Scotland is a world leader in climate action, with the ambitious target to reach net zero emissions by 2045. Since its inception in 2016, Scotland Climate Week has become an important yearly event for communities and organisations nationwide to come together to support climate action and raise awareness about the climate emergency.
This year, Scotland Climate Week invites us all to learn more about tackling climate change by sharing ‘Stories for Change’, so I am reminded of all the inspiring stories of climate action that I had the privilege to witness and participate in during my involvement with The Welcoming a Greener Future project.
Funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, the Welcoming a Greener Future project was driven by a holistic approach to climate education, enabling New Scots in Edinburgh to adopt sustainable living practices in their everyday lives. Through a diverse programme of climate change-related activities and services – such as home energy saving, food growing, upcycling workshops, etc. – Welcoming members were encouraged to develop their understanding of climate change and take action to reduce their carbon footprint.
Over seven years, the project has revealed the many co-benefits of engaging in climate action, as illustrated in our booklet “Stories of climate action with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Edinburgh”, which you can read here.
The Welcoming a Greener Future project ended in March 2022, but it has left a strong legacy for The Welcoming and our community.
Today, our Community Fridge redistributes over 600kg of surplus food every month to New Scots households facing food insecurity, our Home Energy Advice Programme has helped hundreds of people to prevent and address fuel poverty, and our community garden continues to provide opportunities for members and volunteers to learn about food growing and spend good quality time outdoor in nature.
The Welcoming’s garden has been a wonderful experience for me. I’ve met like-minded gardeners as well as those who are new to gardening. It seems that we are all intrigued and interested in learning about the growing and harvesting of vegetables in particular. It has been a joy to see the fruits of our work and be able to bring them to the Welcoming community fridge for distribution. The actual garden is a little haven – a place to be in tune with nature. I hope more newcomers to Edinburgh will be able to share and enjoy the space in the future.
Marnie – volunteer at the Garden and Community Fridge
This week is also New York City’s Climate Week. The charity event, held in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly and the City of New York, brings together the largest number of influential leaders from businesses, governments, and the climate sector with a programme of over 600 events over the week. This year’s theme is “It’s time.” It is an appeal to push forward with progress, innovation, and adaptation to climate change.
Whether you are involved in your local community garden in Scotland or hosting a panel discussion event in New York City, we can all agree that each of us has a part to play in the climate emergency discourse. Find out more about ways you can support Scotland’s aim of becoming a Net Zero Nation at www.netzeronation.scot
Chiara Puppi – Service and Programme Lead
Watch: When the Land Brings Hope
We won the Ashden Award for Green Communities in 2021 for our commitment to reducing carbon emissions and making climate action relevant to communities who are often left out of climate change discussions.