What more can we do locally to support tackling climate change?

7 December 2019

Nick Caddick Says:

The necessary starting point for discussion of climate action is recognising what an enormous challenge we face. The science is clear on this; we must act now and act big. Tinkering around the edges will no longer do.

Some may read this and think “Well, what can we do?” or “Is it up to me”? The answers are “a lot” and “YES!” It is everyone’s responsibility to try to become part of the solutions to climate change. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to look them in the eye and say, “we tried”.

Even though the challenges are global and structural, we can and should do our bit locally, and lead the change we want to see. The following actions would be a starting point:

Councils

• Incentivise green travel by transforming infrastructure and prioritising new cycle lanes throughout our towns and cities
• Invest in renewable energy to generate more green energy locally
• Subsidise and support sustainable local farming and food production

Households and businesses

• Ensure all savings, banking and assets are divested from polluting industries and fossil fuel companies
• Change purchasing and consumption habits – switch energy suppliers and buy sustainable brands and products
• Reduce consumption habits overall, and recycle everything you can

Public, private and third sector organisations

• Greener working practices: fly less, more remote working and ‘virtual’ meetings
• Develop and implement a sustainability strategy

We urgently need all these actions, and more besides, to minimise our contribution to climate chaos. But we should be also excited about the opportunities we’d create for healthier, less polluted towns and cities with human wellbeing at the centre of our habits. Finally, everyone should use their democratic voice – and their vote – to demand climate action now.

This article was originally published in the Essex Chronicle

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