If the events of the past year have driven anything home, it's the importance of communities. In London and across the UK, community-run organisations are taking grassroots action to challenge some of the biggest problems we face as a society, including climate change.
In the run-up to COP26, we are acutely aware of the responsibilities of governments and global leaders to take decisive action against climate change, however, alongside this, we’re seeing a surge in community empowerment. People from all walks of life are successfully taking matters into their own hands - establishing or investing in pioneering and extraordinary organisations generating community-owned renewables; developing new approaches to sustainable land and food production, retrofitting energy efficiency technologies to homes and providing fair access to electric charging infrastructure and cars to fuel the clean transport revolution.
In this LCAW interactive panel discussion, we’ll look at the growing appetite for local action, how and why it works and we’ll showcase and celebrate some of the pioneering community initiatives across the UK that are addressing the climate crisis by taking action on their own doorsteps.
We will have a panel of inspiring speakers, including the author of a recent report on community actions against climate change, representatives of community organisations that have already made a huge positive impact, a representative from Carbon Copy, a charity that inspires big-thinking local action against the climate crisis and members of several community-run organisations that have demonstrated success in creating a positive impact.
We will talk about the power that is held within communities to start making a difference, even while we wait for governmental reforms, looking at examples of successful projects, including community renewable energy generation, eco-farming practices and sustainable transport development. We will also discuss how these organisations are funded by everyday people, who are investing alongside institutional investors and using their money to take a stand against the climate crisis and ways that sharing information on the actions we’re taking is key to replicating success around the UK.
The event is designed to showcase the great work being done by communities in London and around the UK to combat climate change and inspire like-minded community groups to think about how they can take positive action to collectively make a huge impact.
Speakers:
Chair: Lisa Ashford CEO Ethex
Luke Murphy - IPPR
Nick Robins - Professor in Practice - Sustainable Finance
Ric Casale - Carbon Copy
Andy O’Brien - Bristol Energy Cooperative
Helen Woodcock - Kindling Farm
Marianne Heaslip - People Powered Retrofit
