St Peter’s Church, Lodsworth

St Mary’s Church, Easebourne

St James’ Church, Selham

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‘in FAITH we FOLLOW + in HOPE we LIVE + in LOVE we SERVE’

Eco Church - Net Zero Carbon 2030

ECO TIPS for April 2025

06-04-25

Lent Week 5 - Spend time in nature

Spending time appreciating God’s creation can be an act of worship. There is strong evidence that nature is also good for our mental health. Nature can be experienced when we notice an insect, hear a bird sing, feel the earth beneath our hands or even when we watch a nature documentary! Try to immerse yourself in nature every day, even for just a few minutes and give thanks to God for His good creation. Further ideas can be found at arocha.org.uk/ideas to-enjoy-nature

13-04-25

Lent Week 6 - Go Palm Oil Free

Chocolate is everywhere at Easter, but unfortunately a lot of that is made with palm oil. Palm oil production can be devastating to the environment as it is a leading cause of deforestation and habitat loss for endangered species. Avoiding palm oil in the things you buy can be a powerful incentive for manufacturers to find more ethical sources or stop using it altogether. Lots of proudly palm oil free chocolates will have a note on their packaging. Check out your local palm-free chocolate supplier or contact the manufacturer directly.

20-04-25

Easter - Be Still Outdoors

During Holy Week, find a quiet spot outdoors and reflect on what Holy Week means to you. Surrounded by the beauty and creativity of nature, the shortcomings of humanity and our need for repentance are often clearer, but so also is the power and timelessness of God. Bring before him your own concerns and the needs of the natural world. A weekly prayer diary is available at arocha.org.uk/get-involved/pray

27-04-25

Driving Efficiency

Efficient driving is a driving style that reduces fuel bills, cuts carbon emissions and lowers accident rates. It is about becoming a better driver, rather than sacrificing the performance or enjoyment of driving.

 Anticipate the road as far ahead as possible to avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration, as this increases fuel use. Maintain a greater distance from the vehicle in front so that you can adapt your speed without necessarily using the brakes.

 At high speeds fuel consumption increases dramatically. For EVs, the increase in energy consumption at high speeds is even greater.

 Many newer cars automatically turn off when stationary but if yours doesn’t and you're likely to be waiting for longer than 10 seconds (certainly for more than a minute) switch off the engine.

 Under-inflated tyres increase your fuel consumption and can be dangerous, so check them at least once a month and before long journeys.

 It’s more fuel efficient to open a window than use air conditioning when driving, even at higher speeds. If you need to use air conditioning, try to use it sparingly.

(advice from the Energy Saving Trust and the RAC)

For the Church of England, being ‘Net Zero Carbon 2030’ means that the carbon emissions of our buildings and travel will be reduced to less than 10% of our baseline levels. The remaining emissions will be offset in verified schemes that reduce carbon. That means overall, our buildings and travel will not contribute to rising carbon emissions: their contribution will be ‘net zero’. Responding to the climate crisis is an essential part of our responsibility to safeguard God’s creation and achieve a just world. The short animated video on the right highlights many of the steps that churches can take to achieve ‘Net Zero Carbon 2030’.

The Priory Churches journey towards Net Zero Carbon

    Actions completed so far (updated February 2025):

• Energy Footprint Tool completed for all Priory Churches.  St Mary’s 8.4 tonnes gross of CO2 produced, 87% of emission from gas
• Creation of Priory Churches Net Zero Carbon forum: meetings so far Oct 24 and Feb 25
• Reduce boiler burn at St Mary’s by 20% a week and maximum temperature reduced to 18C
• Attend Portsmouth Cathedral Net Zero Carbon conference (18 January 2025)
• Replace lightbulbs with LEDs: completed at St James’ and St Mary’s
• Energy champion to monitor bills and ensure switch off of equipment when not in use. (Phil Stringer)
• At St Mary’s, reduce use of east door and encourage use of main north door: reduces heat loss from draughts
• Net Zero information on the weekly church bulletin

A Rocha UK’s Eco Church scheme has made significant progress in encouraging local churches to care for creation as a core tenet of faith and to integrate this across every aspect of church life. It has played a significant role in enabling congregations across all denominations to embrace the responsibility of creation care and to see it as an expression of love for God and others, including the natural world.

A Rocha UK’s approach to Eco Church is one of facilitating the movement, encouraging a learning community, and ensuring that the programme behind it is dynamic, continuously developing to keep up with the science and options for action.

You can find out more from their website: https://arocha.org.uk

Climate Change - the facts - Sir David Attenborough

BBC documentary