Would I be prepared to be arrested for environmental activism? ??

Last week, a colleague asked me if I would be prepared to be arrested for environmental activism – and my honest response was “no”. It is a question that made me think twice because, as a woman, I only got the right to vote because our female ancestors - the Suffragettes - were prepared to go to prison for their beliefs.

On a related note, I attended Huckletree's inaugural Earthrise Summit last week. It focused on positive action and how Covid-19 has shown that global cooperation and collaboration is possible. The challenge is how we scare people enough to take action without paralysing them with fear.

Virtual-first world ??

I tried hard to keep my full attention on the event (no easy thing in this very noisy and distraction-prone world we find ourselves in) but it wasn’t hard as it was so engaging. It was hosted on a great bespoke online platform where you could interact with the speakers, find supporting content and personalise your schedule. This did mean I was able to squeeze in a few virtual meetings and emails throughout the day as well.

The first dedicated Net Zero-themed workspace ??

We heard huge news when Huckletree announced the creation of a dedicated community-focused Net Zero Hub set to open in London in 2022. Huckletree Co-founders Gabriela Hersham and Andrew Lynch want to ensure the conversations that took place during the Summit can happen every day. I am hopeful that it will drive action around climate change, which isn’t always visible. The fundamental question is how we make climate change as exponential a threat as Covid-19 has been. You can get involved with the Net Zero hub, by contacting [email protected] 

"We must also realise that each and every one of us are in the position to help turn the tide. And we must fight to play our unique, individual roles in the growing movement around Climate Action."

Huckletree Co-founders Gabriela Hersham and Andrew Lynch

Did you know that climate change is still considered a political issue (and not a science-one) issue? ????? ?? I didn't know that you couldn't post about climate change on platforms without breaching political rules.

My key takeaways from the Summit

?? Climate justice. The most vulnerable people are the ones who are paying the price most dearly today.

?? Climate action really does start with the individual making personal sacrifices.

?? The B-Corp Framework is an incredible mechanism that companies can start using today.

?? Environmental justice and social justice are very closely aligned.

?? The window for opportunity is fast closing, and while individual action is important, countries need to take significant steps which is why COP26 is so critical.

My Actions post the Summit

? I have added Apple TV's ‘The year the Earth Changed’ to my watch list.

? I downloaded the National Grid ESO App for an up-to-date view of the UK's energy generation mix. (According to Lucy Yu, the CEO of Octopus Centre for Net Zero, 47% of the UK's energy came from renewable sources on the May 1 2021 bank holiday.)

? I wrote this article.

The need for Carbon Pricing ??

Lily Cole and others spoke about the real need for Carbon Pricing. This is the policy that requires companies to pay for the pollution they cause at their source. Until non-sustainable products account for their future planetary damage, sustainable options are always going to be more expensive. Cole points out that countries like Canada have implemented this very successfully.

Being a conscious consumer is utterly exhausting ??

This is something I completely relate to. I do try, but it's hard work and takes time. How do we adapt our business models to move away from relentless purchasing to conscious consumerism? Unfortunately, it's not enough to use offsets as a way to combat climate change; we must reduce emissions, and do that we need to shift away from a disposable attitude and make circular models mandatory.

I first heard Lily Cole at the Life Lessons festival last year in February 2020 (aka BC Covid) and can heartily recommend her book, Who Cares Wins.

Four Stages: Earthrise, Profit with Purpose, Eco-Entrepreneurship, Society & Impact

The Summit had four stages to choose from, and as someone who is trying to embrace more JOMO but suffers from FOMO, it really was tricky choosing. I was glad to land on Aina Abiodun and Shilpika Gautum's talk about the need to rethink the investment landscape

Apparently, two-thirds of people from around the world now do believe that climate change is a global emergency, but we are overwhelmed. It's a complex problem. The Earth is a complex ecosystem and as much as individual actions are a great place to start (because you're in control), it's simply not enough.

What is your money doing today? ??

Climate change is not 30 years in the future. Climate Risk is fundamentally a financial risk and we need to help fund the infrastructure and offset the invisible investments we are making into fossil fuels (via our saving accounts).

There are two key areas that need investment: 

• Rapid Response - Climate adaptation
• Fund technology to get carbon out of the atmosphere

Carbon Removal works on a 10-to-30 years horizon and it is unproven, but it *needs* investment. As for climate adaptation and resilience, those investments are deploying now.

Aina and Shilpika are launching Popsquad, the first investment platform that only *really* ensures that you're investing sustainably. It also allows you to invest together with your squad for our planet be that your family, friends or community.

Businesses must take action  

Lucy Yu, CEO at the Centre for Net Zero, encourages businesses into action by becoming a B-Corp company and auditing their business activity to learn about their scope 1, scope 2 and scope 3 emissions.

Nearly half (43%) of our emissions reduction needs to come from measures that combine low carbon technology AND society or behavioural change with a further 16% largely coming from behaviour changes. Electric cars are an example of combining low carbon tech with societal change. (Figure taken below from Lucy Yu's presentation at Earthrise Summit).

Balancing the grid 

For the first time ever, households were paid for daytime green electricity during lockdown.

Balancing the grid simply means meeting supply with demand, and we need to enable a system where domestic consumers contribute to grid balancing with smart charging. Electric cars, for example, can be considered batteries on wheels.

Smart Green Investments

Heidi Lindvall, General Partner from Pale Blue Dot, European Climate Tech VC investing in pre-seed and seed startups, made the point that today’s impact investors are the only group having to justify how much impact they are making from their funds. Surely all investors should be doing that?

Investors aren't taking enough responsibility for social and climate impact; they are after all funding the very people who are going to be future leaders. It can no longer just be about profit. Investors must be held to account for the investments they make - impact investors or not - but there is still no standard framework to measure impact.

The role of Women

In her talk with Claire Barnett, Executive Director UN Women UK, activist Nimco Ali argues that pledges are one thing and actions are another.

"Expertise is not the books we have read but the experience we have lived." Nimco Ali

There is a powerful idea of linking women with development to ameliorate climate change, but for this to happen women must be free. Africa is facing a booming population heading towards 2B people because women are seen as a commodity. They must be moved from assets to being actual citizens. Polygamy and FGM are still widely practised, and until women have the freedom to choose to work, whom they marry and how many children they have, the environment will suffer.

Jimmy Chin ?? ????

Unlike many other attendees at the Summit, I didn't know who the keynote speaker Jimmy Chin was, so it was extra special to be introduced to an Oscar-winning filmmaker, athlete and photographer for the first time. Unfortunately, normal life got in the way, and I only got to listen to the first 15 minutes before nursery pick-up duties kicked in, but it was a highlight to hear him share his story (and a definite positive of online events).

So, while I am not quite ready to be arrested just yet, I have written this article to share some of my own learnings from what was a really informative and inspiring event. Thank you to Festival Director Patrick Keogh and the entire Huckletree team for making this happen! Same time again next year?