Let's Tackle the Climate Crisis Together
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Small WORLDMay 2021 Issue 73 Let’s tackle the climate crisis together Big change starts small A YEAR OF POSSIBILITY In this issue 04 Expert opinion: A big opportunity to Communities on the front line of the climate Colin McQuistan, our head of climate and resilience, And finally, as Paul Smith Lomas steps down as crisis are facing bigger challenges than ever has been to every COP since 2014, so who better to Chief Executive, I want to acknowledge his amazing tackle the climate crisis before. The need for solutions has never been explain what the talks are, and what they mean for contribution. Under Paul’s leadership, Practical 06 Special feature: more urgent. But this year we have a big the communities we work with. On pages 4-5, he Action has grow even stronger, bringing together Anything is possible, together opportunity to take collective action for our shares his insights. more people in exciting partnerships that are shared planet. As a Practical Action supporter, achieving greater change. I’ve learned so much from 10 People’s voice: Team Possible you are already part of that collective action. In our feature article on pages 6-9, we visit him in the last year, and I’m excited to take the reins 12 Project update: Powering progress for Thank you. communities we’re working with around the world to while we recruit Paul’s successor, and head into this refugees, despite the pandemic demonstrate what’s possible with bold partnerships. important year. This is a year of possibility, when world leaders will It’s this kind of positive change that we’re working to 14 Meet the change-makers come together at the UN Climate Change Conference see adopted more widely at COP26. With best wishes 15 Together with Deloitte for big impact (COP26) in the UK. They will negotiate and commit to agreements that will define the future for This year we have a real chance to help put the world 15 Your children can rise to the humanity. We’re hoping to see serious commitments on a better path. I feel optimistic. I hope as you read challenge from the world’s biggest carbon emitters. your Small World magazine you feel it too. Sarah Roberts Interim CEO “ This year we have a real chance to help put the world on a better path.” Practical Action The Robbins Building 25 Albert Street Rugby CV21 2SD T: 01926 634 400 W: practicalaction.org E: [email protected] Registered Charity No. 247257 Patron HRH Charles, Prince of Wales Join us online /practicalaction @practicalaction practical_action Our work regreening deserts in Sudan will be showcased at COP26 FSC Logo – including community-built water storage systems. to go here 2 3 Expert opinion Expert opinion And we’ve been supporting the We want to see a huge injection This approach has been the A big opportunity to tackle the delegations from the countries we of global finances directed to foundation of Practical Action’s work with to ensure the voices of communities on the front line transformational work for those most affected by climate of the climate crisis so they decades. And we’ll have a great change are heard. can adapt. We want significant opportunity to demonstrate this additional finance to support at COP26, as the UK Government Ultimately, our involvement in the poorest and most vulnerable will be showcasing our work in CLIMATE CRISIS the talks is about doing what communities who are already Sudan as proof of what’s possible. we do best: bringing our real- facing irreversible impacts of Agreement. The Paris Agreement In the run-up to the How is Practical Action world experience to the table climate change and face losing is unique in that it’s the only You can find out involved in COP26? to show what ingenuity and everything. In the discussions, you UN Climate Change agreement that actually requires more about COP26 and how The negotiations take place collective action can do. might hear this referred to as “loss Conference (COP26), countries to develop legally Practical Action is involved behind closed doors, and there and damage”. we get an insider’s binding plans of action and are three groups of key players on We engage in areas of the debate at: practicalaction.org/ deliver them. view from our Head of the inside: the UK government’s where we have something really Personally, I would like smallworld COP26 President, Alok Sharma, valid to offer. Where we have What’s special about COP26 to see a renewed sense Climate and Resilience, who will host the negotiations; the evidence of approaches and is that the smallest and least of global solidarity at delegations from countries who solutions that work brilliantly on Colin McQuistan. developed countries have exactly will do the actual negotiating; and the ground. the talks. A realisation the same negotiating space as the then admitted observers who can that we have a shared United States, Russia and China. What are your hopes for contribute their expertise, feed in responsibility to look the negotiations? What will be discussed? ideas based on their experience, after the planet for and ask challenging questions to We need more resources and There are five themes on the future generations. influence the discussions. I will more ambition globally. That’s the discussion table: represent Practical Action at the only way we’re going to solve the And that means What is COP26 and why is • helping people adapt to the conference as an admitted observer. climate challenge and limit future working collectively. it so important? impacts of climate change temperature rise to just 1.50C. All of us, together. It’s the 26th meeting of all the • reducing the impact of climate The important thing to recognise world’s governments to discuss change by restoring nature is that taking part in COP26 isn’t the actions necessary to tackle the • switching from fossil fuels to about just going to a single event climate emergency. The UK will clean energy – it’s an ongoing participation in a hugely complex and long- host it in Glasgow this November. increasing the use of clean • term global change process. Our transport The nations will come together involvement spreads way beyond to discuss the commitments • and channeling global finance the talks themselves. We’re working they made in the 2015 Paris to help make all this possible. directly with the UK negotiators. Colin McQuistan has brought the voice of the communities we work with to every UN Climate Conference since 2014. Sitelnisa Nasr Eldin is regreening the desert and adapting to climate change in Sudan. 4 5 SPECIAL FEATURE SPECIAL FEATURE Anything is possible Let’s use clean energy for healthier living YOUR IMPACT TOGETHER 100% of families report better air quality Welcome to the front line of the climate crisis, where you are helping 3 HOURS per day saved on cooking communities show the world that big change is possible. 50% reduction in energy consumption For the poorest communities around the world, climate As a Practical Action supporter, you’re already part change is already hitting hard. Droughts, floods and of that collective action. With your support we’re severe storms threaten lives, livelihoods and futures. creating courageous partnerships to develop local solutions and grow them into global transformations. While national leaders gather to find solutions, we’re working to show that it’s not just the responsibility of In this special feature, we’ll show you just a few of the Communities in Sudan are using cleaner energy to protect the health governments to tackle the climate challenge. We can ingenious, collaborative partnerships you’re making of their families and the planet. all play a role, finding ways to reduce our carbon possible. Thanks to you, communities are protecting footprint and tread more lightly on the earth. In fact, their health with clean energy, developing farming we must. It’ll take massive collective action to rise to skills that overcome climate change, and building Our award-winning project with “My early morning used to be a nightmare. the climate challenge – businesses, organisations, resilience to floods. It took a lot of time and effort to make a communities and individuals coming together. EcoAct is helping communities While the scale of the global challenge is huge, each to create better health for their fire. It had a bad smell and caused allergies of these projects shows that small actions and left ugly stains on the walls. Now with families and the planet, while also taken by individuals make a massive the LPG stove, things are totally different. difference collectively. creating new job opportunities. It takes me very little time to prepare In Sudan, 26.1 million people cook their food the breakfast for my family. We all sit together, traditional way – on wood or coal fires. But this drink tea, laugh and have good wishes comes at a health cost. Smoke from indoor fires before they go to school.” kills more people every year than malaria, HIV/ AIDS and tuberculosis combined. Wood fires impact Our Sudan cookstoves partnership was the first the health of the planet too. Forests are degraded registered carbon credit project in Sudan, as well as as communities gather wood to burn, and carbon the first to be developed in a conflict zone. Its positive emissions from the fires contribute to climate change. impact was recognised at the Environmental Finance 11 San th a, page tosh, pa 10 Annual Voluntary Carbon Market Awards, where eres ge 10 T We’ve been working with environmental impact it won Best Carbon Offsetting Project.