Shropshire Climate Action: Local businesses What can you do as a local business? 1. Get advice on making your business more sustainable Businesses of all sizes have a vital role to play in climate action and becoming more sustainable. There are steps your businesses can take whether you’re just starting out or further along the road to net zero emissions. Search the Marches Growth Hub website and their Marches Net Zero Information Hub for net zero advice and support including green finance, funding and local authority support or use their Support Finder and search ‘Net Zero’ for the latest programmes. Sustainable Leaders in Business is an online sustainability award which helps you assess your business’ current environmental performance and set some goals for future improvement. The tool auto-fills some actions to enable you to achieve your sustainability goals, so you’re not faced with a blank canvas. Sustainable Leaders in Business: helps you to get started on your sustainability journey de-mystifies sustainable jargon celebrates your successes trains you and your staff to carry out all jobs in a greener way is there to support you through this journey. Visit the Sustainable Leaders in Business website for more information or email info@e4environment.co.uk to find out more. 2. Sign up to a Climate Fresk workshop Climate Fresk is a 3 hour facilitated workshop where you can get to grips with climate change in small groups in a safe, non-judgemental space, learn how to take action and enjoy some thought-provoking discussions. The workshops explore key drivers, mechanisms, and impacts of climate change, and map out where we are today and where we could be headed if we join forces. Previous participants have said: ‘I knew a fair bit about climate change but I learned so much new stuff. It was incredibly powerful sharing ideas in the group and understanding how everything is connected. We discussed next steps we could take and I left feeling focused and upbeat’. If you are a businesses or organisation and want to book a half day Climate Fresk workshop find out more via the BizEd Projects website. or email climate@bizedprojects.com 3. Get financial support to make your business premises more energy efficient The Marches Energy Grant (MEG) scheme provides SMEs from all sectors with free advice, energy assessments and grants for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. Sign up via: www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/marches-energy-grant 4. Install roof top solar panels on your business premises (Big Solar Coop) (see below) Big Solar Co-op installs solar panels on rooftops which are the size of a tennis court or bigger, and where the building has high electricity usage (prior to 2022 prices, at least £20k in electricity bills). See their website to find out more or submit information about your site via https://bigsolar.coop/submit-a-site/ for an assessment and response from the local coordinator.

Shropshire Climate Action: Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin's emissions Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin's emissions We often get questions about whether the county is making progress on reducing its Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. While GHG savings can be measured for say a household or an organisation (using carbon footprinting tools ), and there are some general estimates available of the impacts of particular actions (e.g. not driving a petrol car) based on academic research, there is no easy way of calculating a figure for the county bottom-up. However, we can use the data provided by the Department for Energy and Net Zero which are calculated top-down, with Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin apportioned a percentage of the UK emissions based on its geography and characteristics. Below is a progress chart for Green House Gas emissions for Shropshire, Telford& Wrekin. To keep within our carbon budget and to around 1.5C of warming, we need to get to an average of approx 2.5t CO2 emissions per individual in the UK by 2030 so are not currently on track to do that. Shropshire's emissions According to the Impact community carbon calculator* , Shropshire’s residents are responsible for emitting 3,467,883 tonnes of CO2e per annum.** This pie chart shows the relative impact of the Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHGs) across the sectors represented in the South Shropshire Climate Action “Next Steps” report. * The Impact tool has been developed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy and Exeter University as a data visualisation tool which allows you to look at household emissions within geographical boundaries (parishes, local authority areas, etc). **(CO2e stands for Carbon Dioxide equivalent; the warming impacts of any GHG can be measured relative to that of a molecule of CO2, the standard unit of measurement). A note on data There are many carbon calculators and each measures greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in different ways. Comparing the results from different calculators can lead to misunderstandings or false conclusions. Please read this even if, or especially if, data is not your thing. When South Shropshire Climate Action wrote the Next Steps report transport’s contribution to Shropshire’s GHGs was assessed at 37%. This was based on the most accurate published data at the time from the UK government, but the government data did not include any assessment for the two most significant agricultural GHGs, methane and nitrous oxide. In more recent published data sets these two GHGs have been added, and this changes the percentage contributions from other sources, such as transport. Thus, the Impact Calculator assesses agriculture as 27% and transport as 32%. It is important to understand that the apparent reduction in transport’s contribution to Shropshire’s GHG emissions is not because there has been a decrease in transport emissions, but reflects that agricultural emissions were significantly under stated in older published datasets. The two most significant sectors for GHGs in Shropshire remain as agriculture and transport, and both need to be addressed if we are to reach net zero.

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Shropshire Climate Action: Energy Efficiency Improve Energy Efficiency Do it in the right order Most of us don't live in recent, energy efficient homes. We need to add (or retrofit ) energy-saving measures. Plan a series of steps, which can be implemented over time, saving money and disruption. Below is a summary of measures to consider taking in your own home. You can find more information in our Energy Efficient Homes Information Sheets . "Fabric First" Improve insulation, air-tightness and ventilation: Window and door replacement. Loft insulation Wall insulation - cavity, internal and/or external Floor insulation Air tightness It's vital to ensure that you address any damp problems and that you have appropriate ventilation and moisture control to avoid subsequent issues with damp and mould. Options include: t rickle vents, extractor fans, and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) First retrofit priorities Draughts. Drainage - maintain gutters, downpipes and drains. Condensation and damp - see above. Asbestos - may be discovered during a retrofit and likely to require specialist removal or treatment. Take opportunities to insulate You can insulate your loft at any time, although it's more comfortable up there in the spring or autumn. But adding wall, loft or floor insulation is more disruptive. Plan to do it when opportunities arise, possibly a room at a ti me, over a number of years. You could fit internal wall insulation when you are: Installing a new kitchen or bathroo m Replacing or repairing plaster or plasterboard Or just emptying and decorating a room Fit e xternal wall insulation if you need scaffolding, which is a significant cost, for any reason: Working on rendering or painting Fitting replacement windows Windows & doors Replacing single-glazed windows, with modern double- or triple-glazing, and old draughty doors makes a home feel far more comfortable and significantly reduces energy losses. It's important to avoid thermal bridging around the frames. The reduction in energy use, at current prices, means that replacement double-glazed windows typical pay for themselves over 15 to 20 years. Loft & roof insulation Adding loft insulation is usually the most cost-effective way of reducing the energy lost from a house. If you have none, adding 300mm of loft insulation will typically pay for itself in one to two years. There are few better investments. Care is required if you have a 'room in the roof', have ceilings immediately under a flat or sloping roof, or have dormers. Insulation needs to be installed to avoid condensation, either by having a moisture-proof membrane on the warm side of the insulation or, in certain older properties, using a fully-breathable structure. Make sure that any air leaks into the loft space are blocked. For example, this could be from behind plaster board in the top-floor rooms or through downlighters. Wall insulation It's almost always worth fitting internal or external wall insulation to houses that have solid walls ( without a cavity), as the work has a short payback period, typically of a few years. Care has to be taken to manage damp. In particular, condensation can form if a waterproof layer is installed on the cold side of any insulation. Some of the issues to consider are covered in this video: Returns are also good for adding cavity wall insulation to houses that have cavity walls but no insulation in the cavity. It can be worth adding internal or external wall insulation to houses with cavity wall insulation, built up to about 2002 (to 2006), when the building regulations standards were tightened. Houses built since then should have reasonable wall insulation, and it's currently not likely to be worth improving on this. Floor insulation The ease with which you can insulated a suspended timber floor varies depending on access: If you have access, insulation can be hung between the joists, suspended on net fastened to the bottom of the joists. Without access, you need to lift the floorboards, which is usually a big job. Concrete slab floors are, obviously, hard to insulate. You need to lay a layer of insulation with a floating timber sheet floor on top of it. All skirting has to be removed first, and doorways and the bottom of steps dealt with.

Shropshire Climate Action: Food waste & composting Rot (food waste & composting) The impact of food waste Food waste contributes 8-10% of total man-made greenhouse gas emissions (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and global food systems contribute 30% (according to WRAP ). If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest emitter after China and the USA. Food waste occurs at all stages of the growing, selling, cooking and eating process but in the UK 70% of food waste comes from our homes . Emissions from the total food waste in the UK is equivalent to 10 million cars on the road. According to Shrewsbury Food Hub , food waste costs the average UK family £700 a year. How to manage food waste Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions both directly (for example as methane emissions from landfill sites where food is decomposing) and indirectly, since waste implies that for a given level of consumption more food needs to be produced than is actually being consumed. Shropshire residents produce an average of 486kg of waste per person per year (Shropshire Council, 2020). Data from Herefordshire Council (2019) showed that: 37% of all household waste is food and drink (1.9kg/household/wk). 59% of food waste was of a home-compostable type (1.1kg/hh/wk). Just under a quarter (23%) of the home-compostable food disposed of was within its original packaging. 41% of food waste was non home compostable (0.7kg/hh/wk). Over half (53%) of the non-compostable food waste was still in its original packaging. On average 35% of all discarded food waste (0.65 kg/hh/wk) was still within its original packaging. (The Food Waste Hierarchy diagram on the left shows what steps we can take, and in what order, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions.) Actions you can take The first step to prevent food waste is don’t buy it if you don’t need it. Plan your meals: Love Food Hate Waste has tips including portion and shopping planners, food storage guides and recipes for leftovers. Sign up to Shrewsbury Food Hub’s Taste not Waste Challenge to reduce your own food waste and save money at the same time. V isit your local Food Share or community fridges/freezers where organisations collect surplus food from shops, manufacturers and farms to share with local communities: Shrewsbury Food Hub supplies regular food shares across Shrewsbury Foodshares also operates in Broseley, Bridgnorth and Highley. Food is available for a £1 voluntary donation. See facebook.com/foodshareproject for details of each event Hands Together Ludlow have a community fridge open each weekday 10am to 4pm In Oswestry OsNosh provide a weekly lunch on a Pay as You Feel basis using surplus foo d Check out Shropshire Good Food Partnership’s website for guides on how to preserve food, set up a gleaning network and more Composting The final thing to do with food waste is to compost it! Use the Garden Organic 'how to make compost' link below to check what food waste can go into your compost bin. According to Garden Organic each home compost bin saves 150 kg of waste from having to be transported away and saves you money if you use the compost to grow your own food in your garden. Action you can take Garden Organic has an easy to follow guide on how to make compost You can also volunteer as a Shropshire Master Composter and promote home composting in your local community. Training is provided.

Shropshire Climate Action: About us About Shropshire Climate Action Shropshire Climate Action is a registered charity which operates as a network across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. SCA aims to tackle the ecological and climate emergencies across Shropshire, achieving a net-zero carbon footprint for the county by 2030 and restoration of nature, through building community capacity and empowering local action. Our Vision By 2030, Shropshire is no longer a county that contributes to the climate change crisis. Nature has been restored, our communities and enterprises are now sustainable. Our mission statement Our purpose is to support Shropshire to achieve net zero carbon and restore nature by 2030. We will be a catalyst that brings local people and organisations together to address the climate and ecological emergencies in a just and sustainable way. Governance SCA is constituted as a not-for-profit limited company and registered as a charity. You can read its articles of association here and charitable governing document on the Charity Commission website here . Achievements Since 2021, Zero Carbon Shropshire (Shropshire Climate Action Partnership) (as it was known) and South Shropshire Climate Action have helped to set up or deliver the following projects: The Shropshire Good Food Partnership Cool Shropshire and Telford for small business advice A map of sites suitable for renewable energy (Solar and Wind) and for carbon sequestration across the county A collaborative network of local climate action groups The Shropshire Love Nature Festival This website packed with resources and advice on how to take action across the county Regular newsletters about the climate action, events and news in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Leaflets of Walks through Ludlow and Bridgnorth's green spaces Retrofit toolkits for energy efficient homes and a repair cafe toolkit An Action Learning Project (2025) funded by Shropshire Council exploring how to decarbonise Shropshire communities Four climate conferences for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. Adrian Cooper (M.Sc, MA, MRTPI) Trustee Adrian was Shropshire Council’s Climate Change Manager until 2024, having established and led a small specialist professional team to develop and deliver Shropshire Council’s climate change and carbon reduction strategy. This included helping the Council to demonstrate leadership by example and the provision of advice to help businesses and communities across the county with their own response. Adrian also led the development of ground-breaking projects on biochar, renewable energy generation, EV charging infrastructure and hydrogen transport fuel. On taking early retirement from Shropshire Council in 2024 Adrian joined the Shrewsbury-based Clean Tech Business Group to contribute his extensive experience in sustainable resource management, climate change and carbon reduction to help local businesses navigate the challenge of climate change. Adrian is an accredited Carbon Literacy Facilitator and is currently providing Carbon Literacy Training for local businesses and other organisations. Adrian is also currently working part-time as the Net Zero Delivery Manager for Powys County Council. In addition to these formal roles, Adrian is a voluntary Climate Ambassador providing free advice to local schools and an enthusiastic volunteer at the Shrewsbury Food Hub, helping to collect and distribute surplus food from local supermarkets and manufacturers to those in need in the Shrewsbury area. Daphne du Cros Trustee Daphne is the Partnership lead for the Shropshire Good Food Partnership. She holds a PhD in Food Policy, is a Visiting Lecturer at Harper Adam's University. Her roles include Research, training and consulting on local food resilience and strategies for communities and Councils. She is the founder of Food Forward Bishop's Castle which produced the first (and only) Community Food Resilience Strategy in Shropshire, and runs the Bishop’s Castle Community Seed Bank, and Little Woodbatch Farm CIC for upskilling people in horticulture, food preserving, seed saving, with a focus on connection and community engagement. Jane Cullen Trustee My background in teaching suited me well for the role of Chair of South Shropshire Climate Action. After retiring from teaching I was lucky enough to go into business helping to establish Appleteme as a very successful local artisan business . In doing this I gained fresh experience and some perspectives of working on the land, and then promoting our product in the marketplace. This complete cycle is a very different experience to teaching young people at a particular school stage and I was lucky to experience both. As Chair of SSCA I worked with a team of committed specialists to produce first the 'Next Steps' Conferences and from those the 'Next Steps' Report. This report (‘Next Steps’ Climate Action Plan) was written by 33 Shropshire residents over the winter of 2020 to 2021. It made an immediate impact and attracted a very generous donation from a local citizen, enabling SSCA to employ two part time coordinators Nick Read and Fiona Morgan. 'Next Steps' outlines many solutions to the climate emergency in a Shropshire context. As is well known, the solutions already exist but implementation is a major challenge, always remembering 'think global, act local'. Chris Deaves (BSc, C.Eng) Chair of Trustees My career was spent working in IT in start-ups, large corporations and public sector bodies doing detailed technical design, project management, strategic corporate IT policy and consultancy. I have been a beekeeper for over 30 years and manage the teaching at the Ludlow Association. I was a Trustee of the British Beekeeping Association and chair of their education committee. I am currently Chair of Shropshire Climate Action and Chair of the Marches Energy Agency . I am a Trustee of Hands Together Ludlow and have developed their approach to digital inclusion and recycling IT equipment. Mark Fermor (BSc MSc DUC MBA CGeol FGS FRSA) Trustee I am a hydrogeologist and risk analyst who founded and led environmental consultancy ESI (1996-2018). Since then I have led the development of GeoSmart, an environmental data and analytics enterprise based in Shrewsbury, am currently Chair and working towards more joined up flood modelling and risk assessment in the UK. In 2020 I was a founder of Shropshire Climate Action and Director of the Zero Carbon Shropshire Plan (2020). I founded a community active travel charity, Shropshire Cycle Hub, am Chair of the board of trustees and regular eCargo bike delivery rider. Barbara Rainford Trustee I am a joint partner in Strawberry Fields, a marketing and social media consultancy. I am an elected director of the Midcounties Co-operative (which set up Co-op Energy) and Co-op Press. I helped set up Babbinswood Farm Community Benefit Society , which is campaigning to save an organic farm in North Shropshire. I was a volunteer with the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. I believe regenerative agriculture and green energy are the future for plants, people and the planet. Jess Walton (BSc MSc) Trustee I am currently working as a project manager at Marches Energy Agency. I have a BA degree in politics and international relations as well as a Masters degree in political ecology. I am a long-time climate activist and former chairperson of Generation Zero Carbon Shropshire. Grant Wilson Trustee I have lived in Ludlow with my wife for 20 years, drawn here from my home county of Cheshire by the thriving local food scene, stunning scenery and fantastic hill trails. In my professional life, I run the Discovery Centre in Craven Arms, helping to connect people with the food, history and landscape of the Shropshire Hills. We look after 12 hectares of land in the Onny Meadows which is managed for the benefit of wildlife and for public access. We have restored 8 hectares of grassland to traditional flower-rich hay meadow and the woodlands are in a cyclical programme of coppicing, resulting in a huge increase in biodiversity. The Centre is also home to the Shropshire Mammoth and operates a vibrant café, shop and events programme. We recently installed a 70KW solar array which is the penultimate step of a 5-year journey to make the Centre carbon negative. We just need to replace our gas boiler with a heat pump to complete the process. Outside of my work, I’m a passionate foodie, trail runner, ornithologist and cyclist, spending much of my free time in the Mortimer Forest and the wider Shropshire Hills National Landscape exploring the wildlife and scenery that abounds here. I was delighted to be invited to join the enthusiastic board of trustees of Shropshire Climate Action and hope to use my time here to help bring SCA’s important messaging to a wider audience by introducing a climate café. I also want to encourage active travel in the county by working with SCA’s wide network of contacts to help many more people reduce their carbon footprint, reduce travel costs and get fitter too! Adrian Cooper (M.Sc, MA, MRTPI) Meet the Project Team David Matthews SCA Programme manager, Chair of Stretton Climate Care Mike Bourke SCA Energy and Buildings lead, Trustee for Stretton Climate Care Sascha Robinson SCA Transport lead, project worker for Living Streets Di Lyle SCA Waste lead, Founder and coordinator for the Ludlow Repair Café Colin Preston SCA Land and Biodiversity lead, Chair of the Marches Nature Partnership, Previously Chief Executive of Shropshire Wildlife Trust Chloe King SCA volunteer, Project manager for Marches Energy Agency John Hughes SCA Communications and Fundraising lead, previously worked for Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shropshire Council Tina Teearu SCA social media team Anna Ponder SCA social media team, Intern at Marches Energy Agency and ELP2 participant Sue Burnell Climate Fresk facilitator for community Kev Oubridge Climate Fresk facilitator for Business Consultants Joy Greenall (Measures) Joy was brought up in Ludlow. She taught in London before completing a Nature Conservation MSc. She worked for NCC (now Natural England) and the Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust, spent 10 years providing on-farm advice and management plans in Berks and Oxon for the farming and wildlife charity FWAG, and then joined Duchy Home Farm at Highgrove as Sustainable Agriculture officer. Farming has always been her first love and 25 years ago she had the opportunity to come home and run an organic farm with husband Mark. Livestock farming leaves little free time, but other activities include choral singing, flower arranging and community project work, including chairing Land, Life & Livelihoods. Mark Measures BSc. Hons, Agric., FRAgS., IOTA Accredited An international consultant in policy, research and training in farm business and environmental management, soil, crop and animal husbandry. Formerly head of the Organic Advisory Service and the Institute of Organic Training and Advice and visiting lecturer at Scotland’s Rural College. He is director of an education and conservation trust in Argentina, jo int editor of the “Organic Farm Management Handbook” (12th edition), a 2018 Winston Churchill Fellow (studying soil management in the US and Europe), and a partner in a 150-acre farm in the Shropshire Hills. Professor John Whitelegg Senior Fellow for transport and climate change at the Foundation for Integrated Transport and an international consultant on transport projects. John has authored te chnical standards, reports and 11 books concerning sustainable transport , including “Mobility: A New Urban Design and Transport Planning Philosophy for a Sustainable Future ”. He is an adviser to the World Health Organisation on road safety and active travel. Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin's Climate and Nature Network St Martin's Parish Council Climate Action Working Group Sustainable Highley Thank you We are grateful to the following for their contribution to our website: Mike Bourke (Stretton Climate Care); Clive Dyson (Sustainable Bridgnorth), Sally Lancaster (previously of Generation Zero Carbon Shropshire) for writing text; Caroline Talbot (Mossy Life) for working with us and permitting us to embed her events pages and maps; Chris Deaves for technical support and Sarah Jameson for its design and technical support.

Shropshire Climate Action: Our 15 transport asks Our '15 Asks' of Shropshire Council Our '15 Asks' In June 2023 South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) wrote to Shropshire Council seeking a formal response to specific proposals, called the '15 Asks'. We received a response from which gives the latest position of the Council on transport issues across the county. Click here to read i t. The '15 Asks' 1. Transform bus services to maximise the shift from car trips to buses 2. Fund the transformation of all buses so that they are zero carbon 3. Introduce a “one ticket” public transport policy covering all buses regardless of operator and all local rail (see for example, Transport for Cornwall ) 4. Design and fund a Park and Ride service for Ludlow and Bridgnorth served by electric buses 5. Design and fund cycle paths to connect schools and colleges with their catchments and promote the widespread availability and adoption of electric bikes 6. Design and fund car-share clubs/schemes 7. Establish planning policies and rules to require workplace and school travel plans with specific targets for the reduction of car trips 8. Establish planning policies and rules to require all new housing to be designed and located to maximise the opportunities for active travel and public transport 9. Establish a county-wide “Mobility as a Service” (MaaS) project 10. Fund public electric vehicle charging points 11. Adopt 20mph speed limits county-wide 12 Reduce embodied carbon associated with transport infrastructure 13 Adopt freight consolidation measures to reduce delivery vehicles and promote e-cargo bikes in market towns for collection and delivery 14 Adopt Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) principles to exclude or limit vehicles on designated streets 15 Improve pedestrian facilities and infrastructure such as wider pavements and car-free streets

Shropshire Climate Action: Taking action Taking action! The impacts of the climate crisis will affect everyone living on the planet The scale of action required can feel overwhelming. “Climate doom” is where we don’t take action because we think it’s a problem we can’t solve, compared with “climate denial”, where we don’t take action because we don’t think there is a problem. However, although politicians, businesses and other institutions have a critical role to play, it is important to realise that we can all take meaningful action. The more each of us does, the more impact it will have. This website shows what can be done at home and work, by individuals, communities and councils, to reduce carbon emissions and protect nature. Individual choices Green Your Money Community actions Town & Parish Councils Schools & Youth Groups Local businesses Local Lobbying Eco anxiety

Shropshire Climate Action: Trains & Planes Trains & planes The climate impact of flying Air travel can offer unparalleled speed and global connectivity, but comes with a hefty carbon cost. According to Flight Free UK aviation is responsible for 7% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. Even a short flight can emit hundreds of kilograms of CO2 per passenger. You can assess a flight's carbon emissions using My Climate's online CO2 flight calculator which will help you to work out how to offset the emissions. The aviation industry is making the problem worse by promoting frequent flyer incentives, airport expansion and increasing private jets. National campaigns are encouraging individuals to explore eco-friendly alternatives to flying. Possible’s campaign calls for UK flights to be cut by a third to help reduce carbon emissions and reach our climate targets. Graph credit: Flightfree.co.uk Take to the rails instead... Trains offer a great alternative to flying and driving. They are more energy-efficient: producing far fewer carbon emissions with each mile travelled. International travel by train Travelling abroad by train has never been easier! Th e Man in Seat 61 offers lots of information about using trains abroad. It provides travellers with: up-to-date information on train routes journey planners practical tips for a smooth journey. Train travel in the UK The UK rail industry is actively working towards more sustainable practices. Transport for Wales is investing in energy-efficient technologies and infrastructure upgrades to red uce carbon emissions. Using train apps to measure carbon savings Apps such as th e Trainline app and Train Pal app offer user-friendly platforms which makes it easier to plan journeys across the UK by train and bus to reduce your carbon footprint. When booking tickets, users receive information on the carbon impact and carbon savings of their journeys (see image on the right). Supporting greener business travel Trainline Business sells tickets from 270 carriers across 45 countries, covering 80% of all routes in Europe and provides businesses with cost efficiencies and controls over their travel spend. Read more here Actions you can take... Use a carbon footprint calculator to find out how much the types of transport you use contribute towards your carbon footprint. Sign up to Flight Free UK’s flight free challenge and check out their website for tips on alternative ways to travel abroad. Ask your employer to sign up to Climate Perks, a new employee benefit scheme where employers help staff to choose slower, cleaner, travel by giving them paid ‘journey days’ on top of their annual leave entitlement. Support Possible’s frequent flyer levy campaign : the more someone flies in any given year, the more tax they pay on their flights. Keep up to date with local initiatives that prioritise sustainability. See Shropshire Council’s website .

Shropshire Climate Action: The Climate Emergency The Climate Emergency Shropshire’s temperature change since 1884 Ed Hawkins, University of Reading; Data: Met Office What is causing the c limate emergency and what are the impacts? Human activity since the industrial revolution has led to increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) which have caused a rapid increase in temperatures that now threatens life on earth. GHGs have increased from natural long-term peaks of 285 ppm (parts per million) to more than 450 ppm since the start of the industrial revolution. G lobal warming is changing the earth’s climate and the impact it has on the earth’s surface, both on land and sea, such as melting of the ice caps and thawing of frozen tundra. Whilst the climate represents atmospheric conditions measured over a long period of time (at least 30-year averages), the weather is our experience of atmospheric conditions at a given point in time. The growth of extreme weather conditions (both in terms of frequency and intensity) is also an indicator of climate change taking place. We’ve also doubled our use of resources and now consume over twice the sustainable resource use limit for life on the planet. The destruction of the natural environment has wiped out more than half of life on Earth since 1970. We’ve lost soils, forests and wetlands that kept CO2 in check, further accelerating global heating. Compared to less developed nations, the footprint of the western world is huge – and the roots of the problem lie here in Shropshire, birthplace of the industrial revolution. How can we respond? Responding to climate change includes two linked processes: Mitigation: r educing GHG emissions (achieving “net zero”) is needed to stop the earth’s atmosphere warming to an extent that irreversible damage may be done to human society and the natural world, ideally (but increasingly unlikely) to less than 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial atmospheric temperatures, and Adaptation: taking measures to address the effects of climate change on human society and Nature is required because climate change is already having an impact, whether via drought, localised flooding, heatwaves or through pests and diseases, affecting our housing and transport infrastructure, food production and the natural environment, and also human health and well-being. Find out what the climate crisis means for Shropshire: How to achieve Zero Carbon Britain Watch this video from the Centre for Alternative Technology which looks at how to achieve Zero Carbon Britain using today’s technology, while helping nature thrive.

Shropshire Climate Action: Reuse and share Reuse & share The environmental impact of our consumer society is huge. A ccording to WRAP 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from clothing and footwear. UK consumers buy more clothes per person than any other E uropean country, and wear new garments just 7 times on average.* By 2030 global c lothing consumption is predicted to rise by 63%. The p oster designed by Ge neration Zero Carbon Shropshire shows some of the environmental impacts of fashion ranging from excessive artificial fertiliser, pesticide and water use. Discarded clothing is also significant. In the UK we discard 1 million tonnes of clothing every year: 300,000 tonnes of clothing is thrown in the bin of which 20% goes to landfill and 80% is incinerated Much of our used clothing is dumped in countries which lack the facilities to manage our waste such as Ghana Synthetic textiles e.g. nylon, polyester and acrylics, are made from plastics derived from fossil fuels. They are used in 60% of our garments and can take up to 200 years to decompose. (*Reference Daily Mail study) Actions you can take Don't throw things away. Consider i nstea d: Arrange a Swap and Share event - to share resources in your communi ty, exchanging unwanted items for something new! Use this Toolkit. Stop buying from fast fashion brands which produce clothes at high speeds and low costs to maximise profits. Instead educate yourself on sustainable brands and share this knowledge with others. Subscribe to Ethical Consumer magazine . Buy from charity shops or second hand stores Repair or fix items and, where you can, repurpose See some of the great ideas for reusing clothes from Generation Zero Carbon Shropshire Set up a Library of Things in your community. This video shows how Library of Things operate across London as part of a circular economy. Library of Things (LOTs) Library of Things are local membership schemes which lend out things for your home, projects and activities (e.g. DIY, gardening, cooking, cleaning, camping equipment etc.). The schemes allow people to hire items on short-term loan for a small fee. Did you know that the average drill is used for only 7 minutes in its lifetime? These schemes help to cut down on clutter, waste and carbon emissions and save you money. Check out the Library of Things in our region – the Share Shack is run by the Active Wellbeing Society in Birmingham. Local examples in our area Oswestry Climate Action Hub Oswestry Climate Action Hub (OsCAH) , is based in the heart of the town centre at 36 Bailey Street with a mission to: "Make, Share, Grow, Repair". The Hub provides an inclusive space for local residents to meet and engage in events and initiatives from mends and upcycling, to skill shares, swaps. and growing your own plants. They also have a swap shop in the same street. The aim is for the people of Oswestry and nearby areas to help each other live more sustainably and build resilience against climate change. Swaps, shares and giveaways Climate Action Hub Telford holds regular pop up swap, share and giveaway events at their Sustainable Saturday events held every other month at Belmont Hall, Wellington. Other groups including Telford Repair Café , Terracycle Telford and Transition Telford also work with them. See the event listing on their website and ideas of what you could do in your community . Baby Stop is a project of The Severn Community Charitable trust who hold monthly baby product shares The With Love From project in Oswestry has created a Shropshire Shared Wardrobe of outfits for conscientious shoppers which you can also borrow from Oswestry library! Donations of party clothing, footwear and accessories are also welcome. Little Stars is a Shropshire based charity who provide pre-loved items to families in need for children of all ages. They also have pre-loved school uniform donation points in the following Tesco stores - Shrewsbury, Ellesmere, Whitchurch, and Ludlow Crafts and tools Scrappies sells end-of-line and recycled resources for craft, art and household. It is also an outlet for T ools for Self Reliance providing pre-owned and refurbished tools to help with DIY projects. Address: Scrappies, 1 Sherratt Court, Beaumont Road, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6BN. Tel: 01694 328 508. Email: info@scrappies.org Tools for Self Reliance also re-furbishes tools (including haberdashery and sewing machines) that are no longer needed and then sends them to local organisations in Africa to support rural artisans and craftworkers. Email: marchestools@gmail.com Furniture and equipment The Shed (for the people of Highley) receives donations from the community including toys and clothes (except large furniture) and provides help to local people in need. Warp It is an online tool supported by Shropshire council which assists with re-using equipment and furniture. The portal allows you to claim and exchange items you wish with other organisations. Schools may register and login for free. Click here for more information. Email: info@getwarpit.com