Have you ever considered becoming a WI Climate Ambassador? Or even just wondered what they do?
Hopefully, you have heard the Climate Ambassadors’ talks at our Annual Council Meetings, or read their ‘Green Corner’ in County News and picked up some tips for reducing your own carbon footprint.
As we all become more aware of the changes to our climate, and following the crucial climate conference in Glasgow last November, it seemed a good time to tell you a bit about the role of WI Climate Ambassadors. Moreover, there are plans to produce a climate-themed edition of WI Life in March, so it’s a hot topic.
Currently there are five Climate Ambassadors in the Cornwall Federation, and they are helped by four Climate Friends. They are members of WIs from across Cornwall, from Albaston to Zennor. You can find them in the CFWI Speakers’ Directory and they are always happy to give talks to WIs. They work closely with CFWI’s Environment & Public Affairs Sub-committee, but they are actually recruited, trained and supported by NFWI. Thus, although they are a strong Cornwall-based team, they often work with Climate Ambassadors from other Federations such as Cheshire and Essex.
They encourage WI members to reduce their own carbon footprints, and they also encourage them to contact local MPs and ask them to engage with the Government on climate issues. As Climate Ambassadors, they work with a number of different organisations such as The Climate Coalition and Hope for the Future, who are dedicated to helping constituents put pressure on decision makers to tackle climate change. Climate Ambassadors from the Truro and Falmouth Constituency and the St Ives Constituency have been holding fruitful conversations with their MPs since the first Climate Coalition Mass Lobby in 2015, and these MPs have attended many of the Climate Ambassadors’ events.
The Climate Ambassadors organise events designed to raise awareness of climate change, and of how we as individuals can help work toward solutions. In the past they have organised a morning of talks at Chy Noweth an Conteth given by local environmentalists, and a morning at the Godolphin Arms in Marazion about our fragile sea defences and the impact of rising sea levels on the local infrastructure and on nature reserves. They arranged a children’s climate march and climate choir service in Truro Cathedral, and a ‘Say No to Fast Fashion’ coffee morning in Zennor Village Hall. They have planned a ‘Wildlife in Your Garden’ day with expert speakers to be held at Chy Noweth in May.
So if you care about the climate, and you enjoy organising or being part of exciting WI events, then do join the Climate Ambassadors! You can contact them on cfwiclimate@gmail.com for more information.