Environmental Sustainability in Church Operations

President Russell M. Nelson has taught that “as beneficiaries of the divine Creation, what shall we do? We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations. And we are to love and care for one another.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeks to follow this prophetic counsel through responsible management of its global operations, which includes meetinghouses, temples, fleets, farms, and welfare and educational facilities. Many programs have been in progress for decades. Others were developed more recently, as new technologies and opportunities have become available.

To guide sustainability efforts across its wide range of operations, the Church has identified several major priorities, including the following:

Adopt renewable energy. The Church has had on-site solar systems since 1986; as of November 2024, over 750 Church-owned buildings produce on-site solar power, including meetinghouses, temples, schools and warehouses. Hundreds more buildings participate in utility-led programs to pay for electricity from renewable sources. In addition, a handful of meetinghouses and temples use geothermal energy to regulate heating and cooling.

Improve energy efficiency. Operating highly efficient and well-insulated buildings has been a long-standing goal of the Church for many years. Recent improvements include the installation of LEDs for lighting, smart controls for heating, cooling and irrigation, and battery storage where local electricity grids are not reliable.

Conserve water, based on ecological needs and resources. In regions with limited water resources, the Church is reducing usage through smart irrigation controls, reduction of underused lawns and retrofitting properties with other water-wise landscaping (also known as xeric landscaping or dry gardens). In coordination with public stakeholders, the Church has also donated tens of thousands of water shares to help protect Utah’s Great Salt Lake in the United States.

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Reduce, reuse and recycle to avoid material waste. The Church strives to source materials through sustainable supply chains, as well as divert as much waste as possible from landfills. Notable initiatives include the following:

• One hundred percent of sacrament cups are made from recycled plastic and can be recycled after worship services where local municipalities permit it. External experts determined that recycled plastic has the lowest overall environmental impact, even compared to paper cups.
• U.S.-based printing operations have expansive recycling capabilities.
• Old electronics are collected from all Church-owned buildings in the U.S. and Canada, to be responsibly donated or recycled.
• Across Latin America, Church distribution stores are replacing plastic bags with reusable ones.
• Peru-based printing operations are certified for using sustainably sourced wood.
• In Brazil, youth conferences are beginning to source T-shirts made from recycled plastic.

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Reduce transportation emissions. The Church has adopted high fuel-efficiency standards for its global vehicle fleet, used by facility managers, missionaries and other workers. Bicycle shelters are provided in select locations where member ridership warrants it. EV chargers are installed at a handful of temples and meetinghouses where they are locally mandated or where the chargers are considered a strategic opportunity.

Practice the sustainable design, development and construction of our buildings. As the Church builds beautiful temples and other facilities, it is mindful of the materials, site selection and methods needed to support their long-term operations and maintenance in an environmentally sound manner. In more rural areas, maintaining sustainability often involves using smaller and more localized designs, which require less energy.

Practice sustainable agriculture and ranching in the Church’s welfare and investment farms around the globe. This includes the use of cover crops; crop rotation; no-till and reduced-till farming; grazing management; precision technologies to reduce water, waste and chemical use; and other practices that support long-term land productivity and help reduce negative environmental impacts.

Adapt to climate risks and improve resiliency, especially in implementing relevant humanitarian projects and facility maintenance standards. The accelerating frequency of extreme climate events disproportionately affects poor and vulnerable populations who do not have the resources to adapt to more volatile conditions or recover from long-term damages. For decades, the Church has frequently participated in projects to beautify and fortify local communities. Those projects range from sponsoring urban gardens to reducing erosion with tree planting. Furthermore, in partnership with accredited nongovernmental organizations, the Church contributes significantly to global initiatives on food security, energy independence and clean-water access—all of which have important environmental considerations.

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Click here to find out more about the Church’s humanitarian efforts.

Additional Resources

• Elder D. Todd Christofferson: Honoring the Creator
• Elder Patrick Kearon: Latter-day Saints and the Environment
• Bishop W. Christopher Waddell Speech on Water Conservation: A Perspective from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints