Southwark Cathedral is committed to caring for creation and taking practical action in response to the climate and nature crises.

We are proud to have received an Eco Church Silver Award and are working towards Gold. Our environmental work includes reducing our carbon emissions, caring for nature across our site, making more sustainable choices and encouraging our congregation, staff and wider community to engage with environmental issues. 
 
As a Christian community, we believe that caring for creation is part of our discipleship and our commitment to justice. 
Reducing our carbon footprint 
 
We are working to reduce the Cathedral's carbon emissions and move towards net zero. 
 
An energy audit carried out in 2024 helped us understand how energy is used across our buildings and identify opportunities to reduce consumption. We have developed a phased programme of work, including plans to phase out natural gas use and move towards electric heating. 
 
As part of our Net Zero Carbon plan we are making the following changes across the Cathedral site and our offices, including: 
 
  • Replacing traditional lighting with LED lighting 
  • Improving the efficiency of our heating systems 
  • Using green gas and renewable electricity across our precinct, through our current energy contracts 
 
We are continuing to explore how our heating, cooling and other building systems can be improved to reduce CO2 emissions while protecting the Cathedral and its historic buildings. 
Caring for nature 
 
Our churchyard, herb garden and other green spaces provide valuable habitats for wildlife in the heart of London. 
 
Our churchyard has received a London in Bloom Gold Award, and our historic herb garden contains more than 50 varieties of herbs, reflecting the plants that would have been used by the Canons of the Priory for medicine, cooking, brewing and other purposes. 
 
We also: 
  • Take part in Citizen Science events like the Big Butterfly and the RSPB annual bird count 
  • Provide planting and habitat for birds, insects and hedgehogs and participate in ‘No mow May’ 
  • Grow vegetables with young people from our congregation, which are shared with the Cathedral community 
  • Work with Bankside Open Spaces Trust to introduce insect-friendly planting in the Millennium Courtyard 
Living sustainably 
 
We are working to make more sustainable choices across the Cathedral, from the way we manage waste to the products and services we purchase. 
 
Our work includes: 
  • Recycling paper, card, plastics, glass, food waste and coffee grounds through our waste management partners 
  • Reducing single-use plastics on site 
  • Asking our catering partners to use recyclable or biodegradable containers, and to source food responsibly and locally where possible 
  • Selling Fairtrade products in the Cathedral shop 
  • Reducing unnecessary packaging, including removing cellophane-wrapped greeting cards from our range 
  • Using renewable or recycled materials where possible when refurbishing offices and residential properties 
  • Supporting staff to make more sustainable choices through training and guidance 
  • Ending the Cathedral's direct investments in fossil fuel companies 

Learning, engagement and advocacy 

Caring for creation is part of the life of the Cathedral, not just our buildings and grounds. 
 
Our Sustainability Group brings together people from across the Cathedral and our congregation and meets regularly to consider how we can improve our environmental impact. 
 
We also create opportunities for people to learn about and engage with environmental issues. Recent activity has included: 
  • A special Creationtide service in 2026 (Watch the service here or read the sermon here) 
  • A screening of the People's Emergency Briefing in June 2026 
  • Environmental themes in our weekly newsletter through our Sustainable Steps feature, encouraging our congregation to make small changes towards environmental sustainability and raising awareness of key dates. 
  • A podcast episode with David Mooney, CEO of London Wildlife Trust, exploring the protection of urban wildlife (Listen here) 
  • Social media activity highlighting Creationtide and environmental sustainability (Watch here) 
  • Environmental learning through our Learning Centre's work with schools 
  • Participation in Better Bankside's Southwark Climate Collective, including carbon literacy training for staff 
  • The installation Gaia provided opportunities for visitors and school groups to explore climate justice through learning activities developed using resources from Christian Aid. 
  • In 2024, the global impacts of climate change were explored through quizzes, games and discussions. Some of the work created through these activities was later displayed in the House of Commons in 2025. Young people were also invited to share messages of hope for the future. These were written on seed paper and planted in the Cathedral’s courtyard. 
We also work with our congregation and community to encourage practical action both here and abroad. For example, the Mother's Union at the Cathedral and St Hugh's is participating in a toilet twinning scheme, with money raised by the Mothers’ Union to support the project.