Tackling Climate Change Inequality

A new project designed to tackle climate change by making information accessible to all areas of the Forth Valley community has been launched by Forth Valley Sensory Centre.

Funded by the Ofgem Energy Redress Scheme, the project is led by Sara Burns who will be out and about across Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling to help people understand how their actions can influence Climate Change and what the impact might be on them.

Sara studied BSL at Heriot Watt University and also has a Masters Degree in Disaster Management. She is keen to get started on making advice on Climate Change accessible to everyone and has already met with local MSP Michael Matheson to discuss the topic.

Sara said:

“Climate Change is something we hear a lot about, especially during periods of extreme weather, like the current heatwave in Scotland and the tragic flooding in Europe, but what does it really mean? How do our actions influence Climate Change and importantly, what can we do about it?

“While the subject itself isn’t new, the rate of change within the energy industry and in society has grown rapidly. Smart meters, electric vehicles and the commitment to Net Zero in Scotland by 2045 will mean big changes in the way we generate and use energy. Sadly, many people with sensory conditions have not engaged in conversations around Climate Change as for many years, the information simply was not accessible to them.

“This means we have a large portion of the population simply removed from one of the most important debates of our time. Our project aims to change that.”

The new Energy Redress initiative builds on the successful ‘Making Sense of Energy Saving’ project previously run by the Centre. Finishing in March this year, that project, backed by the Climate Challenge Fund, focused exclusively on helping people save energy. The result at the end of the two years was an amazing saving equivalent to over 300 tonnes of CO2 (a key greenhouse gas contributing to Climate Change). This is the same as making 21,428 cups of tea or taking 167 cars off the road by 2029!

This new project takes that success and looks to build on it by not only looking at saving energy in the home, advice on which will still form an important part of the project, but also why it is important both locally and globally.

Sara is available to provide advice to individuals looking to save energy in their homes as well as attend group talks and events to show how Climate Change and changes in society will impact all of us. Sessions are relaxed, informative and interactive and most importantly, accessible to everyone. To speak to Sara about a talk to your group or organisation, contact saraburns@forthvalleysensorycentre.org or call 01324 590 888.

You can also read more on our Energy Saving Page here.