The IPCC Report that was released early this week made for sobering reading as it hit the headlines of almost every newspaper in the UK. Ahead of COP26 there are some ground breaking actions that need to be taken if we are looking to create a more sustainable planet.
Here at PECT, we are not looking to shout about what should and shouldn’t be done. Our message is simply that everyone can play a part in helping our planet. No contribution is too small. To this end, we thought we would highlight some of the environmental projects we have been working on over the years that go someway in addressing climate change at a local level.
Forest for Peterborough
We launched Forest for Peterborough in 2010, and aim to plant over 230,000 trees in and around the city by 2030. We want to change the city’s landscape, so that a network of wildlife corridors and green spaces threads its way through our built-up areas. So far we have planted 117,657 trees, had help from 3142 volunteers and have saved 1300 tonnes of carbon.
Sustainable Travel
The Green Wheel network of cycle routes provides over 45 miles of continuous sustainable routes around the city. It was one of the first large scale projects PECT delivered for Peterborough and first opened in 2000. There are now lots of electric bikes dotted around the town, so why not get out and cycle the route?
Project Refill
Every year 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean, with our river banks and streets littered with bottles and lids. PECT and Earth Matters joined up with City2Sea’s refill campaign to help tackle this problem. Project Refill provides free tap water from any number of local venues and business ensuring that we use refillable bottles therefore saving on single use plastics. Venues that are participating have a window sticker.
Fuel Poverty
The Warm Homes project provides households with the information and resources needed to stay warm and healthy, whilst cutting costs and carbon.
This service is vital, because NHS advice suggests that when the weather drops below 8C, some people are at increased risk of physical and mental health conditions. Learning what you can do to lower your energy consumption will also lower bills and your carbon footprint.
Community Fridge
Many people in the UK struggle to afford food and, according to the Food Foundation, 14% of families with children have experienced food insecurity in the past few months – made even worse by the economic impacts of Covid-19. The community fridge project enables local residents to access free food – sourced from farms, cafes, stores, and supermarkets – that would otherwise have gone to waste. We created fridges in Millfield, March and West Raven. This meant surplus food was not being sent to landfill, instead it helped local communities.
Cool Food
Did you know that in the UK, food makes up around a fifth of our carbon footprint? Globally the process of cultivating, growing, harvesting and transporting food accounts for almost a third of the world’s carbon emissions. Make one or more Cool Food commitment and record your progress on our Cool Food Counter. This year on this project we are on track to save 1484 tonnes of carbon with people potentially making savings of £1,280,047.
Blueprint
The Blueprint project offers individuals and communities the opportunity to get involved with reducing what they are buying, reusing and repairing what they can and recycling what is left. It provides education on what a circular economy is and how we can track the carbon savings of these actions. We are currently looking for ambassadors to champion some of these actions locally.
These are only a snapshot of the environmental projects we have completed or are currently working on. So, whether you are an individual, a community, or a business talk to us to see how we can work together to help our local area and contribute to those climate change targets.
Every single person can make a difference – by making simple changes to what we buy, what we eat and how we live will all have an impact to our individual carbon footprint. If you would like to find out more about our environmental projects contact us.
For more information Tel: 01733 568408 Email: [email protected]