RENEW Programmes
How can we love our neighbours through our buildings?
The OFW Net Zero Church Programme helps churches take concrete steps to measure their carbon footprint and minimise it in line with global standards.
In Singapore, buildings and transport account for a significant portion of our nation’s carbon footprint. Singapore’s net-zero goal by 2050 presents an opportunity for churches to rethink our operations and practices. Through these efforts, our churches will not only be better witnesses of God’s mandate to care for creation, but lead in ensuring a liveable future for generations to come.
Performing an assessment of our greenhouse gas emissions is an important first step in understanding our impact on creation.
This inventory is a powerful opportunity for us to achieve and model our commitment to care for creation. With Singapore having committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, this act is also a means for us to seek the welfare of our nation.
With this awareness, we can then make changes to our practices in an informed manner to live out our mandate as God’s stewards of creation.
More about the programme
There are three stages to the programme, and churches have the liberty to set their own targets in accordance with their ambition and ability. OFW will guide churches through a six step process towards minimising their carbon emissions: Measure → Plan → Reduce → Offset → Tell → Review.
See milestones and metrics
Milestone
Metrics
Church Committed to Fight Climate Change
Enrollment into the Net Zero Church Programme
Completion of baseline carbon emissions inventory
Net Zero Transitionary Church
Setting of short- (4 year cycle) and long-term targets (90% reduction) for Scope 1-2, prioritising the reduction of absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions*
Completion of at least two consecutive annual GHG inventories, indicating progress towards its short-term goals*
Purchase and retirement of high-quality carbon offsets or RECs in an amount equal to or greater than 100% of a church’s residual emissions for 2 consecutive years#
Operational Net Zero Church
Achievement of long-term targets (90% reduction) for Scope 1-2 emissions*
Purchase and retirement of high-quality carbon offsets or RECs in an amount equal to or greater than 100% of a church’s residual emissions for 5 consecutive years#
Commitment undertaken to reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions
*If a church is not able to install solar panels, the church is allowed to use RECs to fulfil its Scope 2 decarbonisation target given Singapore’s unique context.
#High-quality carbon offsets are aligned to broad criteria of international standards, support and ideally quantify social and environmental impact, and are ideally verified by a third party.
Understand your impact
The impact of our activities on the climate go beyond our borders.
We can help you to:
- Conduct a baseline carbon emissions inventory for your church and guide you on how to collect the data required;
- Compare your church’s carbon emissions to OFW’s database of churches; and
- Propose next steps for your church to reduce its carbon emissions; and
- Conduct annual carbon emissions inventories to track your progress towards Net Zero.
What we can do for you
The scope of our inventory is designed to be as comprehensive as possible while minimising the burden of data collection on you. Most information can be easily obtained by office staff, with the exception of one 3-minute survey to be conducted in your service.
- Scope 1 emissions generated from vehicles owned the church
- Scope 1 emissions generated from refrigerants (optional)
- Scope 2 emissions generated from the purchase of electricity
- Scope 3 emissions generated from the purchase of water, flights for business/missions, and from staff and congregants’ commutes
We will also provide a report of the results, presented in a 1.5-hour workshop open for church leaders, the board, and/or the congregation.
- Emissions intensity analysis, on a per area and per member basis
- Comparative analysis against our database of church emissions inventories, when available
- Recommendations for next steps to decarbonise and offset emissions
A quick introduction to the three scopes of GHG emissions
Scope 1
Direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by an organisation, such as petrol and diesel vehicles.
Scope 2
Indirect emissions associated with the purchase of electricity.
Scope 3
The result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization, but that the organization indirectly affects in its value chain.
Get started.
Timeline
The entire process from an onboarding session with relevant stakeholders to the presentation of results should take no longer than 5 months for each inventory. This proposal covers two inventories.
Data Privacy
All data collected for the inventory will be kept confidential and stored in OFW’s database, except in cases of legal obligation. Results of the inventory may be shared with the public, but will be fully anonymised unless your church chooses to publicly disclose them.
Church Garden Network
The OFW Church Garden Network gathers gardening communities in churches to share knowledge and resources, growing together as disciples caring for creation.
More than beautiful spaces, thriving church gardens point to a future where all creation is renewed, and the gardeners within live out our Edenic vocation to tend and keep the earth. They are also reminders that we should nurture rather than exploit, cultivate rather than consume.
