Environmental Strategy Group update

Following the QODA report in January 2022 giving us a detailed Energy Assessment and Carbon Emissions report, we are now developing a process for a detailed Decarbonisation Strategy for the Cathedral and offices. This report will help us draw up the roadmap and identify the stages towards net zero. As a busy working heritage building, we are going to need to find ways to do this work with sensitivity and in phases, fitting in with other scheduled projects to the fabric. We are delighted to hear that York Minster has been granted permission to install solar panels, as this may well be a test case for us and many other cathedrals. Alongside this will be air source heat pumps, probably situated south of the Chapter House, and part of a landscaping project to ‘hide them’, to work in the first instance in tandem with existing boilers for the remainder of their lifespan. We are also exploring energy improvements to our cathedral housing properties.

Eco Team

The team has dug and now filled a pond behind Cathedral House and has fitted a grid cover to it. This is part of a wider project to encourage biodiversity and some of the garden will grow flowers and plants for use by the Flower Guild for their arrangements, reducing costs, carbon and air miles. The team are also looking at better recycling across the Cathedral. The recent winter clothing event helped reduce clothes waste, as well as supporting the needs of homeless people and asylum seekers. As a result of these and other recent steps we hope to achieve the A Rocha silver award in the next two months.

Will Gibbs