Category: Initiatives

Count Us In

Post author By Christopher Etchells
Post date 1 November 2020

When it comes to reducing our carbon footprint, there is an argument that focussing on individual responsibility lets the real culprits off the hook. But the truth is that individual and corporate responsibility are two sides of the same coin and the sad fact is that many people do little or nothing personally to reduce their carbon footprint. That’s where Count Us In can help, aiming to encourage one billion people take practical steps to reduce their carbon footprint that together can make a big difference: over 30 million kilos of CO2 saved at the last count.

Zero-emission aircraft?

Post author By Christopher Etchells
Post date 22 September 2020

The idea of zero-emission aircraft must not take the spotlight off how we deal with the current problem of aircraft CO2 emissions. But it does give some hope for the future. More

cities Initiatives sustainable development the future

Amsterdam Doughnut

What does it mean for countries, cities and people to thrive in balance with the planet post Coronavirus? On Wednesday, Amsterdam will become the first city in the world to formally embrace ‘doughnut economics’ aiming to create a thriving city that is also socially just and ecologically safe. Read more here.

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Climbing out of Covid-19

Many of the responses to Covid-19 are also good for the planet: see here. Let’s take advantage of this crisis to *not* return to business as usual. Here are some ideas:

- - Instal protected cycleways across Britain,
  - Create safe Mini-Holland neighbourhoods
  - Mass installation of solar-panels
  - Insulate all UK homes
  - Plant vast new biodiversity rich forests
  - Restore our precious peat-bogs
  - Build fleets of electric buses and emergency vehicles
  - Electrify our railways
  - Convert heavy industry to renewable hydrogen
  - Build great new offshore windfarms
  - Fund the switch to soil protecting organic agriculture
  - Re-create community orchards and allotments

Discuss

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Sustainable Travel

Some big names have signed up to the Travalyst initiative, aiming to ‘transform the future of travel for everyone’. See for example the efforts being made by Skyscanner. Good news!

Initiatives

Greenpositive initiative

Excellent news from Spain where the Spanish association for private language schools – FECEI – has launched a hallmark to encourage environmental good practice in member schools. See https://eltfootprint.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Fecei-Greenpositive-English-2019-2020-final.pdf Should we have a similar hallmark for UK ELT?