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Is culture the Key to Thriving Over Surviving in Sustainability?

Bread for all, and roses too.

From American suffragist Helen Todd’s original speech in 1911, labour movements worldwide have used the concept of bread and roses to fight for the circumstances where populations are not just surviving but thriving, too. In the Well-being of Future Generations Act, culture is explicitly written as one of the necessary elements of a thriving Wales. The Act intends for ‘A Wales of Vibrant Culture and Thriving Welsh Language. A society that promotes and protects culture, heritage and the Welsh language, and which encourages people to participate in the arts, and sports and recreation.”

The ongoing pressure on the cost of living, the health service and heritage and arts organisations in Wales illustrates the everyday challenges decision makers are having to make on budgets and priorities. When austerity hits, one of the first things to be cut is cultural services, and we’re seeing that now across Wales and the UK. The Wellbeing of Future Generations Act challenges us all to not neglect our cultural responsibilities and connections in favour of other priorities.

While we’re not a cultural institution at Cynnal Cymru, we care deeply about wellbeing in all its manifestations. Our Fair Economy team accredit the Living Wage and Living Hours Wales, helping organisations to create working conditions that don’t just meet the bare minimum requirements for living, but help their staff to thrive too. We’ve seen huge transformations where individuals no longer have to work multiple jobs and can spend more time with their families, get enough rest, and engage with the culture and community around them.

Culture plays a key part in unlocking sustainability action and is often forgotten in technical debates around carbon reduction. As Gus Speth, US climate scientist put it:

“I used to think that top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that thirty years of good science could address these problems. I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy, and to deal with these we need a cultural and spiritual transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.”

How are our team thriving while surviving?

Sometimes we think about culture as something serious, expensive, and reserved for a few kinds of activities. But just like sustainability is made up of the little changes that add up in all our work, cultural well-being can come from small moments in our everyday lives. Outside of their work at Cynnal Cymru, our staff have rich lives engaging with cultural moments both big and small.

Abi, our Membership Officer, spends one day a week as an apprentice at an antique jeweller, learning how to make and repair fine jewellery. Recently she’s been challenged by learning how to use CAD design as a tool to design and model jewellery, exploring a whole new creative community. Our Head of Business Development, Clare, recently joined a group at the NoFitState circus building to watch part of the Festival Mondial de Cirque de Demain, livestreamed from Paris. When we can take the time for them, these moments of intercultural engagement can inspire us to think outside our daily spheres and even try new things.

Fiona, our Finance Officer, stops crunching numbers to write fiction when she’s not at work. She’s currently working on two novels, one that’s nearly finished and one that’s a fresh project – an old school, tongue-in-cheek heist set in the modern day. Our Marketing and Communications Officer, Beli, also writes fiction, having recently written a short story for the Beyond/Tu Hwnt bilingual anthology of Welsh deaf and disabled writers.

As a crafty team, our staff are often sharing ideas and tools. Recently, our Living Wage Programme Lead, Grace, gave Fiona some embroidery frames and she’s started a new project from them, planning to make two pieces of iridescent insects. There are so many ways we can appreciate and explore ecology and sustainability in ways that are creative, whether that’s researching beetles for a creative project or photographing the beautiful view on one of our coastal walks in Wales, like our Living Wage and Human Resources Support Officer, Alys, who recently walked some the Pembrokeshire Coast.

Blue Lagoon Quarry photographed by Alys Reid Bacon

Integrating Cultural and Sustainability Work

Too often, we can become siloed in our approach to sustainability. The Well-being for Future Generations Goals challenges us to think about everything that a society needs to thrive. No single person or organisation can do it all, but when we work together, we can make lasting and impactful changes. As a membership organisation, we are inspired by the organisations from outside the sustainability sector who are committing themselves to sustainability work, such as our members Arts Council Wales, Ffilm Cymru, and Media Cymru from the arts sector. We’re all aware of the need to change our behaviour to look after our climate and natural environment, and at Cynnal Cymru we’re committed to empowering organisations from every sector to turn that knowledge into actionable steps.

So how can culture help sustainability?

At the recent South East Wales Climate Coalition event, our former Board member Andy Middleton reminded the audience that “change happens by those who hold the best parties.” Joy, creativity, and culture must necessarily go hand in hand with our passion for a better society.

One of our members Coleg y Cymoedd have embraced an Every Day Every Decision approach to sustainability to encourage their staff and students to drive the culture of change based on what is important for them. The technical aspects are still happening, but just backstage. These kinds of innovations that think about what drives behaviour change are so important and integral to our ways of working at Cynnal Cymru.

Another change in culture is moving towards long-term thinking. This is one of the ways of working encouraged by the Future Generations Commissioner. We have benefited from attending the Futures Hub training as they begin to build a community of practice around the change of culture.

To quote educator and author Peter Drucker: ‘The best way to predict the future is to create it.’

If we’re too busy looking at the numbers, the facts, the long reports of data, we can neglect to imagine a future that is full of joy, passion, and creativity. Wales is a land of song, literature and culture, and we must savour and treasure these things in little and large ways to create a sustainable future that is authentically Welsh, authentically ours.

Is culture the Key to Thriving Over Surviving in Sustainability? Read More »

Making Funerals More Sustainable

Nothing is certain except death and taxes.

At least that’s what Benjamin Franklin said in 1789, which has fueled centuries of debates over taxes, but not so much on the subject of death. We all care about what happens to us after we die, whether that’s the way our funeral is handled or how our loved ones are supported. These days, as with everything else, more of us are thinking about the impact death has on the environment.

In Wales annually there are around 36,000 registered deaths, 80% of which will result in a cremation at one of 18 local authority and private crematoria across the country.

To encourage and support the transition of the funeral sector to more sustainable ways of working, Cynnal Cymru members Brendan and Carolyn Day introduced the Greener Globe Funeral Standard in 2020. Both had a keen interest in the environment, with Brendan having had a career in the bereavement sector and Carolyn having worked in insurance and compliance. It made sense, given their shared interests and expertise, to create a sustainability audit process for businesses in the funeral sector. After five years, Greener Globe Funeral Standard now has registered clients not just in Wales, but also across the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands. 

Carolyn Day and Brendan Day Directors of Greener Globe Funeral Standard present the Environmental Bronze Award to Clive Phillips at Margam Crematorium
Carolyn Day and Brendan Day Directors of Greener Globe Funeral Standard present the Environmental Bronze Award to Clive Phillips at Margam Crematorium.

Bespoke online questionnaires are provided for crematoria, funeral directors, and suppliers, with a cemetery version being released this spring.  The first step requires the funeral organisation to demonstrate that it has recognised the need to operate sustainably by adopting an environmental policy and providing  evidence that this is cascaded throughout the organisation.

The second step is the completion of the full Sustainability Audit Questionnaire covering key aspects of the business, each answer being evidenced with copies of documents or photographs uploaded to the GGFS website.

The audit generates an award – Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum – depending on the score generated by the environmental benefits/cost environmental aspect scoring matrix. In addition, a bespoke improvement plan is provided to indicate where further changes can be made to lessen the impact of the business on the environment.

It is great news to report Margam Crematorium, operated jointly by Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot Council, became the first crematorium in Wales to receive the Trusted Crematorium Bronze Award.

Margam Crematorium
Margam Crematorium

To protect the environment, crematoria must reduce their carbon footprint. Their primary fuel is gas, which results in the production of CO2. Margam Crematorium must be commended for significantly reducing its gas consumption, by working closely with its cremator suppliers, Facultatieve Technologies who have developed new software and hardware. As a result, between January – August 2024 a total cumulative gas saving of 186,000kWh was recorded. A pro rata annual reduction in CO2 of 52tons. This saving will be ongoing and can be rolled out to other sites, not only in Wales, but across the UK.

Brendan and Carolyn look forward to Margam Crematorium completing the sustainability audit and achieving a higher award.

Mark Isherwood MS, Chair of the Cross-Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement in the Senedd presenting The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) with their Environmental GGFS Bronze Award. From left to right - Phil Blatchly, NAFD Wales President; Barry Pritchard, NAFD Chair; and Mark Isherwood MS, Chair of the Cross-Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement in the Senedd.
Mark Isherwood MS, Chair of the Cross-Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement in the Senedd presenting The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) with their Environmental GGFS Bronze Award. From left to right – Phil Blatchly, NAFD Wales President; Barry Pritchard, NAFD Chair; and Mark Isherwood MS, Chair of the Cross-Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement in the Senedd.

If you know a crematorium, cemetery, funeral director or supplier who is looking to work more sustainably, please contact Brendan and Carolyn at info@ggfs.co.uk  


Our thriving community of mutually supportive members provides an opportunity to share learning, challenge thinking and mobilise action, be this through co-designed events, hosting networking sessions or simply sowing seeds for future collaborations or thought-leadership.

If you would like to talk to a member of the team about how we can support your organisation, please contact membership@cynnalcymru.com

Making Funerals More Sustainable Read More »

19 Feb | Ask the Expert: Electric Vehicle fleets and infrastructure

Curious about starting an Electric Vehicle (EV) fleet? Confused about the planning and infrastructure required?

Join Cenex experts, Keith and Connor, for a specialist session on the future of transport. If you have any specific questions in mind then please send them over beforehand or a brief explanation of what you would like to discuss. 

What is ‘Ask the Expert’?

‘Ask the Expert’ is a new series of informal drop-in events where you can join our specialists for a short presentation and guided discussion around a chosen topic.

Who is it for?

This session exploring EV fleets and infrastructure is for Cynnal Cymru members only.

Our thriving community of mutually supportive members provides an opportunity to share learning, challenge thinking and mobilise action, be this through co-designed events, hosting networking sessions or simply sowing seeds for future collaborations or thought-leadership.

If you would like to talk to a member of the team about how we can support your organisation, please contact membership@cynnalcymru.com

Our experts

Keith Budden

Head of Business Development | Cenex

Keith Budden leads Cenex’s work to develop partnerships with public and private sector organisations, helping them deliver net zero mobility. Over the last ten years he has enabled Cenex to grow and increase its impact across the UK, Europe through the development of Cenex Nederland and globally including helping establish the Global Sustainable Mobility Partnership of partner NGOs. 

Keith has significant experience of working in international settings having lived and worked in East and West Africa. He has recently led Cenex EV policy advice for the Governments of Seychelles, India, Thailand and Uruguay. He has previously worked for International energy company E.ON, Birmingham City Council as well as environmental NGOs.

Connor Allen

Technical Specialist | Cenex

Connor is a chartered Automotive engineer with professional experience in data-led fleet strategy development, low emission vehicle testing, and project management.

As a technical specialist within the Cenex Policy, Strategy and Innovation Team, he delivers customer projects relating to the development and deployment of new and emerging low emission vehicle technologies.

Cenex was established as the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell technologies in 2005.

Today, Cenex focuses on low emission transport & associated energy infrastructure and operates as an independent, not-for-profit research technology organisation (RTO) and consultancy, specialising in the project delivery, innovation support and market development.

They also organise Cenex-Expo, the UK’s premier low carbon vehicle event, to showcase the latest technology and innovation in the industry.

Their independence ensures impartial, trustworthy advice, and, as a not-for-profit, they are driven by the outcomes that are right for you, your industry and your environment, not by the work which pays the most or favours one technology.

Finally, as trusted advisors with expert knowledge, they are the go-to source of guidance and support for public and private sector organisations along their transition to a zero-carbon future and will always provide you with the insights and solutions that reduce pollution, increase efficiency and lower costs.

 To find out more about them and the work that they do, visit their website.

19 Feb | Ask the Expert: Electric Vehicle fleets and infrastructure Read More »

Storytelling and its potential to create change

This was the takeaway from our latest event, Can Stories Change Our World? , which brought together Cynnal Cymru members and other sustainably-minded businesses. We brought in three speakers to discuss how they use storytelling in their work and talk to us about the power and challenges of storytelling as change. This is clearly a topic on many people’s minds right now. It’s something we talked about in our September newsletter, and drew in a huge number of questions during this event. We discussed questions such as how you deal with apathy and depression in climate conversations, how to use comedy and positivity to tell poignant stories, and how to specifically reach Welsh audiences through storytelling style or platforms.  

Ant Green, founder of animation and illustration studio Motion Manor designed for positive change, discussed the importance of telling visual stories that imagine a fair and sustainable future.  

“In climate narratives, we’ve created a doom and gloom outlook because it’s the clearest outcome. We know what a bad outcome looks like, but we’re not so sure about the details of that good outcome.” 

Motion Manor, a Cynnal Cymru Member, have used their animations and illustrations to visualise this positive future for organisations such as the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations. While they use animation and illustration, Motion Manor ensures that their stories are rooted in reality – for Ant, that’s the key.  

“Show a snapshot of real people doing real things, even when using stories or illustration.” 

Camille Lovgreen, Cynnal Cymru’s Sustainability Advisor, echoed Ant’s sentiment of needing to situation any storytelling in real life examples, even when writing fiction. Alongside our Sustainability Strategist Karolina Rucinska, Camille wrote a series of fictional stories envisioning Wales in 2051. In their imagination, Wales had implemented all sustainability advice and was seeing a thriving environment and community. Through this set of stories, they were able to begin a conversation around what it looks like to successfully implement climate policy, as well as inspiring the hope that energises this movement.  

A similar set of stories was created by the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales (NICW), looking at Wales in 2100. The Chair of the NICW, David Clubb, was our third speaker. David stressed the importance of taking out time when thinking about long-term futures. David also discussed the need to evaluate not just how but where you’re telling your stories. NICW have recently made the decision to leave the big platforms, namely Meta and X, and move to open source versions that fit into their values. This decision comes at a time when many organisations and individuals are moving away from big name platforms in recognition of their censorship, unethical practices, and goals that don’t look out for regular people.

How do we tell our own stories? 

For Ffilm Cymru, the development agency for Welsh film and a Cynnal Cymru Member, visual storytelling is embedded into their work.  

Films such as this can be used to encourage behaviour change through emotive storytelling.

Ffilm Cymru’s work relies on the power of storytelling:  

“Stories have the power to provoke immense transformation in our society, as we’ve seen recently with ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office. They can also affect smaller personal shifts in perception and awareness that can snowball into positive change. It’s up to organisations like ours to help harness that power, and promote action on climate in creative, engaging and entertaining ways.” 

Just this month, Media Cymru and Ffilm Cymru Wales have launched a climate themed R&D content fund to support more climate stories and sustainability storytelling.

Is storytelling just for arts or cultural organisations?

Many of the attendees of our event came from organisations outside of the creative sector. The reality is that in every sector, telling your story in a way that reaches the right people is crucial.

Thrive Women’s Aid is a Cynnal Cymru Member organisation that supports women, children, and young people in Neath/Port Talbot who are affected by domestic abuse. They help survivors rebuild their lives and independence in safe communities, supporting entire families to break the cycle of abuse permanently and foster healthier, safer environments for all.

In this video, they tell the impact of their work through simple and effective storytelling.

As we look into the new year, it’s a great time to consider the stories you tell, and how and where you’re telling them.

Can Stories Change Our World? was part of Cynnal Cymru’s quarterly series of Cardiff-based events. Make sure you check out our next event coming soon, Growing the Sustainability Workforce, where we’ll hear from Future Generations Leadership Academy participant Abi Hoare and Finley Povey from Transport for Wales. The event is free for Cynnal Cymru Members, Sparc|Sbarc residents, and we have a limited number of free places for Cardiff University students. Don’t miss it!

Storytelling and its potential to create change Read More »

12 December 2024 | Member Update

29 January |Growing the sustainability workforce | Sbarc|Spark

How do you develop a sustainability career? For so many starting or changing career paths, making that first step into a sustainability role can be difficult. Join Cynnal Cymru in a facilitated discussion on how to upskill your workforce or develop your own green skills. 

Cynnal Cymru Members can get two free places to this event. Spaces are subject to availability – contact Abi to register your free place.

18 December |Integrated Sustainability Taster Workshop| Online

Are you starting your sustainability journey? Looking to understand how to apply sustainability strategy to your organisation? Join Camille Lovgreen in our open Integrated Sustainability Taster Workshop, where you can begin to understand what goes into sustainable strategy and look at next steps for your organisation.

Cynnal Cymru members receive one free place on the Integrated Sustainability Taster Workshop. Spaces are subject to availability – contact Abi to register your free place.

Things you should know

The Living Wage Wales 2024 Gift Guide is now live! You can buy from, or visit all of these employers whilst being reassured that the workers involved are being paid fairly for their work

Carbon Literacy Cartrefi Cymru (CLCC) celebrates five years of knowledge sharing and collaborative problem solving through Carbon Literacy.

Biodiversity COP16 was suspended in the morning of Nov. 2nd but not before countries agreed on an expanded role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in saving biodiversity. The Science Weekly podcast breaks down the key negotiations and what is to be expected for COP17.

Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru have become an accredited Living Wage Employer, only a few months since their launch by Welsh Government. Contact LivingWage@cynnalcymru.com for support on becoming an accredited employer.

Being human in the age of disinformation. Dr Karolina Rucinska discusses the role of trust in climate communication.Cymru to offer a series of affordable short communications training courses.  

Our thriving community of mutually supportive members provides an opportunity to share learning, challenge thinking and mobilise action, be this through co-designed events, hosting networking sessions or simply sowing seeds for future collaborations or thought-leadership.

If you would like to talk to a member of the team about how we can support your organisation, please contact membership@cynnalcymru.com

Join a growing movement for positive change >>

12 December 2024 | Member Update Read More »

CLCC: A fond farewell after five years of success

In 2019, a group of representatives from registered housing associations across Wales sat down around a table with one aim: to find a way to work together to help alleviate the climate emergency.

They agreed that understanding their carbon impact, both as individuals and organisations, and being able to make informed decisions on reducing carbon emissions, had the potential to be transformative for the social housing sector and communities. Thus Carbon Literacy Cartrefi Cymru (CLCC) was born – a consortium that would provide a platform for knowledge sharing across the sector, collaborative problem solving, and peer to peer teaching to deliver Carbon Literacy training to staff across Wales.

One phrase in the meeting notes from the earliest days of the CLCC succinctly summarised what the approach would be:

“This consortium is about reaching you where you’re at and helping from there.” 

Fast forward five years, and the CLCC is now coming to a close, having achieved exactly what it set out to do. The consortium’s flagship project, a fully accredited Carbon Literacy training course tailored to the social housing sector, has been delivered to 598 people across Wales, thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of the CLCC trainers who have passed on their knowledge to their peers and colleagues. The course has received two substantial updates and has been fully translated into Welsh. Its final iteration will continue to be used by members to certify their staff as Carbon Literate. Many of those housing associations are now certified Carbon Literate Organisations, and continue to champion carbon reduction in the workplace. As was inevitable with a large group of disparate organisations, not everyone’s time as members of the CLCC looks the same. Each had their own priorities, their own challenges to overcome. But the consortium’s ethos of looking at where each member was and guiding them to where they wanted to be played a huge role in the success of the project.

Bron Afon Community Housing was a part of the CLCC from the start, and remained as members throughout the lifetime of the consortium. Nadine Davies, Community Decarbonisation Officer at Bron Afon, said, “The CLCC has enabled us as an organisation to come together and learn about the importance of climate change and carbon emissions. It provided us with valuable skills, networks, and guidance for us to deliver the course to our colleagues successfully.”

Reflecting on her term as Chair of the CLCC since May 2023, Nadine added,

“The CLCC created a space for us to discuss and share in confidence what was going well and what our struggles were when delivering Carbon Literacy. I found the regular meetings and coming together with others delivering the course useful and it was good to listen and take on board points raised. I very much enjoyed my time as Chair of the CLCC and without it I don’t think we would have had as much success with the delivery of Carbon Literacy as we have. I look forward to continuing to deliver Carbon Literacy to the rest of our staff and the wider community to help tackle climate change.”

Fast forward another five years from now, and we hope that we will still be seeing the positive impact the CLCC has had. Consortium members are talking about rolling out Carbon Literacy to their tenants – and with more than 100,000 houses owned across the consortium, that’s a lot of people. We’ve created a Climate Essentials course to help trainers pass on key knowledge in a shorter, more accessible format, and encourage interest in the full training. For some member organisations, certified Carbon Literacy training is now mandatory for all new staff, and will continue to be delivered long into the future. For those housing associations who want customised training or advice, individually or collaboratively, Cynnal Cymru’s team can work with them to ensure that the success of the CLCC is just the first step on their carbon reduction journey.

In November 2020, when the world was coping with an unprecedented global pandemic, 29 members of the CLCC still found the time to meet, to talk about what they wanted the consortium’s future to be. Many of the initial targets had already been met, with 65 people already certified as Carbon Literate, and 83 people about to take the Carbon Literacy Train the Trainer course, at the time making it the biggest ever Carbon Literacy Train the Trainer cohort. But the world had changed since the CLCC’s inception, with training now having to be delivered remotely, collaborative working much harder than it had been in the past, and organisations rightly prioritising core business continuity and the wellbeing of their staff over less immediate concerns. It would have been very easy for Covid-19 to spell the end of the CLCC, but luckily its members were committed to keeping it very much alive. It’s thanks to them, the dedicated support of their colleagues, and the enormous enthusiasm of hundreds of people across Wales, that we can look back on the past five years and honestly say that the CLCC has made a difference – and its success will continue to inspire more and better changes to how we live. 

CLCC: A fond farewell after five years of success Read More »

30 April | Growing the sustainability workforce

How do you develop a sustainability career? For so many starting or changing career paths, making that first step into a sustainability role can be difficult. Join Cynnal Cymru in a facilitated discussion on how to upskill your workforce or develop your own green skills. 

Where: ground floor event space, Sbarc|Spark, Cardiff

Time: 10am – 12:30pm

Why this matters

In this current climate and nature crisis, green careers are becoming more desirable and necessary. Looking towards a sustainable future, more and more people are rethinking the places they work for and the kinds of roles they play. With net zero goals and the growing visible local impacts of extreme weather, we urgently need more people taking action in their workplace as well as communities. Given that we spend up to a third of our days in the office, too, it’s crucial that you and your staff feel fulfilled and passionate about your work. Learn how to be a part of meaningful change towards a just transition in your job role or staff development. 

In this half-day event, Finley Povey from Transport for Wales will discuss apprenticeships and how organisations can create their own internal schemes, joined by Cynnal Cymru’s Abi Hoare who will share their experience of the Future Generations Leadership Academy, and additional speakers to be announced who will share their experiences entering into sustainability roles. In a Q+A with the speakers and networking opportunities throughout, this event will help you understand how to upskill a green workforce, what opportunities are available for individuals, and how to inspire your staff’s next steps.

Who is it for?

This event is open to all individuals and organisations over the age of 18. 

Cynnal Cymru Members can get two free places to this event. A limited number of free student places are available for Cardiff University students. Please email abi@cynnalcymru.com to secure your free place.

Speakers

Finley Povey – Sustainability Coordinator Apprentice at Transport for Wales

Finley joined Transport for Wales as a sustainability coordinator apprentice in January 2024 and has worked across the Sustainable Development and Climate Change team supporting on future generations, sustainable impact, heritage, environmental compliance, ecology, and climate change initiatives. This includes supporting policy or delivery plan development, ensuring administration activities and other duties are undertaken effectively, undertaking environmental audits across various TfW locations to assess environmental impact and compliance with sustainability best practice, working on decision-making tools to align with the Well-being of Future Generations Act and social value, as well as supporting the creation of TfW’s first sustainability exemplar project to integrate well-being, energy-saving, and biodiverse features into a depot site. In her talk, Finley will be telling us about why organisations should give apprentice opportunities to help build the next generation of sustainability conscious champions.

Jennifer Rudd – Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group

Dr Rudd has a decade of experience working in chemistry and the technical circular economy, developing next generation solar panels and working on hydrogen generation and carbon capture. Using this knowledge, Dr Rudd developed the You and CO2 programme in 2018, seeking to teach young people about climate mitigation. Since then, she has worked on a number of climate change education programmes across the disciplines, age ranges and countries. She has helped train teachers in Nigeria, co-created a programme for Welsh primary school pupils to learn about fast fashion, co-developed a new scale for measuring climate capability and consulted for a range of third sector and educational institutions on climate change education programmes.

Dr Rudd is a member of the Net Zero by 2035 commission, advising Welsh Government on pathways to Net Zero, she has been invited to present her work in the Senedd and at trade events in London.

Dr Rudd has communicated the climate emergency through national talks, radio and printed media and gave a TEDx talk in 2019. She is regularly invited to give talks on climate change mitigation and climate change education and was nominated for two Swansea University awards in 2020.

Abi Hoare – Membership Officer at Cynnal Cymru

Abi joined Cynnal Cymru in 2021, as a Charityworks trainee with a focus on the research and development of our Membership offer. Her role is now focused on membership support and she is the first point of contact for our growing network of businesses and organisations committed to a sustainable future. Abi holds a degree in History from the University of Bristol and has previous experience in charity consultancy, digital marketing, and project management.

Abi is part of the Future Generations Leadership Academy 4.0, where attendees learn how to put the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act into action in Welsh society. This involves creating a future generations plan for their workplace, mentoring Welsh leaders, and informing the commissioner’s own work.

Facilitators

Simon Slater, Director at Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales

Early on in his career, Simon worked with the late Rhodri Morgan and Welsh Government as they explored what it meant to have the duty to promote sustainable development in your constitution. His Wales experience renewed his interest to work for the benefit of communities and the environment. He has subsequently worked across the world as an environmental advisor with royalty, charities, government, councils, and business. This has included borrowing ideas from Wales, such as creating a Board member for Future Generations for a Regional Development Agency 10 years before the Welsh Act. 

More recently he has been running sustainability or community regeneration charities such as Sustainability West Midlands, the Springfield Project, and ecobirmingham. He is looking forward to coming back to Wales to continue to be part of the country’s sustainability story. “Wales changed me, now I want to be part of a charity that is helping Wales to change”.

Clare Sain-ley Berry, Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales

Clare has a background in delivering partnership projects for the natural environment and sustainable resource use and uses this to help shape our policy and development work. She enjoys facilitating collaboration across sectors and devising practical programmes to deliver strategic aims.

Clare leads on Cynnal Cymru’s work for a thriving natural environment, which includes our Nature Wise eco literacy training, as well as contributing to work around the foundational economy and decarbonisation.

Agenda

9:45 Arrivals & refreshments

10:10 Cynnal Cymru Welcome, Simon Slater – Director

10:25 Abi Hoare (Cynnal Cymru)

10:35 Finley Povey (Transport for Wales)

10:45 Jennifer Rudd (Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group)

10:55 Comfort break

11:00 Q+A Session facilitated by Clare Sain-ley Berry

11:30 Networking

12:30 Close

Our thriving community of mutually supportive members provides an opportunity to share learning, challenge thinking and mobilise action, be this through co-designed events, hosting networking sessions or simply sowing seeds for future collaborations or thought-leadership.

If you would like to talk to a member of the team about how we can support your organisation, please contact membership@cynnalcymru.com

30 April | Growing the sustainability workforce Read More »

Being human in the age of disinformation. On trust and climate change communication.  

Have you ever asked for advice from someone who wasn’t necessarily an ‘expert’ on the situation or topic? What made you do that? Was it that they cared about you and understood you? Was it their profession, a common background, or shared beliefs that led you to trust their judgement?  Perhaps you judged their trustworthiness based on how you’d seen them act in other situations? 

What does that mean for climate communication? Inspired by a recent pilot training, our Sustainability Strategist Dr Karolina Rucinska considers the role of trust in climate communications. 

— 

When I was in secondary school, staring at a whiteboard with mathematical equations would fill me with dread. I could not make sense of these abstract concepts at all. But when my friend sat down with me and used plenty of real examples, it would all suddenly click in my mind. In other words, by showing me how the equations mattered in my own life, I was able to truly understand them. Was that school friend more educated or credible than the maths teacher who had been teaching for decades?  Certainly not, but he found a way to relay the information in the right way for me . It took me years to realise that I just needed the right messenger for the information to sink in. A recent training by Climate Outreach cemented this idea for me.  

Trust is a big deal 

Trust is a combination of three factors: the person who seeks it, the person who gives it, and the context. Thus, trust can be interpersonal and institutional, and it is fundamental to all aspects of our lives.  According to the 2023 edition of the Ipsos Veracity Index, the top five trusted professions are nurses,  pilots, librarians, doctors and engineers, but the least trusted are politicians, government ministers, advertising executives, journalists, and estate agents. This suggests that we can trust unbiased and highly trained people with strong codes of ethics and who can help in life-threatening situations.  

But we are all guilty of asking for a second opinion. Even after a long call with an expert, like a doctor, we call our nearest and dearest before making big decisions. Don’t we?  

In times when information is distorted, opinions divided, and situations are developing too fast to grasp, we reach out to people who mirror our beliefs. And given that trust in politicians  is at an all-time low,, how can citizens trust what is being told to us?  

Trust at scale  

The good news, according to the 2023 Climate Barometer Tracker survey,is that the UK public do trusts naturalists, conservationists, charities, and NGOs. The bad news, and because climate change impacts all aspects of our lives, is that we listen to other voices too.  So, if you are an expert on climate change, pandemics, flooding, vaccinations, and people prefer to call their mums rather than trust you, don’t take it personally. Instead, find voices that resonate with the audiences you want to reach. 

The Climate Outreach research report on the issue of climate communication  found that trusted people are seen as some combination of: 

  • human 
  • sincere 
  • down to earth 
  • kind 
  • reliable  
  • honest 

Who do you think of when you imagine these qualities? Likely those people closest to you, rather than experts putting out reports on climate change.  

Earning trust in climate messages, at scale, is desperately needed. With so many conflicting messages and a deep skepticism about the media from many of the general public, there is a lot at stake. 

Take low-carbon heating, for example. You can have all the facts and figures, but at the end of the day you’ll likely make the decision because a neighbour or friend made the switch and convinces you to do the same. 

Earning trust at scale, therefore, goes beyond finding the right “already trusted” messenger or influencer such as scientists.  Earning trust at scale needs everyday messengers who can relate, convey real passion, have a deep, lived experience and are credible.  For example, a chef who runs a small restaurant with seasonal foods speaking to other chefs who are looking to diversify their menus and cut food waste. A parent who walks their kids to school speaking to parents who want to stay active and reduce petrol costs but feel alone with the challenge. But earning that long-term trust requires a few more ingredients, plus an unbroken chain of promises, and results. 

The triangle of trust 

The Trust Triangle, first coined by Frances Fei and Anne Morriss in 2020, was adopted by leadership trainers and coaches because it elegantly displays the key elements that leaders and teams need to perform. 

Now, it has been applied by Climate Outreach in their quest to communicate effectively. They advocate three qualities that communicators need to demonstrate for their audiences to trust them and be open to influence: 

  • Passion: This person really cares about this issue. 
  • Credibility: The person knows what they’re talking about. They’re not just making it up on the spot. 
  • Empathy: The person understands that people have different perspectives. They’re not lecturing or talking down to others. 

Crafting a trusted message therefore is about being authentic and knowing yourself as well as the audience. Yes, it is also about showing hard facts, but always within the context and tone of your audience. 

Trust starts with your first audience: yourself 

One thing I have learnt from the past few years working in the field of sustainability is that to connect with others, we better know ourselves first. In climate change, where food preferences and chosen mode of transport can lead to arguments, we better know why we do what we do.   

To start you crafting a message, begin by asking yourself a few questions: 

  • How reliable am I? 
  • Do I trust myself? 
  • Am I someone that others can trust? 
  • What’s motivating me to communicate? 
  • Do I have a genuine interest in understanding where my audience is coming from? 
  • What non-climate interest makes me feel passionate? 

To find out how to use these questions, and to fully appreciate the ideas shared in this piece, and to put them all together, I recommend reading the report Beyond Trusted Messenger and to follow Tara Bryer for further updates about the training. 

If you or your organisation would like to take deeper action against climate change – including communicating with staff, customers or wider stakeholders – please get in touch! 

Being human in the age of disinformation. On trust and climate change communication.   Read More »

14th November | Carbon Literacy Action Day

Do you work for an organisation and want to know how to start tackling your effect on the climate? 

Join us on 14th November 2024 and be part of the world’s largest climate education & action training event – Carbon Literacy Action Day, coinciding with Wales Climate Week and COP29.  

What: a day of accredited training: “Carbon Literacy at Work”  

Where: Sbarc|Spark, Cardiff 

When: 14th November 2024 

Commitment: From 09:00am to 4:15pm – (Please bring your own lunch. Refreshments will be provided.) ​Join us after the training for an optional Carbon Literacy Action Day Webinar with other learners around the world (5pm-6pm)

For who: organisations of all sizes and sectors who want to develop an awareness of the carbon cost of their activities and how to start on the journey to reduce their impact 

Why: with the climate changing, all organisations need to identify their risks and know how to prioritise their climate action in line with national policies and legal requirements. 

Led by: Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales 

Ticket prices:

Cynnal Cymru MembersConditions
FREE Member (One place per member organisation)
Each Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales Member organisation is entitled to send one representative free of charge. Please e-mail us on events@cynnalcymru.com before booking to get a discount code for your free space.
One place per organisationFREE
Additional Member per person (Special discount)Cynnal Cymru Member£90 plus VAT
Non-members
Non-member (Low wage/Concession) per person£70 plus VAT
Non-member (standard price) per person£140 plus VAT
sbarc|spark Residents
FREE sbarc|spark Residents
Each sbarc|spark Building Resident organisation is entitled to send one representative free of charge. Please e-mail us on events@cynnalcymru.com before booking to get a discount code for your free space.
One place per organisationFREE
Additional sbarc|spark Residents sbarc|spark resident / organisation£90 plus VAT
*Ticket includes official certification cost with the Carbon Literacy Project

Become a member

Our thriving community of mutually supportive members provides an opportunity to share learning, challenge thinking and mobilise action, be this through co-designed events, hosting networking sessions or simply sowing seeds for future collaborations or thought-leadership.

If you would like to find out about our member benefits, including access to discounted events and training, please contact membership@cynnalcymru.com

 

14th November | Carbon Literacy Action Day Read More »

3 October | Can stories change our world?

Have you unlocked the power of storytelling in your work yet? Join Cynnal Cymru in a facilitated discussion on storytelling techniques that can engage your stakeholders, shed light on your important work, or refine your business goals.

Where: Sbarc|Spark, Cardiff

Time: 10am – 12:30pm

Why this matters

We’ve all seen a powerful piece of storytelling that makes us stand up and take action. Maybe it’s a video that wakes us up to crucial climate issues, an interview with a community coming together for collective good, or an animation that spells out technical information in a way that makes sense to us. Storytelling is everywhere, and harnessing the power of storytelling is key to engaging our audiences in our work towards a sustainable future.

In this half-day event, Cynnal Cymru’s advice team will tell you about their recent imagining of a Wales in 2051, joined by speakers who are experts in storytelling. In a Q&A with the speakers and networking opportunities throughout, this exclusive event for Cynnal Cymru members will help you understand where you can develop storytelling opportunities, find new tools to craft engaging stories, and use storytelling to increase engagement in your work.

Who is it for?

This free event is open to all individuals and organisations over the age of 18. Priority attendance is available to Cynnal Cymru Members. 

Speakers

Animation to Action: Unlocking your storytelling power with Anthony Green, founder of Motion Manor

Anthony Green’s storytelling background led him to found Motion Manor in 2021. Motion Manor is a B-Corp certified animation and motion design studio focused on creating a positive impact. They help organisations who are working to make the world a better place with awe-inspiring visual content. Through their work with the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), they have used visuals to inspire hope and show what a future proof society might look like across 7 different cities.

In his talk and Q&A, Ant will tell us about how animation and illustration can elevate socially conscious projects to inspire change in your audiences. Sustainability is at the core of his work, so he can answer your questions about the sustainability of animation and why animation works to engender passion and action towards the climate crisis. 

Imagining and Enacting a Sustainable Future with David Clubb, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales (NICW)

Dr David Clubb is an expert in energy policy and digital communication. He is a Founding Partner at Afallen, whose projects are rooted in the Well-being of Future Generations approach, bringing value to all Wales’ citizens’ now and in the future. He was previously Head of Digital at RenewableUK and Director at RenewableUK Cymru.

The NICW is an independent advisory body that gives recommendations on the infrastructure Wales needs. They have worked in partnership with the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) to envision the implications for infrastructure in Wales in 2100. As the Chair of the NICW, David will talk to us about the power and importance of this project and how imagining a sustainable future is necessary to creating one. With expertise in pairing digital storytelling with practice structural change, David can answer your questions on how storytelling can uplift gritty technical information, speak to new audiences and help you with business development plans. 

Creating a Vision We Can Achieve with Camille Løvgreen, Sustainability Advisor at Cynnal Cymru

Camille joined Cynnal Cymru’s advice team to support clients through a transition to sustainable business operations. This includes carbon accounting, creating action plans, and embedding sustainable principles into operations. Inspired by CAST’s visions of a low-carbon futures report, Camille and Karolina developed a series of stories designed to show readers that everyone can play a huge role in achieving a sustainable present and future. In her talk and Q&A, Camille will tell us about how utilising a creative approach can build hope and momentum without comprising on accessibility or reality.

Facilitators

Simon Slater, Director at Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales

Early on in his career, Simon worked with the late Rhodri Morgan and Welsh Government as they explored what it meant to have the duty to promote sustainable development in your constitution. His Wales experience renewed his interest to work for the benefit of communities and the environment. He has subsequently worked across the world as an environmental advisor with royalty, charities, government, councils, and business. This has included borrowing ideas from Wales, such as creating a Board member for Future Generations for a Regional Development Agency 10 years before the Welsh Act. 

More recently he has been running sustainability or community regeneration charities such as Sustainability West Midlands, the Springfield Project, and ecobirmingham. He is looking forward to coming back to Wales to continue to be part of the country’s sustainability story. “Wales changed me, now I want to be part of a charity that is helping Wales to change”.

Clare Sain-ley Berry, Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales

Clare has a background in delivering partnership projects for the natural environment and sustainable resource use and uses this to help shape our policy and development work. She enjoys facilitating collaboration across sectors and devising practical programmes to deliver strategic aims.

Clare leads on Cynnal Cymru’s work for a thriving natural environment, which includes our Nature Wise eco literacy training, as well as contributing to work around the foundational economy and decarbonisation.

Agenda

9:45 Arrivals & refreshments

10:10 Cynnal Cymru Welcome, Simon Slater – Director

10:25 Camille Løvgreen  – Sustainability Advisor (Cynnal Cymru)

10:35 Anthony Green – Founder (Motion Manor)

10:45 David Clubb – Chair (National Infrastructure Commission for Wales)

10:55 Comfort break

11:00 Q+A Session facilitated by Clare Sain-ley Berry

11:30 Networking

12:30 Close

Our thriving community of mutually supportive members provides an opportunity to share learning, challenge thinking and mobilise action, be this through co-designed events, hosting networking sessions or simply sowing seeds for future collaborations or thought-leadership.

If you would like to talk to a member of the team about how we can support your organisation, please contact membership@cynnalcymru.com

3 October | Can stories change our world? Read More »

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