< Back SSCA's reflections on COP27, 6th-20th November 2022, Egypt Fiona Morgan 1 Dec 2022 From global to local action The Global Picture Delegates at COP27 in Egypt last month reached a historic deal to set up a “loss and damage” fund to compensate those countries, primarily in the Global South, who have done the least to cause climate breakdown but who are being impacted the most by the damage of increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather patterns and conditions. However, this significant and long overdue commitment is completely undermined by the ongoing lack of agreement of all governments to phase down ALL fossil fuels. Without this, the efforts to stay below 1.5C will be beyond our reach, given that global tipping points are now being reached. To put this in perspective, back in May 1992 when the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was formed, 178 member states unanimously agreed to bring CO2 emissions down to 1990 levels of 354 parts per million (ppm) by 2000. Since then annual emissions have climbed 65% and now stand at 420 ppm (levels stood at 280 ppm in the pre-industrial era). And so the fight for climate justice and climate stability goes on. According to Carbon Brief "Tuvalu also became the first country in the world to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative , which aims to trigger a global fossil-fuel phase-out through the establishment of an international treaty, in a similar way to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons .". You can endorse this campaign as an organisation or individual via the above weblink. We shall watch this development with interest. Meanwhile in Shropshire….We Clanged for COP27 On Saturday 12th November environmental groups across Shropshire Clanged for COP27 as part of a Global Day of Action organised by the Global Justice Coalition to raise the alarm about the Climate and Ecological Emergency. Gatherings took place in Wem, Market Drayton and Ironbridge where drums and saucepans were clanged and bells were rung to demand world leaders take climate action and provide financial support to the global south for the climate related damage they are facing. Previous Next

< Back Shropshire Hosts Record-Breaking Repair Cafe 'The Big Mend' Pete Martin 18 Oct 2025 Celebrating International Repair Day with repairers from across Shropshire and Telford Shrewsbury celebrated International Repair Day in spectacular fashion on Saturday, October 18 with the largest-ever Repair Café event in the town as well as the county: "The Big Mend." Organised by the dedicated Shrewsbury Repair Café volunteers, in collaboration with fellow Repair Cafés from across Shropshire (including Bayston Hill, Oswestry, Pontesbury, Stretton, Telford and Wem) and sponsored by Veolia, the event was a massive success, breathing new life into a vast array of broken household items and championing the value of sustainability and reuse. Held at Prestfelde School in Shrewsbury, the event saw an unprecedented turnout. Over 137 items were brought in by the public—far exceeding all other previous records of any repair café in Shropshire. Skilled volunteer "fixers" and "menders" worked tirelessly across various repair stations, tackling everything from the modern to the antique. The eclectic mix of items repaired or assessed included: • Faulty electrical items (like vacuum cleaners and hair straighteners) • Mechanical items • Broken clocks • Torn clothing and textiles • Damaged ornaments and toys (including a vintage Bagatelle pinball machine) Most items were successfully mended on the spot, preventing them from heading straight to landfill and saving their owners the cost of replacement. For those items requiring more complicated repairs, volunteers offered advice or took them away for further attention. The spirit of "The Big Mend" went beyond simple repairs. It was a true community celebration of the Repair Café movement's core values: • Waste Reduction: the event was a practical step against the 'throwaway' culture, keeping valuable resources in use and out of landfill. • Skill Sharing: people could watch or join in the repairs, learning valuable maintenance and fixing skills that are increasingly being lost in modern society. • Cost Saving: by repairing items for free, the event offered a practical solution to the rising cost of living. In addition to the repair stations, experts from Halls Fine Art Auctioneers were on hand to offer free valuations for items like jewellery, silver, ceramics, and militaria, adding an extra layer of engagement for attendees. The event's popularity was clear, with attendees flocking to Prestfelde School throughout the day. The vibrant atmosphere was noted by volunteers, with one repairer stating that the enthusiasm and happiness in the room was "wonderful." The importance of "The Big Mend" was acknowledged by local officials, with Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley, Town Mayor Alex Wagner, and Vice Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire Jenny Wynn OBE all in attendance to show their support for the sustainability initiative. "The Big Mend" successfully made its mark, not just as the biggest Repair Café event in the area, but as a shining example of community action and collective commitment to a more sustainable future. The success of the day reinforced the vital role that Shropshire’s Repair Cafés play in local efforts to tackle both the cost of living and climate crisis. 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 South Shropshire MP supports the repeal of the Climate Change Act 2008 Chris Deaves 1 Nov 2025 Our response to local criticism of the Act Stuart Anderson, MP for South Shropshire, has recently stated his intention to support the repeal of the 2008 Climate Change Act. Below is the response (abridged), sent on behalf of Shropshire Climate Action and local groups in the South Shropshire constituency: “We… strongly support the 2008 Climate Change Act and are very concerned to learn that you wish to see the Act repealed. We believe that the political consensus…and the implementation of the Act have enabled the UK to make significant progress over the last 17 years on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Act's robust, legally binding framework, and the independent advisory body it established in the Climate Change Committee (CCC), have proven particularly effective. The UK has been widely recognised for its climate leadership internationally, increasing its influence and leverage in international negotiations… Repealing the Act would cause significant damage to the UK’s reputation at home and abroad, jeopardising confidence and investment in the UK’s vibrant green economy… (which) is growing at three times the rate of the wider economy. Repealing the Act would also undermine the UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution [NDC] to the Paris agreement… The CCC 2025 report and the recent report in advance on the state of Climate action worldwide…explain the urgency of accelerating action. As far as we understand it, your desire to repeal the Act doesn’t appear to be premised on any scientific data that challenges either the Climate Change Committee’s report nor the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 75% of the UK population want to see the Government taking action on Climate Change. Any retreat from our Climate commitments by political parties will carry grave consequences—undermining our national credibility, damaging our international standing, and betraying the trust of future generations.” Our chair, Chris Deaves, adds his thoughts: “I studied astronomy at university. In my studies I saw no evidence of space fleets arranging with tons of clean water, air, food or life forms. The earth is finite and so are its resources. It is ironic that Shropshire contains the cause and solution to these issues. Ironbridge is the birthplace of the industrial revolution and its consequences, not least of which is idealisation of growth based on increasing output, which cannot be maintained for ever. On the escalator from the Shrewsbury bus station is a picture of Charles Darwin and a quote: “It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.” Seeking to retain obsolete concepts of growth (and its concomitant evil of unfair resource distribution) is a fearful and unthinking response to the need for change and a cheap hook on which to hang short-term populist policy. Improving the cost of living, resource inequality and better public engagement in governance require evolution, not a nostalgic adherence to old policies. The increasing ‘undemocratic’ objections we see around us are signs of democratic evolution in progress by the only routes open and policy makers would do well to remember that all the principles of evolution apply remorselessly to us all.” 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 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 A New Government: Fiona Morgan and Julie Howe 1 Aug 2024 Is this the Green revolution we have been waiting for? Since the new Labour Government came to power on 5 July, a number of announcements have been made regarding the transition to net zero. These include nine of the bills in the King’s Speech on the 17 July. Energy Setting up Great British Energy, a publicly owned company, that will invest in renewable energy: the Government’s overarching intention is to double onshore wind, triple solar power and quadruple offshore wind by 2030.[1] In relation to installing roof top solar, Ed Milliband (Energy Secretary) stated, “We will encourage builders and homeowners, in whatever way we can, to deliver this win-win technology to millions of addresses in the UK so people can provide their own electricity, cut their bills and at the same time help fight climate change.”[2] He also approved 3 massive solar farms in the East of England which will have a capacity of approx. 1.35 GW (around 10% of current capacity).[3] The Government has also lifted the effective ban on onshore windfarms in England and stated that the decision to approve a new coalmine in Cumbria in 2022 was unlawful, because emissions from burning coal were not considered in the planning decision.[4] Planning changes The Government has set out its intention to build 1.5 million homes, including on some green belt sites.[5] To what extent developers will be compelled to install solar and other renewables on new homes is not yet known. Nature According to the Guardian, ‘Little mention was made about Nature, other than the promise to “use development to fund nature recovery”, mainly through the Biodiversity Net Gain mechanism by which developers must restore and improve the natural environment and species habitats in return for being allowed to build.’[6] The Water (Special Measures) Bill aims to strengthen regulation, giving the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met, to increase accountability for water executives and to increase investment in infrastructure.[7] Questions remain over the extent to which this will help to address pollution across Welsh and English waterways and beaches. Transport Other transport related bills that will have climate related impacts include the Better Buses Bill - councils across England will be able to determine the details of bus services provided by private companies, such as routes, timetables and standards.[8] There were several railway bills, including one taking passenger railway services back into public ownership and a high-speed rail (Crewe to Manchester) bill. The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Bill – begging the question: does such a thing exist? What do you think of the Climate Action-related announcements so far? How effective will they be? We would love to hear your opinions. Contact the team at admin@zerocarbonshropshire.org or fiona@mea.org.uk . [1] Make Britain a clean energy superpower, The Labour Party [2] Labour’s ‘rooftop revolution’ to deliver solar power to millions of UK homes, The Guardian [3] ibid [4] UK: Cumbria coalmine was unlawfully approved, Carbon Brief [5] From green energy to rivers, environment at heart of nine plans in king’s speech, The Guardian [6] ibid [7] Government introduces new bill to clean up water sector, Defra [8] Councils to get power to replicate London’s bus network nationwide, Evening Standard Previous Next

< Back Shropshire Council's approval of 200,000-bird intensive poultry unit overturned by High Court Julie Howe 17 Jun 2025 New environmental considerations for planning authorities Shropshire Council lost in a High Court ruling in June, overturning the planning authority’s approval of a 200,000-bird intensive poultry unit near Shrewsbury in the River Severn catchment. The case was brought by local campaigner and River Action board member Dr Alison Caffyn, supported by River Action . She said: “There are nearly 65 chickens for every person in Shropshire and yet the council still thought we needed more. This ruling proves what we've said all along: the planning system has been putting our rivers at risk. This case is a win for communities across the UK who are standing up to the environmental degradation caused by industrial factory farming.” This ruling means that planning authorities must: Assess the cumulative impacts of having multiple intensive agricultural developments in one river catchment before granting permission for another. Consider how livestock production units dispose of the waste from treatment facilities downstream, including from anaerobic digestion plants. Previous Next

< Back The Marches Real Food and Farming Conference: 15th - 16th September Jane Cullen 16 Sept 2023 Our reflections on this fantastic ground breaking local food conference The Conference held at Partridge Farm, near Bishop’s Castle, was a greatly enjoyable day and showed many exciting projects to a new audience – if you are at all interested in your food, where it comes from, how it is grown, how far it has travelled to get to you – you know all the issues - here were practical, pragmatic and possible models that deserve to be known, and adopted, much more widely. The dung beetle safari, led by Claire Whittle who is a farm veterinary surgeon specialising in conservation medicine and regenerative agriculture, demonstrated how dung beetles not only make the structure of the soil much better but rather amazingly also reduce parasite organs in livestock. Claire’s enthusiasm and knowledge lit up those on safari. Another eye opener was the Johnson-Su Reactor which Kate Gatacre opened and described. Although I could not build one in my small urban garden anyone with a bit more space could: all you need is an old pallet, some lengths of drainpipe, wire, fleece, sawdust, green waste and some space. The beautiful, crumbly, clean- smelling compost which was dug out was absolutely perfect. Having experience as a producer I went to the session on Market Linkage, which followed the path between local producers Tish Dockerty and Jan Morgan-Birtles, who trade regularly at the ‘Local to Ludlow’ Market, and a Food Hub in Birmingham, via Slow Food and the Open Food Network. It’s good to see technology making these links quick and practical - for the good of all. Lizzie and Jane Hulton-Harrop also gave an excellent presentation as they charted their move into Regenerative Farming. Pollardine Farm’s soil fertility is improving, rapidly responding to changes in their practice – the first one being a really good rest for the land. There’s much more to hear about this project and the careful research behind the changes, look out for our forthcoming video of the climate and Nature related work being done at Pollardine Farm - which will be available soon. Previous Next

< Back Shropshire's Green Libraries Week Fiona Morgan 6 Oct 2023 SSCA's information stand at Ludlow Library SSCA volunteer Robin Grimmett managed our stand at Ludlow library on the 6th October. We showcased information from groups across Shropshire on how people can take action to reduce their carbon emissions and support Nature including: our Retrofit Toolkit produced in partnership with Stretton Climate Care our Walk Through Ludlow’s Green Spaces leaflet produced with Shropshire Wildlife Trust Ludlow branch Zero Carbon Shropshire’s leaflets providing tips on the climate action people can take Save Our Shropshire’s carbon literacy workshops Marches Energy Agency leaflets on energy efficient homes and Restoring Shropshire’s Verges Project on how to turn roadside verges into wildlife friendly meadows. We will have a permanent display of leaflets at Ludlow Library and hope to develop similar links with other libraries across the county so that people can gain access to useful information on how they can take climate action. Previous Next

< Back SSCA's reflections on COP15: UN Biodiversity Conference Nick Read 10 Jan 2023 Not to be confused with COP 27 on Climate Change which was held in Egypt in November, Montreal has recently hosted COP 15 (or the 15th Conference of the Parties) to the United National Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention was signed in 1992 and adopted by every member state except the United States, which has signed but never ratified the treaty. COP 15 was due to be hosted by China, who still provided the Chair, but was held in Montreal because of the strict Covid-19 restrictions that China had been operating. The most important outcome of the conference was a commitment to significantly extend the level of protection of ecosystems from the current 17% and 10% of the world’s terrestrial and ocean areas respectively to at least 30% of the world’s land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans (sometimes referred to as the 30x30 target) by the year 2030. Special attention is to be paid to areas deemed to be important for biodiversity, such as tropical rain forest.There were 23 targets agreed, including: Halving global food waste by 2030 Reducing government subsidies that harm nature by $500 billion a year Reducing to “near zero” the loss of areas of wildlife-rich habitat Minimizing, reducing or mitigating the effects of invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030 There is a also a commitment to support developing countries financially to help implement some of these measures. Whilst broadly welcomed by environmental campaigners there is still concern that the words will not be matched by actions, but at least the words have been agreed. Previous Next

< Back Zero Carbon Shropshire’s AGM and Panel Discussion Fiona Morgan 17 May 2023 How can we accelerate action on the Climate and Ecological Emergencies? We attended Zero Carbon Shropshire's AGM and panel discussion on accelerating action on the Climate and Ecological Emergencies. We heard from experts and a panel of local decision makers including Ian Nellins and Julian Dean (both on the climate board for Shropshire Council), Philip Dunn MP (MP for Ludlow and Chair of the Environment Audit Committee), Carolyn Healy (Telford & Wrekin council), and Lawrence Kinnersley (Shropshire Wildlife Trust) who responded to questions from the audience. We asked how local councils (at parish, town and county level) could proactively engage young people in their decision making around the climate and ecological emergencies. Afterall young people and future generations are the ones who will be most impacted by these unfolding crises and they need their views be heard within our political processes. Previous Next