Transcript Sheffield Campaign against Climate Change

Can footprinting inspire
political as well as lifestyle
change?
Heather Hunt and Jenny Patient
Sheffield Campaign against Climate Change
SCACC petition to Sheffield City Council:
“We recognise urgent action is needed now to avert
catastrophic climate change. Therefore we call on
Sheffield Council to set targets to reduce CO2
emissions across the city in line with keeping global
temperature change below 2°C”
Global Steps
www.bestfootforward.com
Sheffield’s footprint: 3 planets
Here’s where we are now
Personal effort can
reduce this to 2 planets
Huge policy changes
needed to get to 1 planet
Context for Conversations
Intentions of our Action Research
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Gather information systematically
from our footprinting conversations
Engage Sheffield Council and
Sheffield First Environment
Partnership with our experience and
findings
Our framework – conversational
space and change at all levels
The Structure of our Conversations
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We’re interested to know what Sheffield
people think about climate change, and what
we can all do about it.
How concerned are you about climate change?
What is it that concerns you most about
climate change?
Footprint dialogue, estimate and
interpretation – number of planets
Asking about inspirations for personal actions
and infrastructure changes in Sheffield that
would help them to reduce their footprint
Findings – who engaged?
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Over 100 people
6 days across 4 festivals June,
July and August 2007.
51 female, 19 male, 16 in some
group combination
Age estimates: 10 aged 60+, 57
aged 18-60, and 6 below 18 years
A broad cross-section of Sheffield
people from different postal
districts
Findings – how concerned?
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“How concerned
are you about
climate change?”
77%
High
– Extremely
– Very

Low
– A bit
– Not much
– Not at all
23%
High
concern
Low
concern
Findings – Climate Change Concerns
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“I have small children, I want them
to have a planet”
“Effect on me, my future – I might
see hell break loose”
“It’s going to hit people in the poor
world most, we’re all part of
humanity, a huge shift in attitudes is
required”
Findings – Climate Change Concerns
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“Scary – our weather changing. These
floods – first time I’ve thought how
other people have to cope”
“Weather’s strange, think of the
animals, everything really – storms and
fires”
“If we get political will, everything will
follow”
Findings – Footprints
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86 footprints, mean score 254 = 2.5
planets
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Possible scores between 100 and 450
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Actual scores range 121 to 383
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No marked gender or age patterns
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Lower than SEI Sheffield average (3
planets) – may be biased by selfselection and self-assessment
Inspirations for Personal Actions and
Infrastructure Changes
Number of suggestions
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Food
Waste
Transport
Personal
Holidays
Infrastructure
House
Other
Asymmetric footprints
Transport + Holiday
high score
Food+Waste
high score
Food+Waste
low score
Transport+Holiday
low score
NOTTs
LINCs
“Not Tried to”
“Low Income, No Car”
11 footprints
Average 330
11 footprints
Average 263
WILTs
DERBs
“With Income, Likes
“Doing Effective
Reduced Behaviour”
Travel”
33 footprints
Average 276
31 footprints
Average 200
How can we inspire political
change?
Conversations
with city
people
 Conversations
with city
leaders
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Conversations we would like
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Your experience of using
footprinting for popular
engagement around action on
climate change
Your thoughts on how our
information and experience can
engage powers-that-be for
infrastructure change