We were lucky enough to go along to the recent Blue Earth Summit in Bristol, where we listened to some fascinating speakers, including none other than former pro cyclist turned National Active Travel Commissioner and Chair of Sport England Chris Boardman MBE.
His strategy for creating change? “Tune into the basics of what matters to people day to day and make doing the right thing easy, because if climate change and being healthy isn’t easy, we won’t do it.”
For instance, he finds talking to people about the outcomes that the changes will bring motivates them to become involved. “I’ll ask parents if they’d like their kids to be able to get to and from school easily and safely on their own, and save money spent on petrol at the same time (who wouldn’t?),” he says. “You ask them if they want to save £1,500 a year as people’s top priority right now is paying the bills.”
Then it’s all about trying to work with them via community groups as well as dealing with politicians etc to create the environment so that safer walking, cycling and wheeling can happen.
And it has happened. Kesgrave High School in Ipswich is a great example of how this can work, with 9 in 10 kids cycling, walking or wheeling to school, points out Boardman.
“The first thing like this creates a moment,” he says, “the second, a movement. It’s all about small steps, and doing something rather than trying to do everything because that’s too big: think marginal gains.”
We’ve all heard the stats about how the vast majority of our car journeys are within a very small radius of where we live, but we need practical alternatives to allow us to travel easily and safely in a different way. “We need everyone to drive 25% less, so we need to give them a choice,” he says.
“Small changes create a momentum…” he reiterates, and we cycle away from the Blue Earth Summit with that useful reminder that we can all help to make a difference through the little things we choose to do every day…
Tickets for the 2024 Blue Earth Summit are on sale now. Inspired by the great outdoors, the three-day business summit plays host to industry pioneers, provocative thought-leaders, sustainability trailblazers, insightful solutionists and boundary-pushing start-ups. Visit blueearthsummit.com for more information.
