What’s Stopping Us Stopping Climate Change 2.0: Transforming Surrey into a home of thriving people and nature

A participatory workshop delivered by Surrey Climate Commission and the Institute to understand how to transform Surrey into a thriving place, while respecting the wellbeing of all people and the health of the whole planet. This workshop aligned with SDG3, SDG13, and SDG17.

The Institute for Sustainability and Surrey Climate Commission ran a participatory workshop at the University of Surrey, in partnership with Zero Carbon Guildford. The theme of the workshop was the transformation of Surrey as a thriving county which operates to promote the wellbeing of all people within planetary boundaries.

Marisa Heath, the Conservative Councillor from Surrey County Council, and Professor Amelia Hadfield and Professor Theofanis Exadaktylos from the University of Surrey joined the workshop to open the event and emphasise the significance of collaboration in creating change.

Climate change is not a political matter, this is a matter where politics needs to go to one side, and we all work collaboratively. This is something where we really need to galvanise our energy and put that force back behind the work we're doing, as well as really focus on the things we can change. We cannot do this alone. We cannot do it without the public coming behind us and being part of the work. Marisa Heath, Conservative Councillor, Surrey County Council

There are groundbreaking policy-based changes in Surrey, but they cannot progress in isolation. For them to be socially sustainable, they do have to be aligned, and they do have to be inclusive. Professor Amelia Hadfield, Director of CIFAL Surrey and Co-Director of the Institute for Sustainability, University of Surrey

We can co-design and co-create policies and decisions as citizens, and the trust we have in our political systems and institutions is vital for the democratic engagement we have with all those decision-making processes. Professor Theofanis Exadaktylos, Professor in European Politics, University of Surrey

Ahead of the participatory activity and discussion, the concepts of Doughnut Economics and the Four Lenses approach were introduced by Ben McCallan and Professor Angela Druckman. Questions around increasing resilience in the face of climate change was asked to the participants to provoke thoughts ahead of the discussion.

“Can we redesign towns in Surrey to regulate temperature better?”

“Can we use nature to prevent flash flooding?”

“Can we create more places in Surrey that cleanse the air?”

To answer the question “How can Surrey be a thriving place, which is home to thriving people, while respecting the wellbeing of all people and the health of the whole planet?”, participants shared ideas based on the framework developed by Doughnut Economics Action Lab. Through the Step into the Doughnut and Four Lenses activities, participants identified challenges and brainstormed solutions for the sustainable transformation of Surrey. Discussions included government initiatives, business opportunities, and community engagements to make Surrey a truly sustainable place.

We've been having a discussion at my table about political voice and some of the obstacles people have to make themselves heard. We've talked about the role that participatory democracy can play to make sure that the residents have a say in local policy and plans rather than sitting on the fences of decision-making. Ben McCallan, Home Energy Advice Team Project Manager, Zero Carbon Guildford

The aim of the workshop today is to find and develop collaborative solutions to unlock the barriers that are preventing us in achieving transformative change towards Zero Carbon Surrey. Richard Essex, Director of Surrey Climate Commission

This workshop was aligned with SDG3, SDG13, and SDG17. The topic of the workshop aligned with SDG3 (good health and wellbeing), as the main activity of the workshop was to brainstorm ideas to transform Surrey into a thriving place which ensures the wellbeing of its people and the planet. SDG13 (climate action) served as the core basis of the workshop, as the discussions were around overcoming the barriers and encouraging actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Surrey. Finally, the workshop also aligned with SDG17 (partnerships for the goals) as the workshop itself was a perfect example of like-minded individuals coming together and working towards a shared goal and vision.

The workshop was a part of the project series “What’s Stopping Us Stopping Climate Change”. Stay tuned to Surrey Climate Commission and the Institute for future events.