Environment & Nature

WHY DOES TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE ISSUES AT WORK MATTER?

Getting your colleagues engaged in taking climate action, both in the workplace and in their homes, will be one of the fastest ways to multiply your personal impact on carbon pollution.

Depending on how much influence you have, you might to want to focus on your employer’s own carbon footprint (things like how the buildings are heated, work-related transport, procurement, and waste) or you might simply want to tell colleagues about the 16 Count Us In steps, and encourage them to sign up as individuals.

Most employers have corporate emissions that are many, many times higher than any individual’s emissions, so any influence we can bring to bear at work will have a far higher impact than making savings at home (not that we shouldn’t do both!).

WHERE TO START? GET INFORMED

READ: our blog on speaking up at work by Dan Fletcher, trustee of Sustainable St Albans

LISTEN: to Dan in this special #CountdownToCOP Radio Verulam podcast talking about Speaking Up At Work

WATCH: this inspiring 20 minute video from world-renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe.

She explains why the most important thing you can do to fight climate change is to talk about it.  This inspiring, pragmatic TED talk has been viewed nearly 4 million times, and with good reason. In it, Hayhoe shows how the key to having a real discussion is to connect over shared values like family, community and religion — and to prompt people to realize that they already care about a changing climate. “We can’t give in to despair,” she says. “We have to go out and look for the hope we need to inspire us to act — and that hope begins with a conversation, today.”

Read the “Talking Climate Guide” from Climate Outreach. It outlines different strategies for talking about climate issues. Climate Outreach say, “Having conversations about climate change in our daily lives plays a huge role in creating social change. We take our cues about what’s important from what we hear our family, friends, colleagues and neighbours talking about. Politicians need strong social consent to implement successful climate policies. But talking about climate change, especially beyond the green bubble, is hard. That’s why we’ve produced an evidence-based, practical guide to help make those conversations easier and more meaningful – and to come out of them feeling inspired and connected.”

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYER HAS ALREADY DONE (AND WHAT MORE THEY COULD DO):

Many companies are already taking climate action, so ask around at work:

• Is there a sustainability lead on your management team?
• Are there any ‘eco champions’ in your workplace? If not, is anyone keen? Ask at a staff meeting.
• Do last year’s annual review & accounts mention anything about the environmental impact of your employer?
• Does your company measure and report its greenhouse gasses? All quoted companies, plus larger unquoted companies and academy trusts are required to report their greenhouse gas emissions annually. For others, it is considered best practice.
• Ask HR whether the environment in covered by the current induction and training programmes.
• Has your employer signed up for a particular kite-mark, quality standard, or target?

There are a variety of targets they might have set, including:

• ISO 14000, an environmental management system.
• Race to Net Zero is an international campaign aiming for emissions to be halved by 2030 and net zero carbon by 2050. It’s generally aimed at larger companies.
• Together for our Planet is aimed at small and medium businesses as is the SME Climate Hub Climate Commitment.
• B-Corp is a framework for businesses aiming to balance purpose and profit.
• Bioregional’s “One Planet Living” uses ten themes to take a broader, more holistic approach to sustainably.
• There are many sector specific schemes, such as the Sustainable Restaurant Association and Let’s Go Zero for schools.
• And, of course, there is Count Us In itself, which many companies are using to engage their workforce in positive climate action.

Once you’ve found out what’s already in place, it should point to what action to take next.

A GREAT FIRST STEP: HOLD A CLIMATE CONVERSATION

Sustainable St Albans has created resources to help you hold a Climate Conversation. It’s totally free to use, and it’s ideal if you want to talk with others about climate change, but you’re not quite sure how?

A Climate Conversation is a chance for a group to discuss the climate crisis, their thoughts for the future, and what actions to take.

To run one, you gather a group colleagues, either on-line or in person, for a 2 hour session or 2×1 hour lunchbreaks. You download all the materials you need from our website, or email us to ask for printed copies. The materials guide you; no-one needs to be “the expert”.

All the materials you need to hold a ‘Climate Conversation’ are easily available on our website, alongside FAQs.

WHY BOTHER?

Heating your home is one of the major ways that any household creates carbon pollution.

Dialing down your thermostat will save money too. Research from the Energy Saving Trust states you can typically:

• Save £55 and 300kg of carbon dioxide a year by turning the room thermostat down by one degree.
• Save £70 and 300kg of carbon dioxide a year by installing and correctly using a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves.

(Typical savings for a three-bedroom semi-detached home, heated by gas. Figures are based on fuel prices as of June 2021.)

GET INFORMED

Read our blog “How to dial down your home energy consumption”.

Watch this short video from the Energy Saving Trust and the Telegraph, with five easy tips to save up to £400 per year and save energy (3 mins).

And this animation from B&Q, which offers even more practical tips (3 mins).

UNDERSTAND YOUR HEATING CONTROLS

This short video takes your through the main types of thermostat and how to use them (3mins).

This guidance from the Energy Saving Trust provides an overview of thermostats and heating controls, and the benefits of “dialling it down”.

And here, Which? magazine offers a round up of how to adjust typical boilers and thermostats.

Lost your manual? To find information on the heating controls in your house, you can use Google of course, but also try YouTube. For example, searching on YouTube for “Honeywell thermostat” brings up this list of instructional videos, and then you can scroll the photos to see which one looks like yours, and watch the video.

TALK IT OVER WITH YOUR HOUSEHOLD

Have a discussion with the other members of your household; different people like different temperatures. Explain why it’s beneficial to dial it down, and agree on a lower temperature for your thermostat that you can all cope with. Try it for a month.

Whilst you are at it, why not also identify any other energy measures that you might want to take, for instance by looking together at the guidance from the Energy Saving Trust or Waterwise.

CAN’T KEEP THE HOUSE WARM ENOUGH?

If your concern is that you can’t keen the house warm enough, then;

• why not borrow our thermal imaging camera, to spot heat loss from your home?
• read our guidance on insulating your home.

Why Repair & Reuse

Saving carbon, materials and money – and learning new skills too!

St Albans Fixers

Regular events to help you repair and reuse items that may otherwise be discarded.

What can you repair?

Tips, tutorials and advice to save your stuff from the bin

Repair isn’t just about saving money or the planet. There are other benefits too. Fixing things can be fun – an opportunity to learn new skills or develop existing ones. And you’ll finish with a sense of satisfaction of a job well done.

Find out more:

• Watch this short video on the Remade Network in Glasgow (3mins).
• Read our blogs “Dare to Repair – 5 benefits of fixing your stuff” and “How to Repair and Reuse“.
• Listen  to this special #CountdownToCOP Radio Verulam podcast talking about Repair and Reuse
• Listen to the BBC Podcast “Dare to Repair” (30mins)
• Dream big! Watch this short video about the Swedish shopping mall where everything is secondhand. (3 mins)

ELECTRICALS AND GADGETS

Repair

• The Restart Wiki contains a wealth of information, from basic theory and essential tools, to advice about specific types of device. Totally new to all this? Start with their “Scared to Repair?” page.
• The ifixit website offers repair guides for computers, phones, tablets, cameras, and games consoles.

Reuse

• You can buy and sell old smartphones, tablets and laptops on eBay, Freegle or Freecycle. Even if broken, they may have a value, because broken items sell for parts. Remember to wipe your personal data first.
• Laptops, phones and tablets can also be rehomed locally by charity Computer Friendly.

CLOTHING

Find dozens of links for buying, selling, upcycling, recycling, and mending your clothes on our sustainable fashion page.

Need clothing repaired or altered?

• YouTube is your friend. For a general guide to sewing, try Good Housekeeping’s YouTube playlist. Want to turn up a hem, fix a zip, or darn a sock … just ask YouTube.
• There are several local firms who make alternations.
• Want to learn more? Sew Enjoyable is a St Albans-based business offering sewing classes and workshops and West Herts College offers Dressmaking for Beginners.

There are several local cobblers, including the Calling Cobbler who collects and delivers locally.

BIKES

For advice, try the Cycle UK website. They offer:

• online bike maintenance guides
• a video guide to repairing a puncture
• a video guide to roadside bike repairs

Watch this practical talk on “Basic Bike Maintenance” given during SustFest21 by the Verulam Cycling Club.

If that isn’t enough to get you sorted, take your bike to one of our great local bikes shops, or use one of the local mobile cycle mechanics who come to you house and sort out your bike. For example, locally there are CycleTech, Botox Bikes, The Bike Loft in Redbourn, and more. 

Local bike shops buy and sell secondhand bikes, as well as new ones, especially kids bikes which are quickly outgrown.

If you have a street WhatsApp group, that can be a great place to find and offer bikes.

HOUSEHOLD GOODS

For repairs, again, YouTube is your friend, and is filled with repair guides.

The Recycling Centres have reuse areas where you can donate and buy household items (check the latest status with regard to COVID).

Some furniture can be re-homed through Emmaus, and you can buy from their shops.

Charity shops accept many household items.

RESTART PARTIES AND REPAIR FAIRS

Follow the Facebook Group for Sustainable St Albans’ project St Albans Fixers to hear about dates of upcoming repair fairs in St Albans and Harpenden. St Albans Fixers is using the model established by the The Restart Project. Restart aims for a more sustainable relationship with our electrical and electronic devices by encouraging and enabling community-based repair. Restart is growing a global network of affiliated groups supported by an online community, a repair wiki and a “Fixometer”, which tracks CO2 emissions and waste averted. Restart is also increasingly active in lobbying for “right to repair” and design for repairability.

• Herts County Council have a directory of local repair fairs and cafes; here…
• The Restart Project website: therestartproject.org
• The Restarters’ community (Forums, Fixometer, Wiki) – restarters.net (registration required)
• Find Restart events : therestartproject.org/parties/ (national and London) 
• The Restart Code (video – 1 min)
• Our Story, Our Community (video – 4 mins)
• Poulomi Holds a Restart Party (video – 2 mins)

LOCAL REPAIR SHEDS

The Repair Shed in Dacorum is part of the Men’s Shed movement, aiming to help men aged over 50 to stay healthier and happier for longer, by making, mending and learning (though it does have younger members and women members).  Shedders work on their own project and also community projects and commissions .. so do contact them if you have a wooden something that needs fixing!

They also run a Repair Shed in Redbourn. As well as wooden repairs, they also have a Sewing Cafe which (before lockdown) was running sessions on Thursdays from 10.00 am – 12.30.  For the latest, follow them on Facebook. 

WHY FLY LESS?:

Flying is a major source of carbon pollution. Not everyone has the privilege of flying, but if you do, taking a few less flights is one of the best ways to dramatically reduce your carbon pollution.

Avoiding one flight per year will save tonnes of CO2;

• one return economy flight from London to Sydney is 13 tonnes of CO2e (equal to the whole annual carbon footprint of a UK citizen, at 10-13 tonnes),
• one return economy flight from London to New York is 3 tonnes CO2e (increasing the average carbon footprint by a third),
• one return flight from Luton to Paris is 200 kg CO2e flying (vs around 10kg on the Eurostar).

There are a range of travel calculator available online, including from Atmosfair and Climate Stewards . Try calculating your whole carbon footprint online with the WWF; do it once with and once without flights, to see the difference.

We know people are desperate to travel again, and to see far-flung family; few people will commit to never flying. However, flying less is a key action you can take, especially those short haul journeys which can reasonably be replaced by train or coach.

READ: our inspiring blog “Fly Less and Explore More with YHA” and consider a different holiday this year.

LISTEN:  to James Black of YHA in this special #CountdownToCOP Radio Verulam podcast talking about Flying Less

TRAVEL BY TRAIN:

Try the Seat 61 website, for routes and information about European and worldwide train travel.

Use the Rail Europe website to buy end-to-end tickets for European routes.

The Eurail pass allows unlimited travel across Europe for a fixed period of time.

Discover all of Eurostar’s destinations – with trains direct to Paris, Brussels, Lille, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, as well as connecting destinations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, with an easy change in either Paris, Lille or Brussels.

The Caledonian Express takes you overnight to locations in Scotland including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness.

TRAVEL BY COACH:

Coaches have a lower carbon footprint than flying, and are generally cheaper than trains.

There are lots of different operators, but for example:

• National Express have European destinations
• Flixbus offer a wide variety of routes
• Trainline offer bus booking too

TRAVEL BY FERRY:

Many locations are reachable by ferry; France and Ireland, of course, but also Spain, Holland, Belgium, the Scilly Isles, the Scottish islands, and the Channel Islands.

There are lots of different operators, but for example:

• Direct Ferries allows you to search routes
• Brittany Ferries sail to France and Spain

CUT DOWN WHAT YOU CAN’T CUT OUT:

If you are going further afield, can you reduce the impact? For example:

• The Atmosfair calculator lets you compare different airlines for the same route; some airlines are – comparatively – better than others.
• With Skyscanner, your can filter results to show ‘greener flights’; look for this option on the right hand side, towards the bottom of the filter menu.
• Could you travel by train one way, making the journey part of the holiday, and then fly back? This halves the number of flights being taken.
• Can you choose a more responsible tour operator?
• Travelling for work? Can you combine meetings, to reduce the number of trips you make each year?
• Can you continue to replace some conferences and meetings with Zoom / video calls?
• Could you fly economy rather than business, to cut your carbon footprint?
• Get tips from Which? magazine on reducing the impact of your travel

Sign up to take climate action today, and make changes that matter.

When you register, tick to say you are part of the St Albans Climate Action Network, and then your steps will be counted alongside other local people.