Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing humanity and will affect the lives of our children and grandchildren. We are at the tipping point; the last opportunity to change our habits and re-create a world in which future generations can live comfortably, and this concerns WI members as we feel that not enough is being done to reduce our impact on the planet. At this crucial time, local and international communities need to work together to ensure that everyone can reduce their carbon footprint and ecological footprint.

Women have a huge part to play in this, both in the UK and around the world. In the UK, women remain influential consumers of domestic products and utilities, providing them with the opportunity to choose greener and less polluting energy suppliers and appliances for example. Women are also still the primary educators of the next generation and therefore have huge power to change the way in which today's children think about their coexistence with the planet. In other countries, women are the guardians of natural resources; collecting food, water and fuel for their families. As well as some of the poorest global citizens women will be hit the hardest when the impacts of climate change are felt, as their position in society in many countries makes them less well equipped to deal with emergencies. As women in the UK, it is our duty to put climate change to the top of our agenda and bring about change for the better.

The WI has run lots of projects which have sought to tackle members' impact on the climate, as well as raise awareness about the problems and the way they impact on women in other countries. In 2007, 10,000 of our members took a challenge to save 20% of their carbon emissions, saving the carbon equivalent to driving around the world 2,300 times. We have also run projects in our local communities, establishing Eco Teams to assist households in reducing their waste output. We have focused on reducing food waste through our Love Food Champions project and made sure that our members are aware of how climate change affects others across the world through the Women Reaching Women project.

Launch of the Women and Climate Change campaign

IF WE CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU

On Monday 11 May, NFWI launched the new Women and Climate Change campaign with a well attended Question Time style debate. Joan Ruddock MP, a minister from the Department for Energy and Climate Change, spoke at the event alongside Juliet Davenport from Good Energy, Adam Askew from Oxfam, Betty Moxon from the WI, and Lucy Seigle who chaired the event.

Members from around the country probed the panellists about their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing women in the fight to tackle climate change.

The key messages of our campaign are:

1.          Women across the world have a key role in tackling climate change as consumers, educators and "change agents" in our homes and communities, encouraging the adoption of lower carbon lifestyles and passing on green values to the next generation.

2.          At present, women are significantly under-represented in environmental decision-making in government, industry and the scientific community. Our importance in tackling the challenges is not matched by our representation.

3.          Globally, women are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to our different social roles and status. In the UK and other developed countries, increasing costs for energy, transport, healthcare, and nutrition are likely to affect women, especially single mothers, more than men.

Earth Hour 2009

Rainbow Warrior

Climate Change Bill success!

4 July

Come and show your support for the campaign to stop a new generation of coal-fired power stations in Britain - the first since the 1970s.  We will protest at the site of the proposed new power station in Kingsnorth, Kent by forming a 'Mili-Band' around the site to draw attention to Ed Miliband's influence over this decision.

You can download a poster to publicise the event locally from the downloads box at the top of this page.

If you would like to come, free coaches are being arranged from the following points and should be booked through Emily Cornborough on 020 7371 9300 (ext. 213) or e.cornborough@nfwi.org.uk.

Cardiff - 7:30am, Wood Street, next to Cardiff Central Rail Station
Birmingham - 8am, New Street Rail Station
Bristol - 8am, Eye Hospital
Coventry - 8am, Rail Station
Oxford - 9am, Rail Station

5 December

March in London with the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition to raise awareness about climate change.  We will be marching around the Houses of Parliament in Westminster to highlight the UN Climate Change talks that will be happening in Copenhagen at that time.

1.  Fill out a postcard and support the campaign - we are asking every WI member (and any friends and family who would like to) to sign up to support our campaign. We will send on your postcards to Ed Miliband MP, asking him to incorporate our suggestions into the demands of the UK delegation when it goes to the UN talks in Copenhagen. You can pick up some postcards from your federation or by calling the Public Affairs Department.

2.  Green your home and lifestyle - a greener, brighter future starts at home. For tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint, look up our Carbon Challenge resources, as well as advice available from the organisations listed in the "related sites" box on the right hand side of this page.

3.    Write to your MP - tell them your concerns about climate change and ask them what they are doing to help tackle it. If they say they would like to do more to help, ask them to green their constituency office, ask a question in Parliament about whether we are doing enough to tackle run-away climate change, or ask them to get involved in local green initiatives

4.    Inform your community - hold public meetings, screenings of A World Without Jam or a 'cake and climate' stall in your local community to make information about tackling climate change available to all.

5.    Download the action pack from this website and get involved in the Women and Climate Change campaign. There are plenty of activities which you can encourage your WI, federation or local community to get involved with, so see how far you can spread the message. 

6.    Get hold of our campaign document If We Can Do It, So Can You and spread the word about our campaign.  Leaflets on the campaign can be ordered from the Public Affairs Department.

Return to top of page and downloads.

For more information or to get involved, please contact Emily Cornborough in the Public Affairs Department through the contact us button or by calling 020 7371 9300.