The UK’s first Climate Week will take place from 21-27 March next year with the aim of enhancing society’s approach to combating climate change by creating an unprecedented opportunity for individuals and organisations to share ideas, forge new collaborations, motivate their peers and inspire others to act.
Several hundred high-profile UK institutions, experts, activists, parliamentarians, peers and leading lights from every part of society have already committed to participating in this new national occasion.
Climate Week is backed by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, and leading figures on climate change such as former US Vice President Al Gore, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan and Lord Nicholas Stern. Celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney, Michael Palin, Mark Ronson, Lily Cole and Sienna Miller have also given their support.
During Climate Week the UK will see a huge number of cultural, social, and professional events from all walks of society – all aimed at promoting diverse, practical ways of combating climate change and creating a more sustainable, low-carbon future.
Some early key dates to mark include:
* The Climate Week Challenge, taking place Monday 21st March from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The challenge will see thousands of schools and workplaces simultaneously tackling the same task as part of Britain's biggest ever live environmental competition.
* The Climate Week Award ceremony, which will open for entries in mid-December, will be take place on the evening of 21st March. This is a new high profile awards scheme to celebrate outstanding efforts by individuals, businesses, community groups and others to combat climate change.
Climate Week has the support of leading organisations from the worlds of education, business, science, politics, community campaigning, government, the public services and the voluntary sector.
Other organisations involved range from football to finance, religion to renewable energy, conservation to construction, education to enterprise and waste management to women’s organisations.
Climate Week's Headline Partner is Tesco, the retail giant aims to become a zero-carbon business by 2050 - without purchasing offsets. In addition it has committed to work with its suppliers to reduce emissions from products in its supply chain by 30% by 2020, and to have found ways to help its customers halve their own carbon footprints by 2020.
Climate Week’s four Supporting Partners are Aviva, EDF Energy, Kellogg’s and RBS. They have demonstrated their commitment to action on climate change in many ways. Aviva was the first insurer to be carbon neutral worldwide. EDF Energy is Britain’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity. Kellogg’s is reducing greenhouse emissions 15-20% per tonne of food. RBS is providing financial services for Britain’s low-carbon transition.
Climate Week’s chief executive, campaigner Kevin Steele said: “Climate Week is about showcasing positive steps that can be taken to combat climate change, and so catalyse action during the other 51 weeks of the year. We are encouraging people to ask the organisations they know – such as their workplace or local school - to plan events and activities for Climate Week.”
francesco, Edinburgh around 1 year, 2 months ago