emissions by source. If you need those figures — for a report, a local church project, or a funding case — treat them as open questions and ask the Church's responsible team.

The pilot carbon footprint trail

The most specific operational detail on the page is a pilot scheme reported under "Latest stories":

  • What it is: "A groundbreaking new Methodist Church pilot will allow churches to track their carbon emissions as the Church moves towards a net zero future."
  • Who it is for: local churches, which would track their own emissions.
  • Status: a pilot, not yet described as a Church-wide rollout.

The page does not explain the tool, the data churches must gather, how results are reported, or how a church joins. For a local church wanting to take part, the practical next step is to check the full story and the Church's climate pages, then contact the relevant connexional or district contact to ask about eligibility and timing.

What a tracking exercise typically involves

Even without the pilot's specifics, the general shape of a church carbon footprint exercise is predictable, and it helps to know what you would be asked to supply:

  1. Energy inputs — electricity and gas consumption for the church building, usually from bills or meter readings over a 12-month period.
  2. Travel — minister and congregation journeys to services and events, plus any church-organised transport.
  3. Building and site factors — floor area, heating type, and whether the building is listed or shared.
  4. A calculation step — converting consumption into carbon using standard conversion factors.
  5. A baseline and review — recording the result so future years can be compared, then choosing actions such as heating controls, insulation, or switching to a renewable tariff.

The expected result is a baseline figure your church can act on and re-measure. The common sticking point is data quality: shared buildings, estimated bills, and irregular lettings make a clean baseline harder, so note your assumptions rather than leaving gaps.

How this fits the Church's wider identity

The climate commitment sits inside the Church's self-description as "a growing, inclusive, evangelistic and justice-seeking Church." The same page pairs net zero with its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work under the "Justice, Dignity and Solidarity" heading, and its news items show the range of that justice framing — a walk for peace in the Middle East, a prayer for Black History Month, and a blog on the demolition of a family home in the West Bank.

For a reader trying to understand the Church's position, the useful takeaway is that environmental action is presented as one strand of a broader justice agenda, with "Action for hope" as the organising phrase. For a reader trying to act — a local church officer, a district contact, or a journalist — the page gives you the aim and one live pilot, and leaves the operational detail to be requested.

Where to go next

  • Read the full carbon footprint trail story and the Church's climate material on methodist.org.uk.
  • Use the site's news and stories sections to see whether the pilot reports results.
  • Contact the Church directly for target dates, participation criteria, and any support offered to local churches, since none of these appear on the page.

If your question is about the Church's stance on inclusion rather than climate, that is covered separately in its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion material.