From across the country,
for the whole planet
created by our generous God.

Important projects require multiple partners, and this is no exception. Where do you fit in?

Anglican Dioceses

Anglicans express their calling to care for creation as the Fifth Mark of Mission.

The diocese is the core unit of the Anglican Church, with the bishop being the legal owner of all buildings (in most cases). Most funding for local mission (and the buildings which support it) comes from the local congregation, however. A link to the email of the diocesan coordinator is provided for each diocese that is active in the Zero Emission Churches Project.

Already Active

  • Montréal (email)

  • Niagara* (email)

  • New Westminster (Vancouver area)*

  • Ottawa (email)

  • Toronto*

Preparing

  • Edmonton

  • Huron

  • Rupert’s Land (Winnipeg area)

Considering

*These dioceses have an environmental motion from Synod or a declaration of commitment from their bishop.

I’d like to join!

Other Denominations and Religious Groupings

These are early days, and there is lots of room for others to join! Who will be the next to contact us? (Our basic unit of involvement is a regional grouping of congregations, similar to a diocese, and the first congregations from a given diocese will be asked to be the initiators of a diocese-wide process. Independent congregations will be asked to form ad-hoc support groups of multiple independent congregations for this process).

Already Active

  • Diocèse catholique de St-Jean-Longueuil (email/courriel)

  • Eastern Synod (from Ontario to the Maritimes) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (email)

Preparing

Considering

Training Institutions

These organizations are equipping technicians and engineers for the energy transformation Canada needs. Their teachers and researchers provide us with important technical guidance, their students get to practice under supervision on our buildings, and we expect to hire a few of their students each year in each of our regions to assess our buildings. Each institution that is active in the Zero Emission Churches Project has a page where you can read about its team and the part it plays in this work.

Already Active

Preparing

Considering

  • Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

Community and Industrial Partners

These organizations provide valuable expertise and referrals for sharing learnings widely and educating their members about making churches and other buildings net zero. The unique role of each active industrial partner is explained on their own page.

Technical Experts

We regularly come across congregational buildings for which we don’t have solutions, or where we feel the need for a second opinion or a more in-depth discussion. We are grateful for the technical expertise and wisdom which these professionals add!

Active

  • Ian Kilborn (Energy Systems Specialist, Kingston area)

  • Matt Dipple (Environmental System Engineer, energy modeling and mechanical design, Saskatchewan)

  • Yusuf Wahhab, Civil Engineer, Building Inspection Specialist, Montréal area

  • Simon Kattoura, Specialist in Energy Management and Decarbonization, Montréal area

  • Eric MacIsaac, Solar Electric Systems Sales Manager, Nova Scotia

Preparing

Considering

The (not so fine) Fine Print

So just what is required of dioceses, groupings of churches, educational partners, institutional partners and technical experts?

 

  • Every partner brings something to the table. Everyone contributes something and everyone learns something.

  • There are no costs or membership fees without your agreement. You can expect those to be proportional to your organization’s size and potential to benefit from being part of our work. Where grants are being applied for, participation in those will be subject to the contracting requirements of the funders.

  • The different faith groups in Canada, and the majority of our secular society, all share hope for an improved human future in the face of the threat of the climate crisis. Participants are committed to making this world better for ourselves and our neighbours.

  • We have to work out the details, but we intend that those who volunteer their time and expertise should NOT be excluded from bidding on related contracts. It is the responsibility of the ZEC Project Leadership to ensure that all contracts are shared widely, that tender specifications are written fairly, and that volunteer involvement by experts allows potential clients to build relationships with those experts so that both sides know whether or not they would like to work together.