World Environment Day

5th June is World Environment Day, this year focussing on climate change.

Ellen, one of our trustees, who leads on fundraising and children’s crafts, painted an amazing earth on a large circular piece of card for world earth day in April this year. If you would like to be the proud owner of this wonderful work of art, make us an offer we can’t refuse!

But this year is not a year to focus on the doom, but on the hope. Solar panels stretch across rooftops. Wind turbines line the horizon. Cities are being redesigned for people. Forests are being replanted. Climate solutions are taking root in every corner of the planet.

Figures from the CBI show the green economy grew 10% in 2024, delivering over £83 billion in gross value add. The Office of National Statistics tells a similar story, with confirmed revenues across the low carbon and renewable energy economy rising by 12% that same year, according to this article by James Murray.

So perhaps this is the year we can start being more open about sharing all the small, seemingly insignificant, shifts that we have made in our own lives to live lighter on the planet - and acknowledge that we are part of the 89% of global populations believe that more action is needed on climate change. International survey work undertaken in 2024 shows that in every country surveyed, it is a majority that is concerned, ranging from 63% - 98%. And that same survey work shows that again in every country, people assume that if they are concerned about climate change, they must be in the minority.

And our refresh shop is for the 89%. Those of us that don’t want to talk about what we are doing, but who quietly and privately make those steady small shifts. We need to keep making those shifts, the planet is not out of the woods yet, but with 25% of our emissions in our own hands, according to take the jump, it is good to know that those small changes add up to a big difference.