Eco Church

🌿 Eco Church at Royston Parish Church

Our Commitment to Sustainability

At Royston Parish Church, we are committed to caring for God’s creation and responding to the climate and nature crises. Our Sustainable Living Committee was established in line with the Church of England’s goal to reach net zero carbon by 2030.

We are proud to have received the Green Award 2026 from Royston Town Council in recognition of our efforts to help make our town a cleaner, greener place to live.

We are part of the A Rocha Eco Church programme, having achieved the Bronze Award in 2022 and now working towards the Silver Award. This national movement includes over 8,000 churches across England and Wales.

Learn more about the Eco Church programme

Eco Church Bronze Award

👉 Read our Environmental Policy:
Download our Environmental Policy (PDF)

🌍 Our Eco Church Activities

Our work is guided by the five key areas of the Eco Church framework:

🙏 Worship and Teaching

We actively integrate creation care into our worship and teaching:

  • Celebrating Creationtide and highlighting environmental themes in sermons, hymns and prayers
  • Teaching children and families through Children’s Church, Tea Time Praise, and Church at Home
  • Hosting expert guest speakers during Creationtide
  • Running the Carbon Literacy for Congregations Course, equipping over 25 members to take meaningful climate action
  • Sharing environmental articles in our monthly magazine Across Royston
  • Encouraging prayer focused on environmental themes
  • Holding outdoor services, prayer walks, and seasonal worship
  • Promoting sustainable practices in church activities, such as eco-friendly flower arrangements

We also support global mission work focused on sustainable living, including projects in the Philippines through the Church Mission Society.

Carbon Literacy Course

🔋 Buildings and Energy

Our historic church building (over 800 years old) continues to evolve sustainably:

  • Improved insulation and draught-proofing
  • Installation of underfloor heating and efficient gas boilers
  • Use of LED lighting, smart meters, and programmable systems
  • Sourcing 100% green electricity and 50% biogas (with the remainder offset)

Our goal is to transition to 100% green energy by 2030.

🌼 Land and Nature

We actively care for our churchyard and surrounding land:

  • Implementing a Land Management Plan to encourage biodiversity
  • Creating wildflower areas and avoiding pesticides and fertilisers
  • Installing wildlife habitats such as a “bug church”, log piles and composting areas
  • Participating in national initiatives like:
    • Big Garden Birdwatch
    • Big Butterfly Count
    • Churches Count on Nature

We also work with local schools and the wider community to carry out nature surveys and contribute to national biodiversity databases.

Visitors are warmly invited to enjoy our churchyard and burial grounds, which include accessible paths and seating.

Land and Nature

🤝 Community and Global Engagement

We collaborate with local organisations and the wider community:

  • Partnering with groups such as:
    • Royston Environmental Group
    • Methodist Church CANDO group
    • Royston Town Council Climate & Biodiversity Working Group
  • Hosting and participating in events such as:
    • Christmas Jumper Swaps
    • Community litter picks
    • Royston Green Fair
  • Delivering Carbon Literacy training for the community
  • Supporting ethical practices:
    • Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance products
    • Reducing single-use items
    • Ethical investment of church funds

🌱 Lifestyle

We encourage sustainable living in everyday life:

  • Sharing practical tips through Across Royston magazine
  • Promoting changes in:
    • Energy use
    • Travel
    • Food choices
    • Consumer habits
  • Hosting events such as:
    • Non-dairy milk tasting sessions
    • Vegetarian and vegan-friendly church meals

Participants in our Carbon Literacy courses calculate their carbon footprint and commit to practical steps to reduce it. We encourage everyone to do the same using the WWF footprint calculator.

💚 Join Us

We believe that small changes can make a big difference. Whether through worship, community action, or daily choices, we are committed to caring for creation together.

If you would like to get involved or learn more, we would love to hear from you.