Pollution Prevention for Faith Communities
How Green is Your Faith Community?
Earth care, creation care, climate justice, and green faith are all ways that religious groups talk about taking action on environmental concerns. Faith congregations are encouraging everything from small actions in the home like buying only what you need as well as bigger actions at houses of worship, like upgrading an old boiler to an energy-efficient one or investing in solar.
The mission of the CT Interreligious Eco-Justice Network is to engage people from every faith tradition to protect the earth. They have many resources to help congregations green their houses of worship.
Green Award Programs for Faith Communities
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Green Houses of Worship, a multi-level stewardship program of the CT Interreligious Eco-Justice Network. The program grants certificates of achievement to congregations of any faith in the state that implement eco-friendly practices.
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GreenFaith Certification Program for congregations is a two year environmental leadership program for houses of worship.
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Unitarian Universalists Association of Congregations (UUA) supports their congregation in environmental work, including their Green Sanctuary program.
Energy and Environmental Resources for Faith Communities
- ENERGY STAR for Congregations is a US EPA program to measure energy usage and rate your house of worship. A number of downloadable tools including an Action Workbook for Congregations are available for free.
- Did you know your house of worship can get an Energy Star Rating? Learn how.
- Financing assistance from CT Green Bank, C-Pace Program.
- Interfaith Power and Light has a number of greening programs for congregations.
- Green the Church is a partnership between a California-based environment and social justice organization, and the U.S. Green Building Council that aims to bring the benefits of sustainability directly to black communities.
- Find out how some CT congregations have started to green their houses of worship (P2 View article), and how Calvary Temple in Bridgeport made energy upgrades using C-Pace (video).
- Recycling is the law for everyone in CT. Find out how to reduce, reuse and recycle.
- The CT Interreligious Eco-Justice Network has information on way to green congregations, including conserving energy.
Solarize with Faith Program
- Solarize with Faith is a project of SmartPower that aims to bring solar panels to the homes of members of congregations across the state.
For more information: Solarize with Faith or contact Chamae Mejias of SmartPower.
Content last updated December 2019