Birmingham’s first ever climate festival is coming up next week. Organized by the Brum COP26 Coalition, the organizers aim to give marginalized people a platform to speak about climate change, so they can tackle the climate crisis.
Three days to tackle climate change
The free three day climate festival is to be held in Northfield, between the 18th and 20th of February, bringing together the community to speak on issues surrounding the climate crisis. Last year, Glasgow hosted COP26, the world’s most important climate summit, but many feel that not enough was achieved there.
Down in the Midlands, Birmingham City Council announced a climate emergency in 2020, as the climate has already warmed by an average 1.2 degrees globally. Speakers will discuss how this affects the people of Birmingham, and how we can fight back against climate change.
The climate emergency will affect, and already has affected, globally marginalized communities the most. Yet these communities are often left out of the climate discussion.
Danielle Parker, the Lead Organiser of Breathe and a member of Brum COP26 Coalition said: “Currently the climate fight excludes the people of Birmingham who will be affected the first and hardest by climate impacts, that is: people living in poverty, people of colour and people with disabilities”.
The coalition aims to give these communities a voice by platforming those most vulnerable in society – those most heavily affected by climate change worldwide.
How can marginalised communities take action?
The climate festival will include workshops, training, and discussions led by Brummies about how climate change will impact our lives and communities.
“These people have typically not been invited into the conversation, despite their lived experience of living in crises – crises that climate change will exacerbate, from
food to energy poverty – while these communities know better than anyone how to survive such crises. It is absolutely essential we bring these communities into the discussion to share experience and ideas for solutions and to upskill for collective action”, said Ms Parker.
The topics of discussion range from food to housing, energy to jobs, and many things in between.
Tickets for events can be ordered here, and those wanting to support the cause can do so here.
