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Last October, before the COP26 climate change talks in Glasgow, IEMA conducted a survey that showed that climate change was the second most important concern, just behind the economy. This result was part of a suite of opinion polls taken around this time which gave similar results both in the UK and other countries. It could be argued that this momentum gives policymakers a greater opportunity to concentrate on the policies and skills needed to drive a zero carbon economy. However, we have also seen evidence that some people are becoming fearful and anxious about the future, even to the extent that they feel any action they might take will make little or no difference, given our current global trajectory. That’s why we want to start the year discussing how small changes in lifestyle can help reduce your impact. We discuss with our panel how the challenge of being sustainable can seem daunting, but how important it is to start to do things even though they may be imperfect. We also talk about how to stay motivated to change habits, as each individual or business will have their own challenges and the importance of being kind but also honest about where you are on our journey.
Ben Knight is a full IEMA member and Head of Environmental Sustainability at FinTech company GoCardless - a global payment company with 70,000+ customers which processes £Billions each year - where he is building a sustainability strategy which not only aims to reduce the impact of business, but also utilise the GoCardless platform to create a positive impact on people, society, and the natural environment. Prior to joining GoCardless, he worked at space-telecoms start-up OneWeb, which included calculating the environmental impact of the space sector, from emissions from rocket launches to embodied carbon in satellites. At a local-level, Ben leads Climate and Biodiversity action groups, and is continuously looking to encourage collaboration so all parties can play a part in forging a more sustainable world for future generations.
Jen is an ordinary, knackered mum of two whose life changed when she dragged and cajoled her family into a year buying nothing new. That year changed not only what she buys, but also how she sees her place in the world. Jen recognised the power that we all have as individuals to make a difference to the things we care about, simply through getting informed about the impact of our daily choices, and figuring out easy swaps and changes. The family are still (just about) talking to her and they live in Wiltshire where Jen writes and podcasts about all things Sustainable(ish). She is the author of The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide and The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting
