The stats surrounding the climate crisis are clear. But for behaviour change to happen, we need to turn them into stories that resonate on a personal level – that’s exactly what made Blue Earth Summit 2024 so successful.
Blue Earth Summit understands that people who work in sustainability are passionate about nature. As problem solvers, we often have our best ideas when we’re away from our desks, which is why the summit’s third day is so important.
Enviral’s copywriter, Harriet Folkes, reflects on the three days she spent at this year’s summit.
After two days of inspiring panel discussions and hands-on workshops, day three is a chance to continue the conversations outdoors. Whether a cold water swim led by Rise Fierce founder Sophie Hellyer or on a community run with the Better Business Network, these moments create space for deeper engagement and reflection.
“Saving the planet shouldn’t be boring”
During a run organised by Better Business Network founder Hannah Cox, I met Leah Rimmington, a Sustainability Advisor at Carbon Jacked. Their platform helps businesses, sports and individuals creatively tackle climate change. When she told me that Carbon Jacked is built on a belief that “saving the planet shouldn’t be boring,” I knew we would get on.
Engaging football fans in sustainability
Leah shared how Carbon Jacked is working to engage football fans in sustainability. Outside of pioneers like Forest Green Rovers, the world’s first carbon-neutral football club, football fans are often excluded from climate conversations. Yet, climate change has a direct impact on the sport. A Climate Coalition survey estimated that extreme weather cancels or postpones about 62,500 amateur matches in the UK each year.
Even if games aren’t cancelled, small changes in the playing conditions can lead to players taking a more conservative approach to the game. Leaving them less likely to take risks and score goals.
Meeting audiences where they are
It was a perspective I hadn’t thought about before. But it got me thinking: how many more people can we reach if we meet audiences where they are? The stats are available, we need to turn them into stories that resonate on a personal level – and it’s not just stories about sport.
This idea of engagement continued during a discussion on consumerism, led by John Brown on the “Uncomfortable Conversations” stage. John challenged the sustainability community to rethink its finger-pointing at those who buy clothes from places like Primark, highlighting how sustainability folk are often guilty of the same consumer habits.
Jo Balchin, sustainability strategist at Enviral, reflected on this, saying, “We need to engage with people outside of the sustainability space about issues they personally care about. If we could just admit to ourselves that we also like to buy things and consume, that’s okay – it’s how society operates.”
Breaking down barriers
“Breaking down these barriers is key,” says Bonnie Middleton, Enviral’s marketing manager, who was also inspired by the “Uncomfortable Conversations” stage. Speakers Sulaman R. Khan, Ellen Jones and Tori Tsui tackled a critical question: why does the climate movement continue to overlook Disabled people?
The panel highlighted the need to reframe how society “others” individuals with disabilities, reminding us that disability will likely touch all our lives at some point. The discussion emphasised that accommodating disabled individuals ultimately benefits everyone, reinforcing the imporance of care and support within our communities. “By fostering these connections, we can create a more resilient future—one where no one is excluded or left behind in the conversation,” Bonnie says.
Making sustainability accessible
It’s not just about who we engage, but how. During Enviral’s panel talk on The Future of Impact Communications, RSPB’s Emma Marsh, talked about how they’ve broken down barriers to make nature more accessible to young people. “We knew money was a barrier to entry, so we introduced free access to 16 to 24-year-olds to our nature reserves. We also hired a Gen Z social media manager to run our TikTok account, where we now generate over a million views per month,” She says.
All progress counts
When we think of sustainability, our minds often think of big changes that can overwhelm us into inaction. “But all progress counts,” says Enviral’s Account Director Chloe Tuck. “Even small movements in the right direction can accelerate larger changes. This perspective is essential for staying motivated in our efforts.” As highlighted by Oceana’s Hugo Tagholm, who reminded us that Blue Planet II started a movement with just 15 minutes of footage on plastic pollution.
The “inspiration-to-action” cycle
Blue Earth Summit exists to create what they call the “inspiration-to-action cycle.” It begins with inspiration—through connecting with the right people—and ends with action. This year’s summit reminded us that every voice matters, and by meeting people where they are, we can create a more inclusive and impactful approach to climate action.