Acting locally to change globally

Grass-root organisations can be a powerful instrument of change. A bottom-up approach allows small groups of like-minded people to define their own goals and how to achieve them. For example, the fact that the climate emergency is not being prioritised by governments can feel overwhelming - unless we take matters into our own hands.

Woking Environment Action is voluntary group of individuals taking action locally on issues relating to climate change and sustainability. They have been in existence since 1994 and have some financial and administrative support from their local authority. All their projects and activities are as a result of suggestions by members - the most recent of which is a project to establish a local space for climate action. The WEAct Hub opened on Saturday 11 June 2022.

The hub aims to empower local climate action. Each week in the hub will be themed around one of The Jump shifts. The Jump is a positive climate movement which encourages individuals and communities to sign up to one or more life ‘shifts’. The six shifts are:

Ending clutter - keeping products for at least seven years

Travelling fresh – if possible, no personal vehicles

Eating green – moving to a plant based diet

Dressing Retro – by purchasing only three new items of clothing per year

Holidaying locally – one flight every three years

Changing the system – at least one life-shift to nudge the system

Is there anything similar happening in your local area? Please leave a comment and let us know.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.

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