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

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 July 2025):

• Energy Footprint Tool completed for all Priory Churches; St Mary’s 8.4 tonnes gross of CO2 produced, 87% of emissions from gas
• Creation of Priory Churches Net Zero Carbon forum with first meeting in Oct 24
• Reduce boiler burn at St Mary’s by 20% a week and maximum temperature reduced to 18⁰c
• Attend Portsmouth Cathedral Net Zero Carbon conference (18 January 2025)
• Replace lightbulbs with LEDs: completed at St James’ Selham and St Mary’s Easebourne
• Energy champion to monitor bills and ensure switch off of equipment when not in use.
• At St Mary’s, reduce use of east door, encourage use of main north door to reduce heat loss and draughts
• Net Zero information on the weekly church bulletin
• Arrange Energy Audit for St Mary’s - completed 25 Feb 25 and report issued May 25

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

ECO CHURCH TIPS FOR THE PRIORY CHURCHES BULLETIN

December 2025

07-12-25

Ditch the Wet Wipes

In England a ban on selling wet wipes made from plastic will start in spring 2027 but other parts of the UK have already committed to banning them. It's expected to come into force in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland during 2026. While the UK government is in the process of implementing the ban on wet wipes that contain plastic, scientists argue that even some so-called ‘biodegradable’ or ‘flushable’ wipes aren’t designed to break down easily – meaning they still hold the qualities of plastic that block pipelines, sewage systems and pollute our oceans.

(Source - BBC News website)

14-12-25

Cooler Washing

Lowering the washing temperature on your washing machine from 40⁰c to 30⁰c reduces the energy used by 38%; better still, you could reduce the temperature to 20⁰c and you will save 62%. A UK-wide shift to a 30⁰c wash would save the same CO₂ as taking roughly 400,000 cars off the road - or more than 600,000 cars if we all switched to 20⁰c. With today’s modern machines, washing at these lower temperatures will still do a good job unless you are washing really soiled clothes.

(Source - Which? magazine, April 2020)

21-12-25

A Simpler and Greener Christmas

During Advent, let us turn our gaze to the true meaning of Christmas - God with us, Emmanuel. The humble birth of a child in a stable may seem distant from the way we celebrate today, but it offers a profound reminder of simplicity. This season let’s reflect on the story that we wish our actions and choices to tell. May our hearts and our celebrations align with the simplicity and beauty of the Christmas story.

(Source – A Rocha UK)

28-12-25

Notice Nature on a Winter Walk

Many of us enjoy spending time with friends and family over the festive period, but we know this time of year can also be hard for many of us. Spending time in nature can give a boost to our mental wellbeing – just twenty minutes a day can make a real difference.

Winter is a great time to spot all sorts of over-wintering birds - apps on your phone (eg Merlin, Seek, iNaturalist etc) can help identify and discover more about local species.

(Source – World Wide Fund for Nature)