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You are here: Home / Get Certified!

Get Certified!

If your congregation has taken steps to reduce your energy use and carbon emissions, apply to be a Certified Cool Congregation today!

Eco-friendly bamboo plaque is available for each level of certification

With this certification you will demonstrate your leadership in your community by showing that it is possible to reduce emissions, care for our common home, and often save money in the process

How to Apply


If you already have the information
on your energy savings, apply today.

First download the application questions and record your answers. This is helpful because you have to complete the online application in one sitting, it is not possible to save a draft and complete it later. The application questions includes the updated 2021 certification policy.

Download the Application Questions

APPLY

If you do not have the information use the Cool Congregations calculator for congregational facilities to take a “before” snapshot of your congregation’s carbon footprint, then make the changes to reduce your footprint, and come back to the calculator again to take an “after” snapshot. If you have reduced by 10% or more, you qualify for certification. Apply above.

You will receive a certificate suitable for framing and you can purchase a classy eco-friendly wooden plaque to show your leadership and inspire your congregants to make changes at home. You can apply for 10, 20, 30, or 40% reduction certification. Due to many congregations achieving higher levels of reduction, in 2020 IPL added new categories of 60, 80 and 100% reductions that a congregation can apply for. The average certified congregation has reduced 42%!

The Certified Cool Congregations listed here are jointly preventing over 1,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere every year. This is the equivalent of not burning one million pounds of coal every year. Read their inspiring stories and apply for certification!

Use the start up kit for congregations: “5 Steps to Becoming a Cool Congregation” to get started on a project to reduce your congregation’s carbon footprint.

Download the Start Up Kit

100% CO2 Reduction – Platinum Medallion

St. Martin's Episcopal Church

St. Martin’s Episcopal Church

Davis, California Becoming a Zero Carbon Church The Episcopal Church of St. Martin offered a virtual tour of their Zero ...
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Crosslake Presbyterian

Crosslake Presbyterian

Crosslake, MN Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 110% carbon reduction equivalent Crosslake is a rural town some refer to as “God’s ...
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St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

Framingham, MA Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 110% carbon reduction The 168 solar panels that grace the lovely St. Andrew’s Episcopal ...
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80% and above CO2 Reduction – Gold Medallion

Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church - All Hands on Deck!

Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church – All Hands on Deck!

Cincinnati, Ohio Mt. Auburn Presbyterian has reduced their carbon emissions by 75 tons through energy saving measures and the installation ...
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Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church isa a Cool Congregation

Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Tucson, AZ Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 80% carbon reduction A progressive and diverse urban parish, Grace Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church ...
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Temple Beth El in Stamford

Temple Beth El in Stamford

Stamford, CT Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 80% carbon reduction Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut now has one of the largest ...
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60% and above CO2 Reduction – Silver Medallion

Emmaus Cut the Carbon by 60%!

Emmaus Cut the Carbon by 60%!

Emmaus United Church of Christ, Vienna, VA A group of dedicated volunteer Green Team members have worked for years to ...
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Temple Sinai of Glendale

Temple Sinai of Glendale

Glendale, California Temple Sinai of Glendale began with a small but important step – getting an energy audit from their ...
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50% and above CO2 Reduction 

Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church Cut Energy Use in Half!

Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church Cut Energy Use in Half!
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, Severna Park, MD 50% and above reduction Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park, MD carefully ...
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40% and above CO2 Reduction – Bronze Medallion

Shalom Mennonite Church

Shalom Mennonite Church
Shalom Mennonite Church Joins Network of Solar Congregations Indianapolis, Indiana Shalom Mennonite Church in Indianapolis, Indiana has cut their emissions ...
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Church of the Brethren Modesto

Church of the Brethren Modesto
Modesto, CA Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 40% carbon reduction As part of their Earth Stewardship mission, Church of the Brethren in ...
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Flagstaff Federated Community Church

Flagstaff Federated Community Church
Flagstaff, AZ Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 50% carbon reduction Solar power has slashed the cost of electricity at Federated Community ...
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St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church

St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church
Dover, MA Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 50% carbon reduction St. Dunstan’s in Dover, Massachusetts can be very chilly in the winter ...
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington

unitarian universalist church of bloomington is a Cool Congregation
Bloomington, IN Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 50% carbon reduction The question driving this congregation was, “How can we best have ...
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30% CO2 Reduction – Green Medallion

Niles Discovery Church

Niles Discovery Church
Fremont, CA This small congregation that is part of both the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples ...
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St. Thomas ELCA Lutheran Church

St. Thomas ELCA Lutheran Church
Bloomington, IN Certified Cool Congregation, 30% carbon reduction St. Thomas Lutheran Church has an ongoing commitment to Creation Care, and ...
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Central Union Church, Honolulu, HI

Central Union Church, Honolulu, HI
Honolulu, HI Certified Cool Congregation, 30% carbon reduction Central Union Church, a historic landmark church in Honolulu, decided to become ...
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Emmanuel United Methodist Church

Emmanuel United Methodist Church
Laurel, MD Certified Cool Congregation, 30% carbon reduction Emmanuel United Methodist Church is operating on 100% renewable energy, without solar, ...
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First Unitarian Church of Cleveland

First Unitarian Church of Cleveland
Shaker Heights, OH Certified Cool Congregation, 30% carbon reduction A large canopy over First Unitarian's parking lot provides shade over ...
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Salvisa Christian Church

Salvisa Christian Church
Salvisa, KY Certified Cool Congregation, 30% carbon reduction Salvisa Christian Church is a small, rural Green Chalice congregation, worshipping in ...
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Westminster Presbyterian Church

Westminster Presbyterian Church
Knoxville, TN Certified Cool Congregation, 30% carbon reduction Electric power usage has a tremendous impact on our carbon footprint, especially ...
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20% CO2 Reduction – Blue Medallion

People’s Church of Kalamazoo

People’s Church of Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, MI People’s Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist Society, has set a goal for themselves to reach net ...
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St. John’s United Church of Christ

St. John's United Church of Christ
Lyons, IL St. John’s Church Council and their Green Facilities Team reduced their worship facilities carbon footprint by 20% or ...
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Bethany Lutheran Church

Bethany Lutheran Church
Cromwell, CT Seeking to improve its environmental stewardship through meaningful and relevant action, Bethany Lutheran Church has reduced the carbon ...
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Genesis of Ann Arbor

Genesis of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI Genesis of Ann Arbor house of worship is shared by Temple Beth Emeth and St. Clare's Episcopal ...
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Brackett Memorial United Methodist Church

Brackett Memorial United Methodist Church
Peaks Island, ME Certified Cool Congregation, 20% carbon reduction Brackett Memorial United Methodist Church is located on Peaks Island in ...
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Durham Community Church

Durham Community Church
Durham, NH Certified Cool Congregation, 20% carbon reduction Right next door to Maine is the Durham Community Church of the ...
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Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church

Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church
Louisville, KY Certified Cool Congregation, 20% carbon reduction How many church members does it take to change a lightbulb? Quite ...
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St. John Neumann Catholic Community

St. John Neumann Catholic Community
Reston, VA In response to the stewardship messages in the Pope’s recent encyclical, Laudato ‘Si, a team of parishioners formed ...
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10% CO2 Reduction – Red Medallion

Hillside, a Baptist Fellowship

Hillside, a Baptist Fellowship
Hillside Church, a Baptist Fellowship 10% carbon reduction Hillside Church, a Baptist Fellowship, is committed to Creation Care by reducing ...
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Covenant Christian Church keeps the covenant for the Earth

Covenant Christian Church keeps the covenant for the Earth
Urbandale, Iowa Covenant Christian Church is a certified Interfaith Power & Light Cool Congregation at the 10% level! Covenant is ...
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St. Teresa of Avila Parish

St. Teresa of Avila Parish
San Francisco, California Motivated and emboldened by Pope Francis’ “Laudato Si” encyclical on care for our common home, St. Teresa ...
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First Unitarian Church

First Unitarian Church
Louisville, KY Certified Cool Congregation, 10% carbon reduction For the past ten years the First Unitarian Church of Louisville has ...
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Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
Prairie Village, KS Certified Cool Congregation, 10% carbon reduction Lutheran Church of the Resurrection is a vibrant and busy church ...
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