NEWS
Project EVe launch
THE Church of Scotland has started work to explore the installation of electric vehicle charging points in church grounds across the country.
The project, codenamed EVe for Electric Vehicles, is part of the Kirk’s Net Zero by 2030 plans, was launched during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November.
The first step in the project is surveys to check the feasibility of installing a charge point in each of 16 churches across Fife, Edinburgh, Glasgow and the West which have signed up for the pilot project.
Once installed, the charging points will be available for local people to use, facilitating a move to electric cars and raising funds for congregations to address needs in their local communities.
Launching Project EVe, the Moderator of the General Assembly, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, visited Wellington Church in Glasgow, one of the churches looking at installing a charging point. Ahead of a sustainable transport discussion at COP26, he said: “This is a very welcome initiative.
Sustainable transport is on the official agenda for COP, and Scotland has a long road to go, with transport accounting for 37% of our greenhouse gas emissions, with 69% of this coming from road transport.
Electric vehicles, along with more active travel, will be part of the solution.”
Lord Wallace was joined by Wellington’s Assisting Minister (OLM), the Rev Dr Roger Sturrock, Robin Green, Wellington Church’s EcoCongregations Co-ordinator, and Rebecca Gebauer, a member at Wellington.
Also at the launch was Nigel Williams, founder of Project EVe and director of a vehicle leasing company which supplies cars to ministers.
Nigel said: “It’s my dream to see charging points installed at every church in the land. This is a real opportunity for the Church to be in the vanguard of environmental policy, when the eyes of the world are on Scotland for COP26. This is the most exciting thing I’ve done in my life. When I first started supplying cars to ministers 25 years ago, I never imagined I might have such a potentially significant role in the stewardship of creation.”
For more information contact Clare at Faith Action on cflenley@churchofscotland.org.uk