Our previous Projects, campaigns
& Activities
Citizens Forum on Climate Action, November 2023
Full report is available here.
Our second Citizens Forum on 7 November 2023 was well attended and continued the successful process of citizen engagement in County Durham’s climate action.
What were the key outcomes of the event?
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Residents learned about Durham County Council’s climate action to date and how it compares with other councils
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Residents and Council officers discussed in thematic small groups, identifying successes, barriers, and new ideas
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Durham County Council and Climate Action Durham agreed to continue this process of citizen participation in the next iteration of county-wide climate action planning
What’s next?
Climate Action Durham will
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Continue thematic work to help stay within the county's carbon budget
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Provide more input to the Climate Emergency Response Plan 3 (to be developed in 2024)
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Campaign for practical improvements to how public life and private enterprise is organised to stay within the carbon budget
You can help speed things up
Climate Action Durham needs more people who can contribute time and expertise to continue the all-important detailed and action-oriented discussions. Join us.
Read the full report of the event here.
Citizens Forum on the Climate Emergency, July 2022
Around 60 people attended the County Durham Citizens Forum on the Climate Emergency on 5 July 2022. The event well received and marked an important moment of citizen engagement in County Durham’s climate action.
What were the key outcomes of the event?
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Residents were introduced to Durham County Council’s second Climate Emergency Response Plan and they had an opportunity to engage in-depth with it in small groups
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The five Durham County Council officers present listened to ideas and suggestions brought up by residents during the event and agreed to follow up with them after the event
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Alan Patrickson, the most senior officer present, agreed to return in a year’s time to review progress on Durham County Council’s climate action with us
What’s next?
Climate Action Durham is committed to being a critical friend of Durham County Council’s climate action. That means we want to
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Support work towards reaching the council’s net zero goals
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Monitor progress towards the net zero goals
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Point out any shortcomings in the council’s plans and campaign for improvements
And this is where you come in
At the event we broke into four topic-based groups to discuss in more detail. Sign up to one of those working groups we are forming, to continue those all-important detailed and action-oriented discussions.
Read more about the outcomes of the event here.
COP 26 Event, 2021 '
On Saturday 6th November 2021 Climate Action Durham organised an event enabling all residents of Durham to add their voices to calls for world leaders at the climate summit in Glasgow to take the actions needed to hold the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C. The event, attended by approx 500 people comprised a demonstration and speeches on the market place, panel discussions by experts and 6th Form students and a climate action fair.
Hundreds gathered in the Market Place for a festival of drumming, dancing, singing and speeches to make the point to world leaders at COP 26 that people demand climate action now. Speakers included Durham city MP Mary Foy and Durham County Councillor Jonathan Elmer, amongst others.
Climate scientists from Durham University and the Durham Energy Institute discussed a wide range of issues including changes to the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere and responses such as decarbonising , up cycling and low carbon energy systems.
St Nicholas' church hosted the Climate Action Fair which enabled local businesses, Charities and activists to showcase their work and enable them to network amongst each other. Over 400 visitors learned about these concrete opportunities to actively contribute to climate action.
The event surpassed our expectations in all respects as we reached and inspired more people than we'd dare to hope, offering them more ways to join the climate action movement and inspiring them to make their lifestyles more sustainable!
Fresk educational workshop
52 people attended our Fresk workshops between May 2022 and July 2023. Nine sessions took place in various locations around Durham. For upcoming sessions, see here.
