We need climate action on all fronts, everywhere all at once

This article was first published on Chronicle Live.

We need climate action on all fronts, everywhere all at once

Failure is not an option for one North East social enterprise that helps businesses and communities take the necessary changes to halt the climate crisis.

Scientists have long warned about the impacts of climate change. The first UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report was published in the early 1990s.

Their warnings are now being realised. This summer we’ve witnessed record-breaking heatwaves, floods, and wildfires across the globe.

There’s no doubt about it, we’re in serious trouble.

However, earlier this year the Panel’s report showed, despite the unprecedented scale of the challenge, there are solutions available. Speaking at the time, UN secretary general António Guterres stated the report is “a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe.

“Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”

Closer to home, this is the reality for Climate Action North an award-winning social enterprise delivering a raft of initiatives to help everyone across the North East take direct climate action.

Working across the North of England and the Scottish borders, the company is run by Sharon Lashley, Phil Macari, and Jennifer Clair Robson. The trio pool their knowledge and experience after having worked on a variety of climate change issues throughout their careers.

“No one can tackle this crisis alone and no one must be left behind,” explains managing director Sharon Lashley, “which is why we ensure there is something for everyone from business owners and community groups to schools and individuals.

“We need as many people as possible to take steps to make the changes needed to improve the situation and avoid doing things that make it worse.”

Climate Action North partners with businesses, local authorities, and schools to reach as many people as possible to share ways that climate action can easily be applied in everyday life.

“We mobilise and inspire businesses, communities, and individuals to make one change, or many changes, to fight the climate and ecological crises,” Sharon explains, “and we support local action and think globally, through our Global Wilders® programme to grow our network of climate champions whether it be through direct action in our projects or other ways such as sponsorship and donations.”

Nature-based solutions are a fundamental part of action for climate and biodiversity. Underpinning Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they value harmony between people and nature, restoring green and wild spaces.

Climate Action North has been flying the rewilding flag for over six years when they held their very first rewilding conference hosted by naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham. Since then, they have set up a community rewilding initiative Pollinator Parks®, which aims to increase biodiversity on business and retail parks and gives people a place to enjoy nature whilst at work.

Building on the 30/30 target of organisations like Rewilding Britain and Wildlife Trusts, they want to see 30 percent of business parks rewilded by 2030.

Sharon explains: “Pollinator Parks®, shows how we can practically support and care for our wildlife and repair broken ecosystems. By introducing native wildflower mini meadows, and planting native species trees, we transform outdoor areas on retail and business parks into ecological oases. This restores and creates natural wild spaces giving native insects, birds, and other animals the food and shelter they need.”

These wildflower mini meadows act as habitats for pollinator insects, such as bees, moths, butterflies and birds, whose functions are estimated to be worth £690 million each year to the UK’s economy alone.

Pollinator gardens have been set up in locations including the North East BIC, Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Centre, and The Darlington Denes.

More recently, this was taken a step further with a £15,000 grant awarded from charity Rewilding Britain. Climate Action North are using the funds to expand its North of England Rewilding Network support, which was set up in 2018 and to help connect and inspire the growing movement of rewilding land and sea practitioners across the region wherever they are in their journey to restore nature and ecosystems.

“Rewilding is a powerful way to tackle the nature and climate emergencies while creating social and economic benefits for people,” explains Sharon, “and we’re particularly excited to showcase smaller-scale nature-restoration projects that may otherwise be overlooked, as well as work taking place in the marine environment, by creating a supportive online platform where people can learn about rewilding and how to get involved.”

Cleaning up the rivers, through the company’s North East Action for Rivers initiative, is another way to take action. Working with partners, Swiftwater Solutions and Impact Recycling, they collect plastic from mudflat areas, on rocks where rock armour is present, and areas that are typically difficult to access. The plastic is then repurposed and reprocessed.

“We are constantly collecting large quantities of plastic during our beach cleans and river clean ups,” says Sharon, “and working with Impact Recycling means the hard to treat plastic collected can be repurposed into alternative products such as coat hangers, pallets, pipes, and furniture. This not only addresses the single-use plastics issue but also closes the plastics recycling gap and reduces consumption levels.”

As businesses face increasing pressure to take credible and ambitious actions, Climate Action North have developed specific support to help. “We recognise small businesses have limited resources, “Sharon says, “and we frequently hear first-hand they feel overwhelmed and confused about what net zero means, what they need to do, and how to go about it.

“That’s why we developed an online Business Action Toolkit, so they can plan to transition to a green future by making simple changes through climate and nature-based solutions.”

The online toolkit examines a range of issues including infrastructure and spaces; travel and carbon foot printing, and Corporate Social Responsibility and gives the user a report to base their net zero plan on.

As we shift toward net zero, an economy-wide transformation on an unprecedented scale will take place. The transition will impact many industries, jobs, and communities. It is expected approximately 6.3 million jobs in the UK, equating to around one in five, will be affected by the transition to a green economy, according to the Just Transition Jobs Tracker.

“It is often forgotten the Just Transition applies not only to large multinational corporations and governments,” explains Sharon, “it is also relevant for small and medium businesses who may struggle to adjust without support, advice, and incentives.

“Through our Training Academy we educate people through our CPD-accredited courses to help them be ‘skills-ready’ for the Just Transition to a cleaner, greener future. Subjects include rewilding, ocean pollution and single use plastics, and there are many more in the pipeline.”

“We have a narrow window for change so the time for critical action is now,” Sharon concludes. “Imagine if the eight billion people on the planet all made just one change. Alongside bigger global changes, it would help stabilise and protect our environmental life-support system.

“This is why we offer climate action on all fronts and work to be everything, everywhere, all at once. We all deserve a brighter future and, together, we can make a difference.”

What are you doing to make a difference? Get in touch with us to get involved and support our work.

The time for talking is over. Today we need to act.