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In 2019 Volunteer Cornwall declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency, as a response to the UN stating in its 2018 “1.5” report (which said what we have to do to stay below a 1.5 increase in global temperatures):
“Climate change is the defining issue of our time – and we are at a defining moment. We face a direct existential threat.
Climate change is moving faster than we are – and its speed has provoked a sonic boom SOS across our world.
If we do not change course by 2020, we risk missing the point where we can avoid runaway climate change, with disastrous consequences for people and all the natural systems that sustain us.” (UN IPCC 1.5 Special Report, 2018)
You can read our Climate Emergency Pledge, Environment Policy and Climate and Ecological Emergency Policy via the links below:
Our habitats, food, soils, wildlife, livelihoods, seas, forests and communities are all under threat. We intend to be part of that changing course, and we at Volunteer Cornwall will do whatever is necessary to reach Net Zero carbon (ie reduce our emissions to a minimum, and compensate for the last bit we can’t reduce any further) by 2025. We have already started developing and implementing our plan to that end.
Cornwall Council declared a climate and ecological emergency in 2019, as did Falmouth University and the University of Exeter. Our work as Volunteer Cornwall on this huge issue, in partnership with local community organisations, has also encouraged our NHS Trusts to declare a climate and ecological emergency in October 2020. You can see more here: http://www.cafedisruptif.com/autumn-2020-climate-and-health-skills-lab-event.html
We encourage all our partners to join us in making this declaration, and plan, and will do all we can to help. We – as individuals, and as a charity - commit to working with courage and vision, together, to achieve a liveable future for everyone.
Volunteer Cornwall is also shoulder deep in helping the primary care sector to get to grips with the multiple consequences of the climate and ecological crises.
The health system contributes an amount of carbon comparable to aviation, or IT, so can do much to bring that down; and of course our health system itself is already being impacted by extreme weather events and nature breakdown.
You can see the impacts on patient and staff health, and on its ability as a health system to just do its job. 25% of operations were cancelled in London last year as it was just too hot to operate; staff were prevented from accessing patients in the floods, and we know drought is impacting on food and water supplies - pretty crucial for health. But there is loads we can do to bring down our impact; to adapt to the changes as they arise; and to advocate for system wide resilience to get better at both!
The Primary Care Climate Resilience team is working its socks off across the county with doctor's practices, and making links with communities as well as hospitals and community services. There's LOADS going on!
Have a look here: www.healthandclimate.org.uk or drop us an email: Annette at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for West, Martin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for Mid Cornwall, Lisa at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for East Cornwall, and Tanya at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for anything relating to the management of our Climate work.
We're here to help...
Press Release
NaturesaveTrust Grant £2500 for Refactory boxes for 40 Cornish Practices
Following a raised awareness of the amount of single use plastics used in Primary Care, the Climate Resilience Team at Volunteer Cornwall secured a grant from the NaturesaveTrust of £2500 to buy Refactory boxes for 40 Cornish Practices. The Naturesave Trust is funded by the activities of Naturesave Insurance, the UK’s leading ethical insurance provider for individuals, businesses, charities and community groups. These boxes specifically take items such as PPE and medicinal blister packs that cannot be recycled under normal schemes.
Waste is a complicated part of Primary Care and there is a growing enthusiasm to reduce waste as much as possible, especially single use plastics.
With 40 Practices participating in this scheme, we hope that not only awareness of single use plastics in staff members will increase, but also in patients. Patients can play an important role in reducing single use plastics, especially around medications, particularly over ordering. We hope that the boxes will provide some education around single use plastics, not only their effect on the environment but also on human health. We have provided posters that surround the boxes explaining the negative impacts of plastic waste, such as hormone disruptions, food chain infiltration and toxins.
Annette Eatock, the Climate Resilience Waste Lead said: ‘This project with The Naturesave Trust to supply a range of recycling boxes to practices across Cornwall will dramatically increase the amount of waste that can be recycled such as PPE, medicinal packaging, and plastic. This is also encouraging both staff and patients to consider other positive actions they can take to address the wider climate and ecological emergency. This small step of recycling a few small items is an important part of the journey towards Greener Practice across the whole area, and progression in the GIfH Toolkit.’
The boxes are collected once they are filled, and the amount of waste will be measured. This waste is then melted down and made into new objects like chairs, tables and planters. We hope that the data collected will help us find solutions to reduce the amount of plastic use in Primary Care, and galvanise patients and PPGs to help contribute to these solutions.
Our People and Our learning
We’re on a mission to learn and understand as much as we can about the climate and ecological emergency, and to make sure everyone involved with Volunteer Cornwall gets to participate in this huge joint effort – especially because we know more and more about how much a healthy climate is related to wellbeing, healthy people and healthy planet!
Our stuff
The equipment and things we buy, where it’s from, what it’s made of, how it’s reused, have an impact on our carbon and ethical impact. We’re looking at everything we buy and use and we’re getting right on top of the impact of all our stuff, from computers to plastics to furniture!
Our building
Our building uses water and energy but also houses people and critters: we’re developing a Project Ark plan to make sure the building can grow our environment as much as we grow our communities…
Our utilities
Managing our utilities (water, energy, IT) is super crucial to managing down our carbon impact. We’re measuring our use and working on reduction targets every year, and working towards 100% renewable energy use by 2025.
Our co-habitat
As well as taking action like using low impact cleaning products in the building to reduce our impact on wildlife and water ways, we’re working on our outside space to make the most of the space by pollinators, birds, and wildlife – our climate and habitat positive garden!
Our food
“Good” food is good for us, good for the planet, and available to all. We’re working on our own diets by having meat free Mondays and sharing ideas on fab green grub, plus making sure we as an organisation buy local and generate zero waste for our catering events, plus encouraging more (local!) plant based eating all round. Good food. For all. ‘nuff said.
Our policies
We have policies, just like every other organisation; and we’re constantly reviewing to make sure they’re up to date and all link up to help us deliver our Net Zero and habitat-positive plan by 2025.
Our transport
A lot of our work involves taking people who need transport to important places like schools and hospitals. So we’re checking our mileage, working to bring down our impact and getting canny about transport… like our lower impact minibus, car-sharing, home-working, electric bikes and online working. More to do!
Our money
Where we spend our money is massively important. It’s no use if we’re doing brilliant things in our daily lives but have a pension fund that’s invested in the arms trade rather than renewable energy! So we’re getting eagle eyed about where our money goes and what it is investing in… that way we know we’re doing good stuff even in our sleep…
Our ability to inspire change beyond ourselves
Albert Einstein said that setting an example is not the main means of influencing others – it is the only means. We know the climate and ecological emergency is already affecting us all in some way, and some much more than others. We also know we can only tackle this together. So if we pull out all our stops, and work with others who are doing the same, we know we can encourage even those who don’t know where to start to get stuck in and join us. It’s all about contagious change!
Want to know more?
For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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