On Mon 27 Sep Zoom Soroptimist International St Albans and District’s Planet Team organised the online event “Step Up to COP26 Whilst Stepping Down Carbon Footprints”.
Please click on the link here to view the excellent presentation delivered by our Member and Carbon Literacy Trainer Linda Shall
SISTA Sep 2021 Step Up to COP26 Whilst Stepping Down Carbon Footprints
There were 28 people on the Zoom call learning what COP26 is and what role it could and should play in helping women reduce their own, their community and the planet’s carbon emissions.
A few notes to help with the background and jargon in the presentation: COP = UN Conference of Parties – annual event; 2015 Paris COP21; 2020 Glasgow COP26 (delayed to 2021 due to COVID with a pre-COP meeting in Italy); COP purpose is for global negotiations towards agreements and declarations; Former Energy Minister Claire Perry was appointed as Interim COP26 President, now Alok Sharma ; ‘Powering past coal’ alliance of LG/national/businesses committed to phasing out unabated coal power; ‘Clean growth’ strategy to decarbonise UK economy.
We split into breakout groups for 15 minutes and discussed:
- What might get in your way of achieving a step?
- How can women as decision-makers in the home and elsewhere influence achieving that step?
The breakout groups were encouraged to focus on these 5 categories:
Travel – fly less, drive electric, walk/cycle more
Home – insulate, switch energy, get solar, dial it down
Voice – MP, employer/colleagues, friends/family
Food – cut waste, plant-based, seasonal
Lifestyle – money, repair/re-use, clothes to last
The feedback from the groups will be written up and included here soon.
Everyone who attended learned more about the current environmental challenge and the need for Britain to step up to lead through COP26. We were all encouraged to make 16 lifestyle changes with the Count Us In campaign www.count-us-in.org and to get involved through St Albans Climate Action Network –www.sustainablestalbans.org/st-albans-climate-action-network
Next Steps – suggestions for people to follow up on:
Climate Hero Card – Sustainable St Albans – https://sustfest.org/climate-actions/
Thermal Imaging Camera – https://sustainablestalbans.org/thermal-imaging/
Ethical Consumer – https://www.ethicalconsumer.orÅg/60-actions-help-tackle-climate-change
SIGBI website – https://sigbi.org/ukpac/2020/05/16/6-actions-to-fight-climate-change/
Book – Jen Gale – Sustainable(ish) Living Guide
Please also watch this video https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5i1bsx Our Future | Narrated by Morgan Freeman
Thanks to the SI St Albans and District Planet Team – it was a really interesting and informative evening as many of the attendees commented in the Zoom chat.
After the meeting the Club made a donation to Friends of the Earth , this included monies contributed by guests.