Many Bristol citizens are taking action to tackle climate change and a new website to help them do so has been unveiled today.
The Bristol Climate Hub focuses on the top actions that individuals and organisations can take to help shrink their carbon footprint, while sharing inspiring stories of those who have already made a difference.
Brought forward in response to requests from citizens who say they want to help combat climate change, but need clear advice on which actions are most effective for them, an important feature of the Hub is a simple quiz, enabling it to give people tailored advice suited to their lives.
A series of action cards offering individuals and businesses ideas on how they can contribute and make the biggest impact are also a feature of the new site, which will be updated with examples of the action being taken to support and complement action by individuals and families
The website marks the second anniversary of the city becoming the first in the UK to declare a Climate Emergency and its launch follows last week’s Bristol City Council Cabinet approval of a multi-million pound programme to reduce the carbon and ecological footprint in Bristol.
The Climate and Ecological Emergency Programme will enable the council to hit its climate targets, secure investment in climate projects and support citizens and businesses and organisations to join in the city-wide effort to become a carbon neutral and resilient city by 2030.
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said:
Bristol declaring a climate emergency underlined our serious commitment to change as a city. With effects of climate change already being felt, it’s important we act now but do so inclusively, so that no one is left behind and everyone can take part. So we are investing in clean energy, better public transport, building sustainable and energy efficient homes, especially in central areas to make it easier for everyone to reduce their carbon footprint.
Everyone has a part to play in this challenge and I hope the new online Climate Hub can help enable our citizens take the most effective action that they can, right now.
The launch of the hub is merely the start. We want to build and develop it with our communities so that they can be offered any targeted help they feel they may need to help them achieve their climate goals.
Councillor Afzal Shah, the newly appointed Cabinet Member for Climate, Ecology and Sustainable Growth, said:
Bristol is already making great strides to successfully reduce our collective carbon footprint and I am delighted that the council is leading by example having already reduced its direct carbon emissions by 86 per cent.
There are many actions we can each take in our homes and our day-to-day lives to make a difference; When people are thinking of making changes in their lives to help the environment, they want to know they’re not acting alone, they want to know that the council, businesses and the national government are doing their bit too.
The Hub is all about discovering ideas and helping each other to take action for our environment, sharing stories and ideas from households, groups and businesses who are making significant changes and encouraging others to do likewise.
More information on the Bristol Climate Hub is available here.