Residents in Bedford are taking part in a nationwide campaign this September to highlight the need for urgent action on climate and nature ahead of COP26,the United Nations Climate talks, later this year in Glasgow.
Taking place between 18-26 September, the climate action campaign known as the Great Big Green Week will see thousands of people across the UK organising local festivals and events. The campaign aims to draw attention to climate change, destruction of the natural world, while also making a connection with these issues in communities like Bedford, at the same time as showcasing actions to tackle climate change.
The Bedford week long event which is being run with Bedfordshire Climate Change Forum will see businesses and community groups, individuals and schools organise events as part of the week to raise the profile of groups taking action on climate change, and to encourage more, from communities and politicians alike.
The Great Big Green Week Bedford follows on from the success of the previous three Bedford Sustainability Week events that were held in the past year.
The Great Big Green Week is being organised by The Climate Coalition, the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action against climate change, whose members include the National Trust, WWF, Women's Institute, Oxfam, and RSPB. Other organisations supporting the campaign included BT, British Mountaineering Council, and the Manchester United Foundation.
Cory Walker, coordinator for the week in Bedford said: “I want to see progress on tackling climate change because I care about those in other countries that are feeling the worst effects of climate change and I think we need to do all we can to protect them”
“We’ve seen how climate change can affect us directly. We need to tackle it now and we need our MP to lead the way”
Chair of Bedfordshire Climate Change Forum, Lucy Bywater said: “A lot of local people are really concerned about the global climate crisis and want to press leaders for serious action at COP26 this winter, as well as doing what they can in their own lives to make a real change. We want to use events at Green Week in September to empower ways for Bedford to do both’
To get involved with the week or to find out more details, you can head to the Great Big Green Week Bedford Facebook page, or by emailing greatbiggreenweek.bedford@gmail.com