Shropshire Climate Action: Climate & Nature News for Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Our newsletter Sign up to receive the monthly Shropshire Climate Action newsletter for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin below. Read or download our newsletters (and past copies of the South Shropshire Climate Action newsletter as pdfs) or sign up to get them direct to your Inbox. Read our newsletters Sign up for our newsletters Latest News 27 Jun 2026 THE SOLOMON SIREN IS IN HER RESTING PLACE ON THE SEA FLOOR! RESULT! We are really delighted to see the Siren installed on the seabed where Kale Island once stood proudly above the tides. Read More 1 Dec 2025 Artwork will highlight the global Climate Change impact Using underwater sculpture to make a point Read More 8 Nov 2025 Protest in Shrewsbury to "Say No to Rosebank" Calling for an end to drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea Read More 6 Nov 2025 Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin based environmental groups write to the Prime Minister Calling for urgent action on climate change ahead of the UN COP30 taking place in Brazil this November Read More 1 Nov 2025 South Shropshire MP supports the repeal of the Climate Change Act 2008 Our response to local criticism of the Act Read More 24 Oct 2025 Have Your Say: Help shape the future of EV charging in Telford and Wrekin Survey now open Read More 18 Oct 2025 Shropshire Hosts Record-Breaking Repair Cafe 'The Big Mend' Celebrating International Repair Day with repairers from across Shropshire and Telford Read More 17 Oct 2025 Get ready for the county-wide Green Open Homes event this November Book your viewing of energy efficient homes across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and beyond Read More 1 Oct 2025 Bishop’s Castle's Community Heat & Wind Network project update The good and the bad news Read More 1 Sept 2025 Shaping careers and growing the economy. Oh! And tackling climate change! A young climate activist's perspective Read More 30 Aug 2025 Middle Marches Community Land Trust launches White Grit Meadows Appeal Preserving unique habitats for wildlife in the Marches Read More 1 Aug 2025 Want to make your home more energy efficient? Find out what support is available from Marches Energy Agency Read More 26 Jul 2025 Reflections on the new National Food Strategy for Shropshire Shropshire Good Food Partnership consider if this is the solution we have been waiting for Read More 17 Jul 2025 Launch of the second share offer by Shropshire and Telford Community Energy Investment in Tremlowes Solar Farm in North Shropshire off to a good start! Read More 1 Jul 2025 Clean air for Shropshire Tips on how you can help improve air quality including how to tackle engine idling Read More 21 Jun 2025 Local groups meet with Julia Buckley (Labour MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham) Q&A focused on how we can better protect Nature and take climate action Read More 17 Jun 2025 Shropshire Council's approval of 200,000-bird intensive poultry unit overturned by High Court New environmental considerations for planning authorities Read More 7 Jun 2025 Big Green Week (7-15th June) comes to Shropshire Local library plays host to diverse range of climate activities Read More 19 May 2025 Interesting conversations at Morville Annual Community event Renewable energy popular with farmers, and a new argument for heat pumps? Read More 1 May 2025 Having climate conversations with the people you know We are the 89% who want their Governments to take action on climate Read More

< Back Announcing the Climate Conference for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin: Saturday May 18th Fiona Morgan 21 Mar 2024 Book your tickets now for this event being held at Shrewsbury Town Football Ground You can now book your tickets to the Climate Conference which will focus on how we can accelerate action to achieve net zero in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and engage local communities to make that happen. The event is being organised by Zero Carbon Shropshire, South Shropshire Climate Action and Save Our Shropshire with support from young people on the Environmental Leadership Programme . The schedule for the day can be viewed on Eventbrite. It includes morning panel discussions and afternoon workshops covering the following themes: land, transport, energy & buildings, circular economy and engagement tools. Organisations are also invited to apply to have a stand at the event. Book your tickets via this Eventbrite link . There are 2 types of ticket: free tickets and a separate ticket option if you wish to make a donation towards the cost of refreshments. Lunch is provided. If your organisation would like to register an interest in having a stand at this event please complete and submit this online form . Charges apply. You can share a stand with other groups. We are looking for volunteers to get involved in helping to organise the event and on the day. If you are interested please contact admin@zerocarbonshropshire.org Previous Next

< Back SSCA's first Retrofit Services Consultation Event, Craven Arms Mike Bourke 20 Jun 2023 Bringing groups from the Marches together to discuss retrofit and next steps for the region The Energy and Buildings Group of South Shropshire Climate Action organized a Consultation on Tuesday 20th June at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms. The purpose was to improve co-operation between the different groups offering retrofit services across the Marches, and those attending represented Shropshire Council, Herefordshire Green Network, Marches Energy Agency, Lightfoot, Telford Climate Action, Sustainable Bridgnorth, Stretton Climate Care and environmental groups in Broseley, Clun and Market Drayton. Two of those attending are also elected members of Powys and Herefordshire Councils. The day consisted of three workshops: 1. A Directory of Retrofit Providers and Specialists . People who want to retrofit their homes need to know of contractors with the relevant skills and qualifications. At present, some organisations have their own lists based on local knowledge, though all have, of course, to emphasize that they cannot recommend these firms or accept liability for any work carried out. It was agreed that a Marches-wide list should be produced, prefaced by a list of questions which customers should ask before any contractor is employed. A small group will take this forward over the coming weeks. 2. Grants and Funding . Tony Baker of MEA described the current Government funding schemes available to householders (Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Great British Insulation Scheme and the Home Upgrade Grant - the latter being restricted to households on means-tested benefits or with an annual income of less than £31,000). We also discussed a proposed Lottery Fund application for a scheme to insulate individual rooms within houses. 3. Household Energy Surveys . These can take two forms of different levels of complexity, depending on whether the aim is to measure the household’s existing carbon footprint or to prepare the house for a retrofit programme. Presentations were made by Stretton Climate Care, Lightfoot and MEA. Rob Narraway gave a demonstration of a Thermal Imaging Camera, and the use of the Retrofit Roadshow Van was described. The cost of the various schemes was discussed, and training will be offered to newly formed community groups. It was generally agreed to have been a useful day in co-ordinating the efforts of the various agencies across our region. Previous Next

< Back Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin based environmental groups write to the Prime Minister David Matthews 6 Nov 2025 Calling for urgent action on climate change ahead of the UN COP30 taking place in Brazil this November Photo credit: UN Climate Change / Lara Murillo Read our letter sent to Prime Minister Keir Starmer from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin environmental groups calling for urgent action on climate change as world leaders meet at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to 21, 2025. The year the conference will focus on the global effort to keep warming below 1.5°C, unveil new national climate plans, and assess progress on finance commitments made at previous COP meetings. Letter to the Prime Minister ahead of COP30 V1.0 Nov 2025 .pdf Download PDF • 124KB Previous Next

< Back The New Newsletter: SSCA and ZCS joining forces Jane Cullen (Chair, South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) & Chris Deaves (Chair, Zero Carbon Shropshire) 1 Jul 2024 Why is it NEW? SSCA and ZCS have decided to combine forces to create a Shropshire-wide communication on all things Climate. This first edition brings together all of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin's climate activity in one place: best practice, information and events from more groups will reach deeper and wider in our community. We hope this will inspire you to tell all of us more about your activities so that we can reach beyond the traditional ‘green bubble’. Do you consider yourself ‘inside’ or ‘outside’ the bubble and why? We’ll print the best answers! This new start is timely as it coincides with a change of government. We also need a change of direction and sense of urgency. Our united, louder voice will influence policies and encourage action. We have produced a report on the highly successful ‘Accelerating Change’ conference organised by SSCA, ZCS and SOS. It explored how local groups, charities, businesses, public services and individuals can work together, Best of all, young people helped lead and deliver the day. This short video of the event is well worth a watch (our thanks to the film maker Robin Fellows-Weir). The conference and the NEW newsletter are examples of how working together can develop momentum and bring benefits to all of Shropshire. Please tell us your experiences and ideas for great partnerships and what you are doing or planning. Never underestimate the power of your ideas. Previous Next

< Back Clean air for Shropshire Sascha Robinson 1 Jul 2025 Tips on how you can help improve air quality including how to tackle engine idling Last month was Clean Air Week. We live in a predominantly rural county and might consider that air pollution is not a local problem, but is this really the case? Air pollution is a hidden environmental and health challenge. The most common and hazardous pollutants from road transport are: Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a gas that comes from combustion processes powering petrol and diesel vehicles. Particulate matter (PM), small airborne particles released from tyres and brakes. Air pollution contributes to 43,000 premature deaths each year in the UK.  In 2019, the European Heart Journal reported that toxic air is killing more people than tobacco smoking. As for Shropshire, there are several poor air ‘hotspots’ in the county: with Shrewsbury (Castle Hill area) and Bridgnorth (Pound St area) both having Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) due to having exceeded 40ug/m3 of NO2. The M54, A5, A41 and A49 are also major traffic routes through the county. Recent works near the station in Shrewsbury are part of the council’s strategy to reduce NO2 in the area. There are also industrial and industrialised agricultural sites across the county. What can we do to improve air quality? Avoid driving into towns, especially at peak times. Use the park and ride for Shrewsbury and local bus and trains where you can, walk or cycle as an alternative. Walk or cycle for shorter routes if you can. Do not sit in your car and have the engine running (idling). Not only is this illegal (Highway Code rule 123) but it reduces the vehicle’s fuel economy, costs money, and creates pollution. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more emissions than stopping and restarting the engine does. Health risks from this air pollution, worsening conditions such as asthma, lung disease, and heart attacks. Air pollution is particularly harmful to children and the elderly. Use this form and email proforma to report engine idling to Shropshire Council Report Engine Idling-step-by-step.docx .pdf Download PDF • 84KB Engine Idling Email Template.docx .pdf Download PDF • 63KB You can find more information on engine idling. (data from Living Streets and Shropshire Council ) Previous Next

< Back As world leaders meet at COP29 - Shropshire takes action Fiona Morgan 1 Nov 2024 Sign up to the Climate Action Webinar on 20th November & Nature Recovery Conference on 6th December Global leaders regrouped last month at the UN biodiversity summit ( COP16 ) in Colombia and this month, from 11 - 22 November, COP29 will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan. While we wait to see the outcomes of those global conferences, we can get more involved in taking Climate and Nature action closer to home! follow Market Drayton Climate Action's lead by sending a letter to ministers at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as they prepare for COP29 asking them to help set ambitious new targets for lowering carbon emissions. For details of the letter go to Market Drayton's website we are also pleased to announce two local events which you can attend to support action across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. Shropshire Climate Action have announced the date of the follow up webinar to the Accelerating Change conference on climate action for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. The webinar will take place online on Wednesday 20 November, 7pm. Join us: for an update on the progress made since the Accelerating Change conference which took place back in May to explore the next steps and opportunities to get involved in emerging projects to accelerate climate action in communities across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin to feedback on what local groups and communities need and how they can contribute to county-wide initiatives. The webinar is open to all. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of the solution. You can book your tickets via this Eventbrite link . Meanwhile the Shropshire Association of Local Councils, Middle Marches Community Land Partnership and partners have also organised the Local Nature Recovery Strategy Conference on 6 December, from 9.15am in Church Stretton. You can hear from national and local experts about what town and parish councils can do, and are doing, to help restore nature and biodiversity in their areas. Speakers include: Baroness Natalie Bennett, Vice Chair, National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Lynn Parker, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Local Nature Recovery Strategy representatives of town and parish councils and community groups already taking action. For more information about the full programme line up please click here . To book your place please email: conference@middlemarchescommunitylandtrust.org.uk Please encourage representatives from your town and parish councils to attend and be inspired about the action they can take in their communities. Previous Next

< Back So what do you do with your hoover fluff? Angela Vnoucek 12 Jul 2024 One Shrewsbury resident's journey to become a Zero Waster This is not a question which comes up in everyday conversation. It is however relevant if, like me, you do not like putting your general waste bin out. It was too much hassle for me with a busy job and one less thing that I needed to think about. No more " What day is bin day? " and all the aggravation which came with. It was 2011 and I decided to review everything I put in my bin and find another home for it, or, better still, not generate it in the first place. I soon reached the stage where a whole year had gone by and I could still see the bottom of my general waste bin. It was only in 2020 that I realised I was doing something which is rapidly becoming a growing trend – zero wasting. I became used to recycling, reducing, repairing, repurposing, rotting (aka composting) and refusing. My general waste bin has now been repurposed and houses, ironically, my garden equipment. And what became of the hoover fluff? That went into the green waste bin. So now that I have posed the question please ask yourself ‘What do you do with your hoover fluff?’ Your journey to be a zero waster has begun. Read more about Angela's zero waste activities on the BBC News website . Listen to her interview on BBC Radio Shropshire [Intro @ 26:40; then 30:13 - 36:30: 48:24 - 54:27: 1.42:09 - 1.48:49] Previous Next

< Back Mossy.Life - Shropshire’s online local green guide Caroline Talbot 1 Mar 2024 For all Shropshire's green events, groups, activities and more This beautiful county not only provides magical green rolling countryside, but is the home of a whole array of green-minded individuals, companies, organisations and groups, all trying to gain traction in working towards a net zero way of living. From start-up zero waste shops and community litter picking initiatives, to energy saving workshops and organic farms, Shropshire has so many green heroes working towards a more sustainable future. Although it is true that every little really does help, it is also true that by connecting like-minded people and working together, we can help amplify the effect. In 2019, Caroline Talbot, a Shropshire born environmental educator, wanted to make a difference, so started to build an online free to use directory whilst on maternity leave. The website Mossy.Life has gone from strength to strength and now lists over 630 organisations and groups, and between 50-500 environmental events in the online calendar at any given time. How you can use : Mossy.Life provides a green directory that can be searched by location, category or name, as well as a searchable events calendar . Both offer completely free listings to encourage even the smallest of groups to get involved. It includes a calendar of national and international campaigns , local green news and a range of eco living articles . The website can also be explored by area, showcasing Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin on individual pages to help connect individuals with everything local to them. You can also embed the Mossy.Life Directory into your own group’s website as South Shropshire Climate Action and Zero Carbon Shropshire have done to help publicize all the activities taking place locally to help address the Nature and climate crisis. If you know of an individual, organization, group, product or event that isn’t yet listed, please get in touch to help spread the word by sending an email to Caroline at hello@mossy.life Local Climate Groups Local Climate Groups Local Climate Groups Previous Next

< Back SSCA at Ludlow Green Festival Fiona Morgan and Jane Cullen 9 Jul 2023 Promoting climate action, carbon reduction and Nature recovery We had a lovely day at the Ludlow Green Festival on Sunday 9th July which was organised by Ludlow21.There was a vibrant atmosphere with lots of people enjoying the stalls displaying eco wares, arts and crafts, locally sourced plants, food and drink. SSCA contributed a series of speakers on key topics. They shared the stage with the bands who played throughout the day, alternating with the Ted-style talks. This worked very well, great bands, great talks including: Nick Read (SSCA) 'Faith and Zero Carbon - a guide to church action on climate change' Allan Wilson (Save Our Shropshire) 'Learning to live in the future' Rob Narraway (Marches Energy Agency) 'Is your home future fit? Things to do now!' Pat Sirling (Friends of the River Wye) 'Saving the Wye through people power' Colin Richards (Friends of Mortimer Forest) 'Can't see the wood for the trees, improving our plantation forests for wildlife and people' Our swap stand went down well too with lots of books, CD’s, toys and clothes donated, swapped and given away to encourage people to reuse and share our resources as a key way to reduce our carbon emissions. We also ran a stall on 'Gardening for Nature' which was festooned with wild flowers and a map of Ludlow town showing each dwelling. Local expert enthusiast Sue Crichton from Abdon & Wheathill joined us to promote and discuss all the possible ways to garden and support wildlife while increasing biodiversity, creating habitats to encourage insects, amphibians, birds and bats. We were also able to display some of the climate photographs by students from Hereford Sixth Form College taking A level photography. Previous Next

< Back Action to protect our rivers in Shropshire Tina Teearu 28 Aug 2024 22nd September World Rivers Day As the saying goes: “Water is Life and Life is Water”. Rivers and lakes provide the water we drink, important wildlife corridors and recreational opportunities. Wetlands provide habitats where nature can thrive, store carbon and prevent flooding downstream. Yet in recent years pollution from agricultural runoff (from fields and intensive production chicken units), industrial waste, untreated sewage, pesticides, “forever chemicals” and heavy metals have been found in many rivers, posing serious risks to wildlife and human health. The situation is becoming critical with the Wye and the Severn slowly suffocating and dying in front of our eyes. Something has to be done. Progress towards safeguarding UK rivers for future generations is far too slow. Hopefully the new government will change the regulatory system from the top down, but we also need “grass roots” action. In Shrewsbury, campaigners Up Sewage Creek are working to turn the tide – volunteers (sometimes in poo hats!) have brought their “Poo-o-meter” to events like the Dragon Boat Festival and Folk Festival, raising public awareness of Combined Sewage Outfalls (CSO’s). The group organises local walks, talks and protests, and is currently running a crowdfunder for water testing kits so the water company can be held to account when breaches occur. A recent win for the River Severn has come via an allied group of keen open water swimmers who achieved Bathing Water Status for part of the Severn in May. This will bring extra funding to ensure certain stretches are clean enough for humans to swim in, but ideally we need the whole river catchment to be of this standard, supporting a rich ecosystem teeming with life from source to sea. So what can YOU do? National campaigns, championed by famous names like Feargal Sharkey and Joe Lycett, abound and there are many ways in which you can help in your own way. Take part in an event on World Rivers Day (22 September) Go on the March for Clean Water on 26 October in London. Join forces with Take Back Water which aims to bring about the re-nationalisation of the water industry in the UK. Whatever you do – do something! Previous Next

< Back Reflections on the new National Food Strategy for Shropshire Daphne Du Cros 26 Jul 2025 Shropshire Good Food Partnership consider if this is the solution we have been waiting for After digesting the new food strategy and considering the reflections and reviews of other professionals in food policy, this is our analysis, and what it means for Shropshire, our communities, and people. As a note, I write this as someone who has lived and breathed food policy for over 15 years of my career and have watched in disbelief as our food system and regard for farmers has continued to slide into the background of policy and governance. Opportunities have been missed and leadership on food system transformation has been weak. The result has been a heavy corporate influence that has impacted billions of people, our economy, our environment, knowledge, links to nature and confidence in our own abilities to feed ourselves and know food. Something has to change quickly, which is why I finished my PhD in Food Policy and started a Market Garden, and then became the coordinator of SGFP: We can’t wait for government to hand down a perfectly formed solution for us to take action (perfect is the enemy of the good, afterall). The grassroots must lead the charge on change, as indeed it always has. The National Food Strategy is a positive step for central government, but it’s essentially playing catch up with what we already know, and what many of us have been doing for the last decade(s). By and large, the National Food Strategy (NFS) is being well received, with comments saying that it picks up where Henry Dimbleby’s strategy left off (a good document that should have been put to work right away), particularly that it makes the effort to connect the dots on food, farming, culture, public health and environment. To read the full article on Shropshire Good Food Partnership's website please click here . Previous Next