We are asking all parishes to urgently submit their returns for 2021 energy usage ahead of the 31st July 2022 deadline. After this date, the returns form will close until April 2023, when it will be reopened for submission of 2022 data.
The Energy Footprint Tool is a key resource underpinning the diocese and wider Church of England’s plans and ambition to achieve General Synod’s target of net zero by 2030. The data you submit tells generates a figure for your parish’s carbon footprint, based on the energy used to heat and light your buildings. This data also helps us understand our diocesan carbon baseline - where we are starting from - and how much progress we are making. This is really important in helping us all on the journey to net-zero.
Data cannot be submitted for previous years outside of the four-month window for that particular year, so this is the last opportunity to establish your own parish baseline or contribute to the diocesan and national baselines.
The recent Church of England Routemap to Net Zero includes a target of a 90% completion rate for the Energy Footprint Tool by 2023 for every diocese; we in Chester are a long way from achieving this at present, so it’s important to submit the usage figures from your parish’s electricity, gas or oil bills for 2021 as soon as possible.
You can find the Energy Footprint Tool on the Online Parish Returns System.
Please contact the DAC office if you need any help completing your return.