You’ll have seen the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in the news this week. You’ll have heard the latest warnings, an appeal to governments to listen, and the stark retelling of the scale of challenge that we are facing. What you won’t hear is what it means locally, for your town or village, your business, or your home. What does the IPCC report mean for Cumbria?
IPCC tells us Cumbria can make a difference
The report tells us that globally ‘there are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now’. We know this well in Cumbria. At Cumbria Action for Sustainability we run multiple projects to fight the cause of climate change – from supporting businesses to decarbonise, to supporting community renewable energy schemes, through to improving the energy efficiency of homes. Other initiatives in Cumbria include local solutions to cut transport emissions such as eBike loan and electric vehicle charging. The diversity of organisations involved in Cumbria’s Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership is indicative of the momentum we have in Cumbria. A quick glance through the event listings on ZCCP’s website shows the commitment and spread of climate actions taking place here. As individuals, as an organization, and as a lead partners in ZCCP the CAfS team will continue to demonstrate the ingenuity and the motivation to make a difference.
The tools are available to reduce greenhouse gases, and we can make sure that they are used.
Is Cumbria off track?
IPCC is telling the international community that we are off-track. ‘The pace and scale of what has been done so far, and current plans, are insufficient…’. This sounds bleak. But it is a call to action, and it should spur us to take the next steps quicker. And for Cumbria what are these next steps? The ZCCP has sector groups exploring what we can do about the most significant causes of carbon emissions. CAfS is training climate champions and home energy efficiency champions, working with businesses and supporting our soon to be new councils. Our carbon literacy training alone has been incredibly successful in improving knowledge, raising awareness of solutions, and securing commitments to action. We are a part of over 50,000 people trained nationwide in carbon literacy and aim to keep up this momentum.
The report warns the world that every increment of warming results in rapidly escalating hazards. This is why CAfS aim of a zero carbon Cumbria is so vital. By playing our part, by being an inspirational country that leads the way, we can make a difference. Small actions add up to cause big waves.
Banner picture credit: visitcumbria.com