Sustainable Haringey: Countdown to Copenhagen
Posted: November 27, 2009
Residents call for effective global action at the coming Copenhagen summit in response to the threat of climate change
Campaigners in North London are mobilising for the national demonstration on December 5th, followed by a Low Carbon/Sustainability Fortnight of local events here during the summit
Public meeting calls for a transition to a fair and sustainable society
On Tuesday November 24th the Sustainable Haringey network and the national Campaign against Climate Change held a successful public meeting in Wood Green Library. 50 residents attended to see a film: ‘Countdown To Copenhagen’ (newly made by Haringey-based documentary team, Reel News), to hear speakers, and to take part in discussion and debate to mark the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen from December 7th -18th.
The meeting launched the local publicity for the national ‘Climate Action Now’ demonstration in Central London on December 5th, and the Haringey Carbon Reduction and Sustainability Fortnight of green events from Dec 4th-20th. Participants also took away over 10,000 flyers to help kick off some of the mass door-to-door and workplace leafleting planned throughout Haringey to publicise those events.
Quentin Given, representing Sustainable Haringey, explained that ‘the Sustainable Haringey network had been launched only two years ago in this very room, and has achieved an enormous amount in that short time through a wide range of activities and constant publicity efforts. Such local grass-roots networks are a key part of an emerging and growing global movement for sustainability and climate justice.’
He said that local action ‘demonstrates to the public that positive changes can be made affecting our everyday surroundings and lives’, for example home energy efficiency measures, greater local food production, and more sustainable transport use. ‘Showing that there is mass local support for such measures has helped to convince the Council to recently adopt strong carbon reduction t argets – many other Councils are now following suit’. He was greatly heartened by a Haringey Schools Climate Summit earlier in the week where young people took part in discussions and debate ‘showing a great deal of concern and maturity over the issues and a determination to see real changes’.
Finally, he called for residents to ‘join in the national demonstration and the events during the coming sustainability fortnight, and to keep up the pressure not just during the Copenhagen summit but also in the coming months and years.’
For more information about the events in the Sustainability Fortnight, see the events calendar or visit the Sustainable Haringey website
Category: Uncategorised
Tags: environment
