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UK invests extra £16 million to prevent Amazon deforestation, new David Attenborough film and more:

Mon, 10 August 2020

National News in Brief (August 2020):

  • UK's electricity system could go carbon-negative from 2033: https://bit.ly/2BYWsuV
     
  • Nando’s becomes the first restaurant group in Europe with an approved Science Based Target: 
    https://bit.ly/3i7uqwD
     
  • A new David Attenborough film  'A Life On Our Planet'  is premiering in cinemas for one night only on Monday 28th September:  
    https://bit.ly/3gunKII
     
  • UK invests extra £16 million to prevent Amazon deforestation:  
    https://bit.ly/2BXdKbO

Zero-waste Refill Service Launches in the UK

Mon, 10 August 2020

In partnership with Tesco, TerraCycle has launched its pilot zero-waste shopping platform, Loop, in the UK.

With Loop, customers can buy products in refillable packaging. They pay a deposit to ‘borrow’ the packaging which is refunded when the used packaging is returned to TerraCycle. TerraCycle will then have it professionally cleaned so it can be reused.  Customers can complete an online request for a pick-up from their home, or by dropping the packaging to one of DPD’s 2,500 collection points.

Brands signed up in the UK include Heinz, Coca Cola, Unilever, Danone and Nivea.

https://bit.ly/2XrZaRi

New Carbon Footprinting Tool for Parish Councils Under Development

Mon, 10 August 2020

In partnership with Midlands Energy Hub, the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is in the process of developing a tool that will enable parish councils and local communities to estimate baseline carbon emissions for their area. This will be calculated using information about energy use, travel behaviours and the consumption of goods and services modelled at household level and scaled up to better reflect individual communities.

The tool will help parish councils develop locally appropriate carbon reduction strategies that focuses on big-emissions sectors rather than low-impact activities.

If you're a parish councillor or clerk who would be interested in trialling the prototype tool/providing feedback later in the year, please email catherine.sage@cse.org.uk. 

https://bit.ly/39Um8pb

Introducing the Derbyshire Dales Climate Hub

Tue, 4 August 2020

Derbyshire Dales Climate Hub (the Hub) is a newly-established sub-group of the Derbyshire Climate Coalition and is made up of Dales residents who have come together specifically to offer help and support to Derbyshire Dales District Council (DDDC), who recently celebrated the first anniversary of their Declaration of a Climate Emergency. The declaration was passed unanimously and aims to commit the council to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Despite the interruption of the coronavirus emergency, the council’s Climate Change Working Group has commissioned a report from consultants ClearLead, to assess how the authority can reduce its own carbon footprint.

The Hub wishes to support the council in its communications with the wider public about the Climate Emergency and ways in which people can help mitigate its impacts. They plan to hold online public meetings (and face to face ones as soon as it becomes possible), and further develop a survey, which has already been trailed in the Derbyshire Dales.

Objectives include:

  • Explore how we can support and collaborate with DDDC to progress the Climate Emergency Action Plan (whenever that is developed and operationalised).
  • Seek to improve the level of communication on the Climate Emergency Plan for wider public consumption.
  • Develop a survey methodology to seek the views of residents in the Derbyshire Dales (through local town councils and parishes).
  • Offer ideas and action to enhance the ambitions of the Plan (e.g. host a few public meetings).
  • Review periodically progress and report our views to the leaders of all political groups on the Council.

A Hub member, Wendy Bullar said, “we are not a campaign group, but an informed and responsive group of concerned citizens. We are able and willing to support the council and the wider community to fulfill this ambitious yet essential carbon target. We see this as a collaborative approach in response to what inevitably will be a complex and difficult process of change".

“We've had a preliminary and constructive (zoom) meeting with the Chair of the Council's Climate Change Working Group. He has suggested that once the Council have received the consultant's final report, we can anticipate a detailed discussion about gaining wider community participation (Covid-19 permitting) in Climate Change issues.

For more information, contact Wendy Bullar at w.bullar@btinternet.com or Mary Ann Hooper at m.hooper@w3z.co.uk.

Virtual Carbon Literacy Course held for members of Community Groups in High Peak

Tue, 4 August 2020

Last month, local charity Marches Energy Agency (MEA) ran a virtual Carbon Literacy course for members of Transition Buxton and other community groups in the High Peak Local Authority Area. 10 people (maximum number spaces available) attended the course which was delivered through three tutor-led Zoom sessions - each being a combination of lectures, interactive activities, and discussions. This was a new Carbon Literacy course adapted to an online format, delivered for the first time, and offered everything that an ordinary full-day Carbon Literacy course would offer.

Carbon Literacy courses equip people and communities with the skills needed to bring about the rapid reduction in carbon emissions required in the next few years by the climate emergency.  The Carbon Literacy Project defines Carbon Literacy as: "An awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.”

This course was free to attend as it was funded by Local Authorities in the area.  For a small free, they had an option to be certified as Carbon Literate by the national Carbon Literacy Project

One participant, Frances Sussex from Transition Buxton, who attended the course said: 'Thank you so much to you and your colleagues for the Carbon Literacy course. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy it, but it has transformed my thinking about my own carbon footprint. I’ve been reflecting on the course constantly since it began.’

She added ‘So thank you for making us realise that we needed to make more drastic changes to our carbon footprint. All the resources you used were great and I’m looking forward to sharing my new knowledge with schools next academic year.’

If you are interested in attending future courses, please express interest via shital@mea.org.uk.