Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on
16th July 2023
We can be part of the solution too creating wetland areas in our gardens, on a balcony, at church or school. Wetland areas help absorb carbon dioxide. They slow the flow of water into drains and rivers helping to prevent flooding. They provide for greater biodiversity.
The WET has a guide for creating domestic wetlands from a pond in a pot to a bog garden.
15th July 2023
Becky Speight comments in the current. RSPB magazine that we may think we are at a crossroads where we can either address the climate crisis or the biodiversity crisis, but in fact we can have both and! She writes that this future “is one where we work far more closely with nature, to mitigate and adapt to the worst effects of global warming; to help species adapt to the changes already locked into the system; and to recreate and reimagine our lives and homes as vibrant , lush, functioning and joyous places. The future could be better than today”! And chiming in with the WWT, there is much emphasis on the importance of using water to create climate resilient, biodiverse rich habitats.
14th July 2023
Having yesterday talked about tipping points and a succession of divestment announcements, it now appears that approvals for the Rosebank oil field may be delayed.
“Rosebank, the UK’s largest undeveloped oil and gas field, is highly unlikely to be approved in time for parliamentary recess, amid growing concerns from regulators over electrification and net zero compatibility across the industry.
“City A.M. understands the site, which has to be green-lit by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) and the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), is now not expected to be sanctioned until August at the earliest….
“When completed, Rosebank is expected to produce up to 500m barrels of oil and gas equivalent over its operating lifetime – which could begin as soon as 2027. This has made the project the subject of intense controversy, with climate groups and energy transition advocates calling for the project to be rejected amid fears it would jeopardise the country’s climate ambitions.
“City A.M. has learned that the NSTA has written directly to oil and gas companies operating in the North Sea, warning them of the importance of electrification for new offshore platforms across future projects…
“Regulators are determined for new developments, including oil and gas fields, to have a clear pathway for the green energy transition – as the UK races to reach net zero over the next three decades and decarbonise its electricity grid by 2035.” https://www.cityam.com/rosebank-faces-fresh-delay-amid-regulator-concerns-over-industry-net-zero-goals/
13th July 2023
Sometimes change happens at speed. A tipping point is reached and everything accelerates. On Monday I reported on being at York where General Synod has received a report from their national investment body explaining their decision to divest from fossil fuels. Over the weekend the Diocese of York announced that it too had decided to divest from fossil fuels. Yesterday the Diocese of Southwark decided to follow the same course of action.
Can we ensure this rapid and increasing desire to take action to safeguard the environment from the worsening effects of the climate crisis will continue?
We can pray. We can talk about the issue and continue to raise awareness about the extent and urgency of the crisis. We can be motivated to make changes in our own lifestyles.
12th July 2023
A post of thank yous that shows we can count on the kindness of others.
I was sat outside the Shell offices this morning as part of the Perpetual Shell Picket when a young woman thanked me for being there and asked if I needed a drink. I replied thank you, but I have a flask in my bag.
Later by chance we met again and she gave me a slice of banana cake she had bought for me. I said thank you, not knowing that I needed it. Later I stopped for a break, took out the cake and found I had lost my phone. The cake now not only satisfied my hunger but assuaged my anxiety too. I retraced my steps but couldn’t find the phone. I shared my feelings of stupidity with my colleagues at the Earth Vigil outside Parliament – there wasn’t much else I could do.
I met my husband for lunch and he had my phone! Some kind soul had handed it in to the staff at Foyles Bookshop who somehow managed to contact my daughter ….
So thank you to the young woman for the cake, the kind soul who found my phone and my husband who collected it!
11th July 2023
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust has been award £21 million by Aviva to restore saltmarsh habitats as part of Aviva’s net zero plans – investments in projects such as this will be used to offset residual emissions from their business.
‘Saltmarsh, a nature-rich habitat historically in serious decline, is a mix of coastal land and water that helps to combat the causes and effects of climate change. Saltmarshes are brilliant carbon sinks, accumulating carbon forty times faster than forests, and offer natural flood protection; they also teem with wildlife that often cannot survive elsewhere, help improve water quality and make us feel better. A natural solution to some of our world’s most pressing problems.’ https://www.wwt.org.uk/news-and-stories/news/wwt-awarded-21-million-to-restore-coastal-saltmarsh-in-uk?utm_source=Supporter+newsletter+(11+July+2023)&utm_campaign=8cb9840a7e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_07_10_07_21&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-8cb9840a7e-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
10th July 2023
Over the weekend I was with Christian Climate Action, raising awareness, through prayer and actions, about the urgency of the climate crisis amongst members of the Church of England who were attending the General Synod held in York. On the Saturday the Synod received a report from their National Investment Boards, outlining the strategy by which they make investments in relation to the climate crisis – a strategy created at the request of the General Synod in 2018. The NIBs response has included working with others to create the Transition Pathway Initiative which examines – and rates – leading companies across all sectors to establish the degree to which they have a business plan compatible with the 2050 net zero emissions target. This year’s report to Synod was particularly focused on their decision to divest from major fossil fuel companies because their business plans are not so aligned – especially in the critical short term of the next few years.
Will NIBs and more importantly the Church of England as a whole now use its voice to urge other investors to follow suit? Will the remaining 6 C of E dioceses (including Southwark) now also divest themselves of fossil fuel holdings? Will the Government pay attention and review its decision to license new oil and gas exploration and production?
9th July 2023
Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and Good Law Project to take government to court over inadequate climate action plans – again! https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press/uk-government-faces-fresh-legal-challenge-over-unlawful-climate-plans/?utm_source=net-zero2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
A legal challenge was successfully made last year that the Government’s net zero strategy was unlawful because it did not cut emissions sufficiently to meet its legally binding targets. The Government was required by the High Court to produce a revised strategy which they have done but it still falls short of the required reduction in emissions, and ignoring the advise of the Climate Change Committee. Hence the repeated legal challenge!
8th July 2023
Them Climate Change Committee has this week produced its annual Progress Report to Parliament – https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/2023-progress-report-to-parliament/
The CCC notes that whilst UK greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 46% from 1990 levels this is well short of the 68% by 2030 target agreed at COP26. The reeducation in emissions will have to increase fourfold to meet this target.
“Time is now very short to achieve this change of pace. Glimmers of the Net Zero transition can be seen in growing sales of new electric cars and the continued deployment of renewable capacity, but the scale up of action overall is worryingly slow. The Government continues to place their reliance on technological solutions that have not been deployed at scale, in preference to more straightforward encouragement of people to reduce high-carbon activities. The Committee has again flagged the risks of a policy programme that amongst other things is too slow to plant trees and roll-out heat pumps.”
Can we count on this government and the next to fully address these issues? Can we increase the pressure on government and businesses to act?
6th July 2023
Climate change is happening whatever we may think. It is visible in small and often overlooked ways. This article from the Guardian tells how climate change can be seem in the shape and growth of a horse’s hoof.
The Green Tau 