Dr Janet Plamer


Net Zero: Stratford’s Climate Hub - its projects and purpose

Dr Janet Palmer 

Monday 19 August, 6.00 pm - White Swan

Dr Janet Palmer is a retired educational psychologist who moved to Stratford eight years ago. She is one of the directors of Net Zero Stratford, a community interest company: https://netzerostratford.org.uk, co-ordinator of Stratford Climate Action and a member of Warwickshire Climate Alliance and Stratford Wildlife Friends.

She has a strong interest in environmental education and in promoting action to combat climate change.

See the slides from the presentation here.

Report on the Talk

Janet began by showing us ‘Warwickshire’s Climate Stripes’, Professor Ed Hawkins’ (University of Reading) idea, which illustrates in colour the change in temperature from 1884 to 2023, from blue through orange to now red.  In 2024 the Ivory Coast reached 50°C, which is so extreme that the human body struggles to survive.

Net Zero Stratford, a community interest company, manages the climate hub in the town centre, a home for local climate action. The aim is to promote a ‘low carbon culture’, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the district.  Net Zero received a grant of £9,000 from Warwickshire County Council’s Green Shoots fund in 2021 to help them set up such a hub.  They wanted to find a ‘meanwhile lease’ on an empty shop, but there were no offers, despite an extensive search.  So they started with no home, spending some of the grant on local projects.  These are the projects they set up before the climate hub opened:

  • Stratford Repair Café – in partnership with the Town Trust this runs once a month at the Methodist Church Hall.  It has saved about 31.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions so far.  Older people are the main customers being used to that way of thinking.  It also helps people to learn new skills.  There is also a Give and Take stall.  Each Give and Take has a theme.
  • Community Kitchen – this is held at the Ken Kennett Centre in Justins Avenue, on Fridays from 5-7p.m. The FareShare charity helps to source spare food from supermarkets.  Volunteer chefs cook a three-course meal, and everyone is welcome to join the diners. The meal is provided for free, or you can give a donation.
  • Great Big Green Week – this festival has been running for four years, led nationally by the Climate Coalition.  The launch event this year was held at New Place with the SBT being very supportive.  There were 38 events and, in 2024, over 2,000 people attended.  It will be on 7-15 June next year.
  • Climate Hub – the use of the shop in 30 Meer Street came about through a chance meeting at the Leisure Centre swimming pool!   The venue opened on 15 May 2024 and Munchies next door very kindly provided free food for the launch event.  The Climate Hub is open 3 days a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10-4, and is run by volunteers. There is also a programme of events and talks.  The hub publicises the activities of relevant groups, and there will be free carbon literacy training in the autumn. It is also a place where people can recycle such items as blister packs and dental plastic. Net Zero Stratford pays for the recycling of blister packs as they are such a hard to recycle item locally and many people are keen that blister packs should not go to landfill.

The main priority is creating a low carbon culture. The priorities for reducing carbon emissions in Stratford district are: the way we heat our homes, our food and diet, our means of travel and the consumption of goods and services.  There is a window display at the climate hub to illustrate these themes.  Professor Tim Lenton, Director of Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter has researched negative tipping points for the global climate, and he believes it is also important to identify positive social tipping points to encourage people to copy good ideas through ‘social contagion’.  For example, in Norway, EV cars are cheaper than petrol/diesel cars, and so EV makes up more than 50% of the market.

Carbon literacy training is helpful to individuals, the community and organisations to reduce emissions.  The courses are tailored to particular groups, and each learner is invited to create an action plan.  So, for example, regarding heating, Janet installed secondary double glazing for the Victorian windows in her old house.  Janet has now become a trainer.  In partnership with the Act on Energy organisation, the hub has offered advice about retrofitting older houses.  There is often a problem in choosing the right installer for your particular job. John Stott, one of Net Zero Stratford’s directors, is working on a leaflet with a list of local installers so that people can compare quotes and services.  Travel is also a major problem locally as buses are under-used because the services are not frequent and reliable enough.  Janet gave out surveys on travel habits.  Food and diet are tackled in the community kitchen and, in the future, fast fashion will be targeted.  The subject of excessive consumption will be tackled in December in time for Christmas!

Janet’s talk was very well received.

Report by Helen Elliott.