Reading Climate Festival gets underway
Residents, organisations and businesses across Reading are being encouraged to get involved in action to tackle climate change by taking part in Reading Climate Festival, a week of free online events running this week.
The centre-piece of the Festival will be the launch on 10th November of a new Reading Climate Emergency Strategy, developed by the Reading Climate Change Partnership with input from the wider community, setting out plans to make Reading a net zero carbon borough by 2030.
The Festival programme is aimed at helping residents, businesses, schools and community groups find out how to live more sustainably, make changes that will contribute towards our goal and gain a better understanding of how what we do locally makes a difference.
Tuesday’s programme includes the official launch of the Climate Emergency Strategy with live presentations from 3pm from the co-chairs of the Climate Change Partnership, the Leader of the Council and senior representatives from the University of Reading and the business community.
Events through the remainder of the week include a guided video tour of Reading’s materials recovery facility, virtual tree walks and presentations on a multitude of topics from how to access funding for renewable energy installations to how your diet impacts climate change. The University of Reading will be running its annual Green Week in co-operation with Reading Climate Festival, and Reading’s schools will be invited to participate via the Youth Climate Summit.
Details of the festival are here: http://www.readingculturelive.co.uk/genre/reading-climate-festival-genre/
Launching the Festival, Tracey Rawling Church, co-chair of the Reading Climate Change Partnership said:
“The Reading Climate Emergency Strategy and Action Plan was developed by the town, for the town, with input from anybody who wished to contribute. We’ve taken a similar approach with Reading Climate Festival, inviting the many groups and organisations working on climate change and other environmental issues to share their expertise and enthusiasm. Our many volunteers and supporters have worked tirelessly over the past year to develop a credible plan in response to the Climate Emergency and through the festival we want to inspire everybody who lives, works or studies in Reading to join the Reading Climate Action Network and help us make it a reality.”
As part of its commitment to delivering the Reading Climate Emergency Strategy, Reading Borough Council will simultaneously be publishing a new corporate Carbon Plan, setting out its plans to work towards becoming a net zero carbon council by 2030.