Ely Cathedral has been awarded the prestigious gold Eco Church Award by the Christian conservation charity A Rocha UK in recognition of their dedication and commitment to taking action on climate change. Ely Cathedral is part of a national community of over 7,500 churches and cathedrals addressing the environmental crisis using the scheme, becoming only the 3rd Cathedral to achieve this award.

The Cathedral’s recent Annual Report demonstrates 2023 as the lowest year in carbon emissions, a reduction of 42% from the peak in 2019. Ely Cathedral’s community environment group, RENEW, was formed in 2019 and joined forces with the Cathedral Chapter’s Environment Working Group in 2021 to use the Eco Church framework strategically and methodically to get as close as they can to ‘net zero’ by 2030.

One of the key upgrades made to the Cathedral was to replace the existing lighting system with a more energy-efficient LED system, to reduce energy usage and lower the building’s carbon footprint. CBG Consultants offered a comprehensive lighting design service with a focus on sustainability and energy management to aid Ely Cathedral in meeting their award goal. The upgraded lighting scheme uses high-quality LED light sources with smart controls, which allows the lighting across the whole Cathedral to be pre-set and changed to meet the needs of various worship services and events.

Ely Cathedral has achieved gold standards across all areas of the Eco Church survey, but they have also implemented initiatives that demonstrate their creativity and forward-thinking approach, including cutting paper use by adopting downloadable service sheets, regular litter picks, an innovative approach to food waste and engagement with Fareshare, a national charity that turns food surplus into meals.

The magnificent land and gardens around the Cathedral are being managed to respect the surrounding nature, including recently planted hedgerows, a release site for rescued hedgehogs and plans to plant an orchard. The lighting design is considerate of the impact on the wider environment, reducing unwanted light spills and pollution to be sympathetic to local wildlife and residents.

Bruce Kirk Director from CBG Consultants said, “We are extremely proud of Ely Cathedral for achieving this rare Gold status and showcasing their commitment for taking action on climate change. We were thrilled to support Ely Cathedral’s journey through our expertise and passion in promoting sustainable design. Our rigorous design standards and years of technical expertise mean that we strive to mitigate the negative impact whilst maximising the benefits of good lighting design to meet best practices. This has brought positive changes to the Cathedral and helps them to improve their carbon footprint moving forward.”

The Very Revd Mark Bonney, The Dean of Ely, added, “We want to say a huge thank you to CBG Consultants for supporting us in our journey to achieving the gold Eco Church Award. The LED lighting solutions and thoughtful design have ensured that the lighting uses less energy and produces a reduced carbon footprint while still providing the high-quality illumination we require for our services. It is enormously gratifying that our care for God’s creation and respect for the natural world has been recognised in this way. This award is a fantastic recognition of all that we do – and will continue to do – to create a sustainable future for this world.”