In this series of case studies, civil society organisations outline some of the steps they have taken to drive climate action – internally or externally. This doesn’t mean they have completed everything, but that they have picked a place to start, which unblocks fear and drives action in other areas. We hope this series gives you many ideas for climate action in your organisation. If you would like to submit a case study to keep this series going, please email heloisa.righetto@acevo.org.uk.
This time, we hear from The Centre for African Entrepreneurship in Swansea. The organisation was established seven years ago to support individuals from African backgrounds to succeed through enterprise as a route out of poverty. Due to the increased need for support, it expanded its vision and mission to meet the needs of all ethnically diverse communities. As such, The CAE work aims to empower disadvantaged groups, primarily refugees and asylum seekers but also works with young people as well as ex-offenders, using a holistic and person-centred approach to tackling inequality.
Can you describe the actions you have taken? How did you identify the problem and implement a process?
Our climate action is inspired by the fact that even though people from ethnically diverse backgrounds are typically the most affected by climate change, they are one of the most disengaged groups. This is for many reasons, but mainly because of the language used to discuss these issues not being accessible or relatable enough.
Our aim as an organisation is to raise awareness, educate individuals and inspire action on a community and individual level. We seek to meet people where they are, in their complexity and diversity, in order to engage with them.
We are working to increase the representation of marginalised voices in the climate conversation through sharing our work at Welsh national climate meetings, organisational networking events, school engagement, and hosting discussions at conferences to spread the message of our work and why it is important. We are also working towards facilitating a network of young climate ambassadors to be the voices for communities, providing a platform to amplify their ideas, and supporting them to feel confident in contributing to climate work, and valued for doing so.
We are working to increase engagement by providing practical hands-on experiences on climate-related topics such as sustainable eating, green transport, growing foods and climate-related migration. Some examples of our upcoming events include a cooking programme for young people at a local community kitchen/garden which includes picking seasonally grown veg; weekly bike rides to spread awareness of a local bike renting scheme and to encourage a vibrant community of cyclists; bike riding lessons; and a film screening on the effects of climate change on migration with a Q&A session panelled by local youth climate ambassadors to encourage discussion and inclusion. All of our events are free and in partnership with other local organisations that collectively are working to increase climate action.
Our staff is carbon literacy trained, and we are working to include a regular 10-minute climate-related discussion in our team meetings. We are also working towards incorporating climate action into all areas of our organisation. As a charity, we offer a variety of services to support individuals because people’s needs come in various forms, and we are working to make all of these services greener and environmentally conscious. For example, we are combining our enterprise support with our climate action by encouraging new businesses to look at green and sustainable business practices as a way to secure grants and funding.
What has been successful and would you most like to celebrate from the action you took?
The most successful element of our work so far has been in elevating the voices of those less represented, on a community level such as students at schools, and on a more political level at tables where climate-related action is discussed.
What has been most challenging?
The challenge of our work is to effectively reach out to those communities that are considered ‘hard to reach’ by mainstream narratives. Outreach involves the effort of our whole team and is an ongoing process which can always be improved.
What did you learn from starting work in this area? What learning points would you most like to share with other leaders?
It doesn’t matter how much you know; just get involved. Put yourself in situations with others who want to solve the problem too.
Incorporate more sustainable practices into your work bit by bit. Every element of life can be made greener. Sift through your practices and make changes here and there which eventually add up to making your organisation more environmentally conscious.
Involve as many people as you can. Talk about it and invite others to be a part of it.
How could the sector more effectively collaborate or share knowledge in this space?
- Simply sharing best practices and learning from engagement with your own communities.
- Share each other’s work through networks and platforms and use each other’s strengths.
- It should become normal for climate change to be considered in all activities and partnerships as it affects every single aspect of our work.
