Climate Fringe Week is right around the corner. From 18-26 September 2021, we will be holding the largest climate justice and nature focused event ever in Scotland. We are asking you to create an event for Climate Fringe Week, and be part of Scotland’s fight against the climate crisis.
Since we began in May 2020, we have had over 30,000 visits per month to our website. This month has shown us the IPCC report urgently calling for our systems to change in anticipation of climate warming and the international UN climate summit COP26 is coming to Glasgow this November. There has never been a better time for the general public to organise together and influence parliament and local authorities to act positively for climate.
Join us at Climate Fringe Week as we do this together, for a fun-filled week of exhibitions, book launches, bike rides, climate cafes and talks. We’ve talked with one of the major event organisers for the festival: Arkbound Foundation.
Welcome! What made you create this event?
Climate Fringe Week is really important in terms of connecting organisations and allowing the public to find out more about activities surrounding COP26. It seems that the COP conference itself is potentially quite exclusive of smaller organisations (or, it may simply be the case that there is not enough room for everybody there), so it is great that SCCS are providing an opportunity for everyone to showcase their work and to send out their messages. Climate Fringe Week also happens about a month before the publication of our book, so it will be a good introduction to the book if some of the authors are able to show what they have been working on beforehand.
Which writing are you particularly excited about?
I think we have a good range of authors, all of whom are speaking about important topics. I am particularly excited for Ester Barinaga’s piece about community currencies and how ‘mainstream’ currencies and capitalism are at the root of our problems. It will be interesting to hear more about the economic side of things, as well as the social/environmental impacts of the climate crisis.
How will you show the book launch online?
We plan to have some of our authors give a talk about their pieces in the book and potentially engage in a Q&A session. We have quite a few different authors and they are based in diverse locations around the world so we are currently trying to work out who would be able to speak, taking into consideration the different time zones. This may also involve having a preview of some of the book’s content.
What is your ambition for Climate Fringe Week?
Climate Fringe Week will give a chance for different organisations to show the important and creative work they have been doing. Arkbound’s ambition is to raise awareness of our book and create interest prior to its publication. Hopefully this will encourage people to read the book and engage with the various case studies it presents. Our book will provide a platform for a diversity of voices, including people of colour and women, who are often left out of important conversations surrounding the climate crisis. We are also interested in finding out about the work that other organisations are doing, so that we can support it and possibly collaborate on future projects.
Do you have hopes for COP?
I hope that this COP will bring about real change and will also aim to involve the general public more, rather than the decision-making being between those in a position of power (who often don’t end up actually doing enough). I hope for clear goals to be set out and stuck to, not vague decisions which will be easy to avoid committing to.
What sort of legacy do you want COP26 to leave in Scotland?
Ideally, COP26 (and the build up to it) will encourage more community based activities in Scotland and will showcase all of the important work that is being done from the ground up. By knowing that ‘ordinary’ people can have active involvement in and impact on climate related issues, there will be more motivation to bring about change amongst communities. With clear outcomes from the COP conference, Scotland will hopefully be able to work towards a more sustainable future, governed by its own people.
To register to attend Arkbound Foundation’s Climate Fringe Week event, click here.
