Carbon Conversations, Meyer & Mayer and a hub for Brighton?
Last week saw the first of a new series of meetups, for sustainability and communications professionals in Brighton.
We asked everyone:
a) what’s the biggest communications challenge you face in your work?
b) what’s helped you to keep going?
That was enough to keep us going well beyond the two hours we set aside. Here are some of the diverse issues and ideas that got an airing, and help set an agenda for the topics we’ll be diving into over the next twelve months.
Challenges?
- Isolation – working in silos / as a freelance consultant
- Jargon & off-putting terminology (‘sustainability’ is not always helpful itself)
- Making behaviours stick – after the initial buzz of a campaign or activity has faded
Inspiration?
Carbon Conversations
A programme of six meetings held in small groups, that aims to halve the carbon footprints of those who participate. A different way to provide support for action, with a social angle – Slimming World for carbon budgets? http://carbonconversations.org/.
Impact Hub King’s Cross
‘Part innovation lab, part business incubator, and part community centre, we offer our members a unique ecosystem of resources, inspiration, and collaboration opportunities to grow impact.’
The King’s Cross site is one of over 40 Impact Hubs globally, and provides a physical focus for purpose-driven people and projects in London. Is this what Brighton needs too…? http://kingscross.impacthub.net/
Meyer and Mayer
Two big thinkers on the environment over recent decades.
Aubrey Meyer, the architect of the Contraction & Convergence model for reducing greenhouse gas emissions fairly and efficiently, and Mayer Hillman, academic and campaigner. http://mayerhillman.com/
L’Ane Vert (The Green Donkey)
A social enterprise, community and arts-focused project and green retreat in Morocco. http://ane-vert.com/
Jonathon Porritt’s ‘flights lottery’
The concept outlined in Porritt’s book The World We Made whereby in a low-carbon economy citizens get a fair chance to win tickets for long-haul flights, and global travel doesn’t become an elitist pursuit.
Incredible Edible Todmorden
An inspirational DIY community project that’s had a big impact on one Yorkshire town and had spawned hundreds of like-minded ‘Incredible Edible’ communities across the world. Check out founder Pam Warhurst’s rousing, no-nonsense presentation at Meaning Conference a couple of years ago.
Interested?
Does this sound like the kind of conversation you’d like to be part of? The next Brighton Sustainability Comms Meetup will be on Wednesday 14th January. It’s open to all professionals working in communications, sustainability or both – to sign up for updates, please join our community on Meetup or get in touch with us.
