Cycle to #COP21 – Ride for #ClimateJusticeJobs and a livable planet #Bike4Climate

BREAKING The date has arrived it’s #TimetoCycle to #COP21

Sustainable Transport Now!
System Change Now!

London to Paris, 6th – 10th December 2015

The 21st Conference Of the Parties (COP21) taking place in Paris at the end of 2015 is going to be BIG!
Those in power will gather at this environmental summit but, unfortunately, the hope to get a working and legal binding agreement by the end of it is once again quite small.

We therefore must take the power into our own hands! In hundred of thousands, people will mobilise in Paris to speak out, show solidarity with front line communities already affected by climate change and take action.

What better way to get there than by showing the alternative to our fossil fuel dependent culture?

———- PLAN ———-

Over 5-days and about 200miles, we will cycle from London to Paris starting off with 150 people and building in numbers along the way.

We will be cycling in smaller groups in order to make the ride more feasible and to help develop affinities and trust amongst people. By the end of each day, we will all gather for communal meals, as well as activities and workshops to be able to share our skills and prepare for taking action in Paris.

The Climate Games will be one element and way to take part in the mass day of mobilisation on the 12th December. The cycle ride will therefore provide space and information along the way for you to arrive prepared for your time in Paris.

The ride also has a jump on/jump off system, so if you do not want to or can not take part in the whole ride, you may join some of its sections.

Symbolically, this project will be much more than a cycle ride. By going in to school and social enters before and on the way, we will gather stories and dreams about the effect of climate change on people and how they would imagine a world where we stop it. As messengers of a much broader community, we will bring them to Paris and display them loud and clear.

Whether you are an experienced cyclist or a novice, on an electric bike or a tandem, young or old, there is a place for everyone.

Ride with us for #ClimateJusticeJobs and a livable planet

Find out more through the Time to Cycle website: www.timetocycle.org

#Climat21 #1000initiatives

TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD: THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

All, this might catch some interest, 31 July 2015 a magic deal on a magic date! #Climate21 +++

#FutureofPlaces #COP21 #Habitat3 #NewUrbanAgenda #PublicSpace #WUC #TheFutureWeWant #TheCityWeNeed #UrbanSDG #UrbanAction #UrbanThinkers #Youngplacemakers #ClimateAction

TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD: THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Planet We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations;
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums 11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts* 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries 13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning 13.a Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible 13.b Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities * Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.

Vision 7. In these Goals and targets, we are setting out a supremely ambitious and transformational vision. We envisage a world free of poverty, hunger, disease and want, where all life can thrive. We envisage a world free of fear and violence. A world with universal literacy. A world with equitable and universal access to quality education at all levels, to health care and social protection, where physical, mental and social well-being are assured. A world where human rights relating to safe drinking water and sanitation are promoted and realised, with improved hygiene; and where food is sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious. A world where human habitats are safe, resilient and sustainable and where there is universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.

Read the final version of the Post-2015 Development Agenda here; https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/7891TRANSFORMING%20OUR%20WORLD.pdf

#InterGov2015 #post2015 #SDGs #unitednations

CCCRdg´s Issue Papers comments on Habitat III Issue Papers

The Habitat III Issue Papers are summary documents that address one or more research areas, highlight general findings, and identify research needs on topics related to housing and sustainable urban development.

The Issue Papers provides in depth review and analysis of specific issues relevant to the discussions of the Conference.

The Issue Papers are the departing point for the work of the Policy Units.

The Issue Papers are prepared by the UN agencies and programmes (UN Task Team on Habitat III), as well as several experts and organizations related to the different topics.

The methodology of elaboration of the Issue Papers is in line with the elaboration of the compendium of issues briefs prepared by the United Nations inter-agency Technical Support Team for the United Nations General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

The Issue Papers provide with a background on each area analyzed, key challenges and recommendations on next steps.

Please find below Climate Change Centre Reading´s (CCCRdg) Issue Papers comments on Habitat III Issue Papers pre PrepCom3 regarding – Issue papers;
1 – Inclusive cities (a.o. Pro Poor, Gender, Youth, Ageing)
6 – Urban Governance
8 – Urban and Spatial Planning and Design
11 – Public Space
17 – Cities and climate change and disaster risk management
21 – Transport and Mobility

1. Campaigning for secure urban public space and ambient air quality
YOUTH DISTRICT LEARNING (YDL) – WORLDS GREATEST PLACEMAKING PROJECT******
CCCRdg-Issue-Paper_Habitat-III-1-6-11-17-PrepCom3-Secure-Urban-Public-Space.pdf

2. Campaigning for public space and ambient air quality (Urban Action)
TRANSPORT AND CLIMATE CHANGE******
CCCRdg-Issues-Paper_Habitat-III-8-11-17-21-PrepCom3-Transport-and-climate-change.pdf

#FutureofPlaces #COP21 #Habitat3 #NewUrbanAgenda #PublicSpace #WUC #TheFutureWeWant #TheCityWeNeed #UrbanSDG #UrbanAction #UrbanThinkers #Youngplacemakers #ClimateAction

Where’s Reading Heading?

In August 2014, Reading Museum secured a second round of funding from the Happy Museum Project.

Our new project, ‘Where’s Reading Heading?’ looks at the past, present and future development of Reading. It seeks to provoke debate about how Reading will sustain a growing population and build a successful low carbon economy whilst ‘Narrowing the Gaps’ between different sectors in our communities.

Current work being led by the University of Reading, Reading UK CIC and Barton Wilmore, through the Reading 2050 initiative, envisages a smart and sustainable future for Reading. This will involve communities coming together to influence how the town will evolve in the decades ahead.

To promote debate the Museum asked Russell Alsop of local production company Ginger & Pickles to make a short documentary film, drawing together the views and knowledge of a widespread group of Reading people. This has included school pupils, academics, local politicians, business people, ecologists, architects, and residents from our local neighbourhoods.

As part of the project, radio style interviews were conducted. Within them are many views and learnings from experts and active citizens which enabled the film-maker to shape the documentary. You can listen to these on the museum’s SoundCloud (follow the link at the bottom of the page).

We hope our ‘Where’s Reading Heading’ film may encourage you to get involved.

The organisations that took part in the film-making process include:

Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC)
Berkshire Local Nature Partnership (LNP)
Greater Reading Environmental Network (GREN)
Nature Nurture
Reading Climate Change Centre
Reading Sustainability Centre
Reading Voluntary Action (RVA)
The Walker Institute, Reading University

Each of these local organisations provides opportunities for Reading residents to become active in initiatives influencing Reading’s future environment. Click on the links below to go to their websites and find out more – the LNP and GREN sites also include directories of other local groups.

Source: Reading Museum • Where’s Reading Heading?

How to Make an Attractive City: A six-point manifesto from Alain de Botton and School of Life. (VIDEO.)

We’ve grown good at making many things in the modern world – but strangely the art of making attractive cities has been lost. Here are some key principles for how to make attractive cities once again

In “How to Make an Attractive City,” a new video from the School of Life, London-based Swiss writer Alain de Botton offers a cheeky, thought-provoking, six-point manifesto on the need for making beauty a priority in urban architecture and design.

via How to Make an Attractive City: A six-point manifesto from Alain de Botton and School of Life. (VIDEO.).

7 MARCH – Join the Car-Free Work-Day Bloc @ Time To Act National Climate March!

In our efforts to motivate as many people as possible to leave the car for a day and join in our Car-Free Days, Climate Change Centre Reading (CCCRdg) has taken a huge lap forward by campaigning for Car-Free Days until the end of the year.

Yes, we are proud of announcing CCCRdg supporting the Join the Car-Free Work-Day Bloc @ Time To Act National Climate March!

BREAKING: Please see our press release below, we hope you will find the piece interesting,

Climate Change – It’ s time for decisions now! not waste billions on campaigning.

Join us at the Car-Free Work-Day Bloc on the Time to Act Climate demonstration on 7th March!

Details

12.30pm, Saturday 7th March

Lincoln’s Inn Fields [map]

Nearest tube: Holborn

Join the facebook group here

Let´s work together to help achieve this, it will be an important step in solving and laying a just and fair developing pathway, switching to zero carbon fuels.

Learn about the fossil fuels problems, that causing climate change in our local community and further afield, and what we in the local community are doing, and can do to help tackle such matters.

2015 CHANGE will honour the 2-degree Celsius limit as a limit to safeguard the world environment in Togethernessship 😉

@CCCRdg PRESS RELEASE

BREAKING: CCCRdg has launched a campaign for a national “Monthly Car-Free Work-Day in the UK” http://media1.tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/2015/02/CCCRdg-Press-Release_Climate-Change-Centre-Reading55.pdf #MyCarFreeDaysRdg #UK

A regular car-free work-day in Reading and UK could fuel an International monthly Car-Free Work-Day which could be an astonishing example of traffic development and public realm. Reading has great potential to embrace the sustainable pathway and become a British role-model in climate change (the air is our all urban common) to honour a successful climate change agreement taking place in Paris December 2015.

UK Tackling climate change

Tackling climate change

In this video, Dr Steve Smith, who leads on climate science at the UK Committee on Climate Change, discusses climate policy in the UK, the role of science in creating policy, and how emission targets can be met. For more information you can visit the UK Committee on Climate Change website.

Source: OUR CHANGING CLIMATE: PAST, PRESENT…UNIVERSITY OF READING

Continue reading “UK Tackling climate change”

Why Commuters Will Soon Become Extinct… | LinkedIn

If the rest of the world follows the example of the Swedish city of Gothenburg, the long commute and work weeks that many face may become a thing of the past. The year-long study will have one group of city employees working for 6.5 hours, while another works for the traditional eight hours a day. A car factory in Gothenburg has already experimented with this model with great results.

I’m not saying that everyone has to offer a 6.5 hour workday for their agents to be happy. I do feel, however, that executives in North America could learn a lot from Gothenburg’s proactive approach to experiment with a solution outside of the standard "nine-to-five" model.

Unfortunately, most of the world’s workforce isn’t lucky enough to live in Gothenburg, and with the ever growing number of commuters in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) where 3C is located, the typical commuter can face a staggering 80-minute commute to and from work every day—one of the longest commutes in North America! And even in other cities in North America, commute times can range from 20 to 45 minutes. Stack that onto an 8-10 hour workday, and you have one frustrated employee.

Spending that much time sitting in grid-lock can take its toll on your tank – and your wallet, since the price of gas is soon expected be twice what it is today. With more and more employees spending their limited budget on gas to commute to and from work, this will doubtlessly lead to less time with their family, which amounts to less sleep, throwing their balance of life into chaos.

The job market isn’t like it was 30 or 40 years ago, where if you lost your job on Monday, you’d have a new within walking distance from your home by Friday. More and more job seekers are being forced to take jobs farther away from home, potentially for smaller wages. Many households report that they spend much of their budget on fuel and car insurance, with less money for food, clothing and activities for their children.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself: Do they have a job that allows for a flexible start/end time? Do you have a technology solution that can allow them to work from the cloud, reducing their time in the office to 1-2 days per week? If a full time solution is out of the question, can a part-time solution be established (1-2 days per week)?

We have worked a “reduced hour incentive package” into a few employee plans within 3C, and preliminary results have already shown an increase in efficiency and productivity, as well as a reduction in sick days.

The year-long experiment involving city employees in Gothenburg only started in April 2014, so it will remain to be seen how it pans out for them.

I encourage you to take a page out of the Gothenburg play book and be proactive with establishing a plan that takes ‘balance of life’ into consideration, while you still can.

via Why Commuters Will Soon Become Extinct… | LinkedIn.

Will Reading be the European Green Capital 2017?

Rdg CAN!

– Have a well-established record of achieving high environmental objectives.

– Commit to ambitious goals for future environmental improvement and sustainable development.

– Inspire other cities through new ideas, best practices and experiences.

Will your city be the European Green Capital 2017? The Commission has launched its search for the 2017 European Green Capital. The European Green Capital Award recognises cities that are at the forefront of environmentally-friendly urban living. The..

STALL EVENT DAY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRE READING 23/05/14‏

News Desk

Climate Change Centre Reading
STALL EVENT DAY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRE READING

Climate Change Centre Reading wants to advance and plan the education of the public on the subject of climate change and reach long term sustainability. We hope a new show room in town centre would be a great source of inspiration for new school projects, business and ours. Placemaking can be an excellent entry point to dealing with climate change. Looking to unlock Reading’s green potential – Driving Readings bid for the 2017 European Green Capital Award.

Where in the high street Reading on the 23rd of May

Please see our press release link here: http://media1.tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/2014/05/Press-Release_Climate-Change-Centre-Reading33.pdf

Togethernessship – All about Placemaking to be truly inclusive and Safeguarding the future; Habitat III in 2016, which will have the overall aim of contributing to a New Urban / Rural Agenda designed for people and places.
“Consider Climate Change in every action”~Climate Change Centre Reading