Cool Congregations

Link to A Cool Cnngregation

WHAT IS A COOL CONGREGATION?

Every year, hundreds of congregations sign-up to become a recognized “Cool Congregation.”  What’s the big attraction? Cool Congregations express their love of Creation and their concern about global warming by being part of the solution.

Cool Congregations strive for energy efficiency and conservation; use renewable energy; create climate-friendly grounds; and inspire people to do the same in their own homes and communities.

Cool Congregations are in alignment with their denomination’s statement on climate change.

In the process, they save money on energy bills and develop a closely knit community.

A COOL CONGREGATION . . .

Forms a leadership “team” of dedicated individuals;

Achieves at least 10% in energy savings (and carbon footprint reduction) within the house of worship and/ or within households;

Can be of any faith tradition or denomination.

The list of Cool Congregations is growing in leaps and bounds by the year. Cool Congregations is a program of Interfaith Power & Light (IPL), a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California with affiliates in 40 states and DC.

CORE VALUES

The core values of the Cool Congregations program are rooted in the mission of Interfaith Power & Light, which responds to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.

IPL strives to protect Earth’s ecosystems, safeguard the health of all Creation, and ensure sufficient, sustainable energy for all. While IPL offers many programs, Cool Congregations is designed to provide support to congregations that are “walking the talk” through actual carbon footprint reducing activities.
Global warming is one of the biggest threats facing humanity today.

The very existence of life — life that people of faith are called to protect — is jeopardized by our continued dependency on fossil fuels. Every major religion has a mandate to care for Creation. We were given natural resources to sustain us, but we were also given the responsibility to act as good stewards and preserve life for future generations.