Within the framework of a self-authored climate protection concept, all legal entities administered by the Episcopal Administration and the School Foundation of the Diocese of Regensburg will purchase genuine green electricity, certified with the Green Electricity seal of approval, from January 01, 2021.
By 2030, 50 percent of the previous CO2 emissions are to be saved. "This change is a milestone in the effort to achieve our self-imposed goal from the climate protection concept," said Canon Thomas Pinzer, head of the diocesan climate protection project group. The goal of saving 50 percent of previous CO2 emissions by 2030 would be an important contribution on the part of the Catholic Church. After all, the facilities in Regensburg alone generate around 1,600 tons of CO2 per year. According to the church's own figures, a complete switch to 100 percent renewably generated electricity would save all emissions.
Church's own climate fund sets incentives
The management of the diocese hopes that other church foundations will follow the Regensburg path and take advantage of the favorable conditions from the Bavaria-wide framework agreement. In addition, church foundations willing to switch will be rewarded with 500 euros from the diocesan climate fund.
Many electricity supply contracts end at the end of the current calendar year. Since each institution itself must join a new contract, institutions still have until the end of September to purchase green electricity from a tariff with added value for nature and the energy transition. Such tariffs can be identified by the Grüner Strom-Label, for example. The label obligates energy providers to spend a fixed amount per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed on nature conservation or energy transition projects. Green electricity-certified products lay a foundation for a successful energy turnaround, as more than 1,400 support projects with a volume of over 75 million euros have already been realized in this way.
