Encourage dioceses and the members of The Anglican Church of Canada to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from their buildings to zero as quickly as possible, and by 2035 at the latest.

• To encourage all dioceses, all members and all Canadians to move to low-GHG heating and cooling (i.e. electrification).
• To ensure that the heating of all church buildings is electric.
• To inform dioceses, members and the public of the potential cost savings.
• To alert them to the potential to decarbonize and start saving whenevera heating or cooling system has to be repaired or replaced.

The people of the whole world, including Canadians, are struggling to respond meaningfully to the current climate crisis. This crisis, largely caused by the energy innovations of Western nations, threatens at least our known ways of living, growing food and keeping safe. It may plausibly lead to the extinction of the human species. Significant changes are needed to reduce the cause of this crisis, which is the addition of human-generated greenhouse gases (GHG) to our atmosphere.

Certain changes are now available and realistic, and we should undertake them as rapidly as possible. Other changes will become more “available and realistic” each year, and should be undertaken by those who can, as soon as possible.

As Canadians, our buildings are a major source of GHG emissions through the burning of fossil fuels. As Christians, our church buildings are our major sources of GHG pollution. Heat-pump technology, whether air-source or ground-source (geothermal), is now widely available, reliable, and cheaper to install and operate through its lifespan in most or all of Canada.

Because it is electricity-based, it is legislated to be zero-emitting by 2035. These systems also offer cooling to assist with rising local temperatures.

The best time to replace a heating system is immediately. The cheapest time to change is at the end of life of the furnace or boiler. Members are very often motivated to donate to reduce their congregation’s carbon pollution and start saving money.

Except for the building owned by the General Synod, responsibility for buildings in the Anglican system rests with dioceses and/or congregations, and our members make their own decisions about their own homes. However, the actions of General Synod and the members of every single congregation are powerful evangelistic opportunities as we explain that we do this not only for our own well-being, but also because our Creator God cares for all of their Creation, including wayward humans.

Many of our dioceses are already working with programs such as Zero Emission Churches to provide free support for this transition. Challenging situations become the subject of case studies and costly errors are reduced or avoided.

In the normal course, an ordinary motion must be passed by a majority of the members of General Synod present and voting together.

Six members of General Synod may, prior to the question being put, require a vote by Orders, with a majority of each Order being necessary to pass.

If a question passes on a Vote by Orders, any six members (two from each of three different dioceses) may immediately before the next item of business require a vote to be taken by dioceses. A motion passes if a majority (or a tie) of dioceses vote in favour.

Source: Sections 4 and 5 of the Declaration of Principles and sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Rules of Order and Procedure.