The Acts of Convention

Resolved, That The Episcopal Church commit to a goal of net carbon neutrality in its operations and the work of staff, standing commissions, interim bodies, and General Convention by 2030, through a combination of reducing emissions from travel, reducing energy use, increasing energy efficiency in buildings, and purchasing offsets from duly investigated, responsible, and ethical partners; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention encourage the Presiding Bishop’s staff to take concrete actions to reduce fossil fuel emissions from travel by said groups, such as through online meetings or regional gatherings; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention encourage the Presiding Bishop’s staff to draft a policy to offset one hundred percent of fossil fuel emissions from unavoidable travel by said groups, either through an internal offset program or through purchase from duly investigated, responsible, and ethical partners, with appropriate accountability and oversight; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $70,000 per year for the implementation of this resolution, taken from existing travel budgets, in order to offset approximately 3500 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (the average annual travel emissions of said groups from previous years) at a rate of $20 per ton; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention  encourage the Presiding Bishop’s staff to establish an internal offset program including such activities as carbon forestry and regenerative agriculture, with appropriate oversight to ensure that the program meet the five commonly accepted traits of responsible offset programs: real, permanent, verifiable, additional, and enforceable; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $25,000 to establish this internal offset program, comprising $15,000 to cover wages and benefits for a part-time Offset Specialist and $10,000 for implementation and promotion of the program; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention encourage parishes, dioceses, schools, camps, and other Episcopal institutions to pursue their own goal of net carbon neutrality by 2030 through a combination of reducing emissions from travel, reducing energy use, increasing energy efficiency in buildings, and purchasing offsets from duly investigated, responsible, and ethical partners; and be it further

Resolved, that the General Convention request the diocesan bishops of every diocese to begin to build networks of landowners and creation trustees in each diocese who will devote portions of their land to reforestation, prairie restoration, wetland and coastland preservation; adopt and share regenerative agricultural and ranching practices; collaborate with neighboring dioceses for best water practices to protect our watersheds; collaborate on creative means of distributing food; and pray for future generations dependent on the land and water we steward; and be it further

Resolved, That The Episcopal Church support and advocate for the subsistence rights of Indigenous people and policies that protect and preserve land and resources solely for subsistence use; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention encourage the Presiding Bishop’s staff to develop and share resources for parishes and dioceses to commit to and work toward this goal, such as the online carbon tracker already created by the Diocese of California, as well as other online and print resources; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $50,000 to fund the development and promotion of these resources.