Church in Wales launches new Progressing Net Zero project in partnership with Benefact Trust

Nominated churches, cathedrals and church halls across Wales can access new funding to help reduce carbon emissions and move away from fossil fuel use. The exciting new Church in Wales Progressing Net Zero project is in partnership with Benefact Trust.

The three-year project aims to help Church in Wales churches, cathedrals and church halls significantly reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, whilst showcasing practical solutions that can be replicated across the Province. Any potential applicants must be nominated by their diocese.

Two funding streams will be available:

• Development grants of up to £5,000 to support churches exploring low carbon solutions, including feasibility studies, energy saving measures and trials of new technologies.
• Demonstrator grants of up to £45,000 to help fund larger capital projects, such as heat pumps, solar panels, battery storage and insulation improvements.

Applications are made through a diocesan nomination process, ensuring projects are ready to proceed and capable of delivering measurable carbon reductions. Successful grant recipients are expected to monitor energy use, record project outcomes and provide evidence of environmental benefits. As the project progresses a growing network of case studies and practical examples for churches across Wales will develop.

The programme forms part of the Church in Wales' wider commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2030. By supporting investment in cleaner technologies and improved energy efficiency, the project aims not only to reduce emissions but also to ensure church buildings remain sustainable, welcoming and fit for future generations.

Dr Julia Edwards, Director of Climate Change for the Church in Wales, said:

We are delighted to be in partnership with Benefact Trust with this net-zero programme. The collaboration enables churches to action their plans for low-carbon technologies, and in so doing, markedly reduce their climate-change impact and bear witness more widely to the urgent need to care for God’s creation today and for the future.