Oxford (non-Uni) Climate and Nature Initiatives

Oxford is the perfect place to learn about solutions to our climate and nature crises, because our city and surrounding area are home to a huge number of initiatives addressing our climate problem. We think that these are so inspiring we aim to highlight them in our education activities.

2degrees is an exciting local business. Their mission is to make sustainable business happen at scale through collaboration and technology. We use their website is a great source of information about how big businesses are making a difference.

3Keel is an Oxford-based firm of sustainability advisors specialised in working with food systems, supply chains and landscapes. We love the graphics in their reports when we are in a hurry for accessible information.

Ardley ERF. We create WAY too much waste, but this facility turns Oxfordshire waste (that we don’t recycle) into energy. We are hoping to visit the facility in the summer. Here we are on a field trip to check it out for you!

Bicester Eco-town is a few miles outside Oxford but well worth a visit on our courses. It is a 6,000-home extension to the market town of Bicester, with highly sustainable, true zero-carbon homes plus workplaces, schools, community facilities and abundant green space.

The CAG (Community Action Groups) Project based in Oxford is a network of over 60 local community groups across Oxfordshire working on solutions to climate change. The CAG supports them and brings them together for mutual inspiration and support. We love their events, and they’ve been super helpful - thanks guys!

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare is an exciting initiative based in Oxford that is picking up the link between health and climate.

Climate Care is an Oxford based business helping organisations offset carbon emissions, which we’ve watched since they were first launched. They are an interesting case study in the role of the private sector in tackling climate change.

Climate Econometrics is a project based at Nuffield College, Oxford, looking at the interactions between human actions, climate responses and economics. Their work looks a bit too complex for LIGC, but great to know they are there!

Climate Outreach, based in Oxford, are Europe's leading climate change communicators, bridging the gap between research and practice and helping to widen engagement across a broader spectrum of society. We all have a lot to learn from these guys and we follow their work avidly.

Cultivate Oxford is a co-operative social enterprise owned by the community and dedicated to local food in and around Oxford. They have been very helpful to LIGC, linking us with local farms for educational visits. And we buy a lot of veg from them!

Good Food Oxford is a network for a better food system in Oxford, working for healthy, fair, sustainable and tasty food. They know everyone who knows about sustainable food around Oxford and we are looking forward to working with them again in 2020.

Green Arts Oxfordshire Network is the arts and cultural sector coming together to sign a charter and implement best practice.

John Lewis. The department store has made it onto our list of favourites since they have chosen Oxford as the pilot location for their clothes buy back scheme. We’ve been talking to them and will be visiting the store, and have someone from head office to come and talk at the LIGC Green Careers Conference. Also check out Waitrose below.

JoJu Solar is another local company we like to learn from. With an ethical stance, they are experts in solar energy,  battery storage and electric car charging points, designing and installing thousands of systems across the UK, and working to build a future where energy comes without the pollution and conflict, supporting solar on social housing, and developing community energy projects.

Julie’s Bicycle is a London based charity with lots of Oxford friends, that supports the creative community to act on climate change and environmental sustainability. We are inspired by them to ensure all our courses have a strong creative element.

The Low Carbon Hub is a social enterprise that’s out to prove we can meet our energy needs in a way that’s good for people and good for the planet. With community investment they have created 43 renewable energy installations so far. It is a sustainable business success story we love to talk about.

Modern Baker is a Life Sciences company based in Oxford, England, committed to tackling humanity’s most pressing health crisis head-on. They were the UK’s first HEALTHY BAKING company, and their bread is AMAZING. At least one LIGC picnic has to include their breads or pastries - hope you get lucky!

Osney Lock Hydro is the first community owned hydro scheme to be built on the Thames. The hydro is now fully operational, generating clean green electricity. We haven’t visited yet but it’s on our radar for LIGC 2020.

Oxfam is our local international charity. They take on the big issues that keep people poor - inequality, hunger and climate change. They point out that the people who have contributed the least to the climate emergency are suffering most. We are tapping into their new work on climate change, and fashion.

Sustainability - Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Climate Club is our new initiative for 15-18 year olds from the local schools in Oxford to come together and develop Climate Skills, and to visit some of the inspiring places in and around our city that are solutions to climate change.

Oxford Friends of the Earth is one of 150 local groups in England and Wales that are part of the national Friends of the Earth organisation (which is one of 75 national groups across the world). It is a thriving and effective local group that has been active for over 40 years and doing fantastic work on local and national issues.

Oxford Citizen’s Assembly. We are so proud of our city for running these important democratic initatives and are following their model for some of our sessions in 2020.

Oxford City Council. In Oxford we are seeing first hand the actions of local government on climate change. We have a green mayor and the council has declared a climate emergency. It’s been great to learn directly from those involved politically in this issue.

The Oxford Hub organises social action projects across the city, including environmental programmes. We are working with them on the Oxford Climate Club.#

The Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH) is a must see in Oxford. As well as having an awe inspiring collection they have been running climate workshops for teenagers, culminating in a discussion with local politicians. We are working with them on the Oxford Climate Club.

Oxfordshire Greentech is a business network supporting the growth of the low-carbon sector in Oxfordshire. Members come and talk to our LIGC students.

OxFutures is a £3.2m project consisting of European Regional Development funding and matched funding from partners that will grow Oxfordshire’s low carbon economy. Their project manager gave a fantastic talk to the LIGC students in 2019.

Oxfordshire Treescapes Project (oxtrees.uk) has created the Oxfordshire Treescape Opportunity Map, a powerful tool that shows the right places to establish treescapes for the right reasons.

Pedal and Post are an eco delivery company unclogging our roads one parcel at the time. We love them - and they cycle faster than us!

People & Planet is the largest student network in the UK campaigning for social and environmental justice, based in Oxford. Each year they train, support and empower over 2,000 young people to tackle the root causes of issues they care about and create positive solutions that have an impact far beyond our network. The plan is to include them in our LIGC programme in 2020.

Project LEO is a ground breaking £40M project bringing clean cheap electricity to Oxfordshire. Lots of people are talking about this here! Our students will be finding out more in 2020.

Renewable Energy Cooperative is an inspiring business, thinking along the same lines as ourselves in having an egalitarian business model, and a purpose driven business.

The Said Business School at Oxford University has appointed Paul Polman as the Chair of the School Board. Paul Polman has a reputation for championing sustainability in business. So this could be the start of some interesting developments. His talk that we attended on 13th November 2019 was really inspiring.

Sandford Hydro generates 1.6 GWh of renewable electricity per year, which is the equivalent demand for about 450 households - the whole village, and is part owned by members of the community - a fantastic model for future energy solutions.

School Strike for Climate has been really active in Oxford. There have been several huge strikes with local school students congregating and marching in the city centre, supported by hundreds of parents and other supporters.

Southill Community Energy is a ‘community benefit society’. It is run by a community of members, and aims to encourage, inspire and empower local people and organisations to reduce their carbon emissions. We visited with a group of students in 2019 to admire their hard won success, and the solar bee hive!

Waitrose is a high end supermarket. Their Oxford Botley Road store was the pilot site for their Unpacked initiative. We visited with a group of students in 2019 and had such a fun time with the staff who are so proud of their scheme. The pilot has been extended so we’ll be back in 2020!

Westmill Solar is the UK’s first and world’s largest cooperatively run, community-owned solar farm. We had a wonderful visit there in 2019 to see both solar panels and wind turbines side by side.

WRAP works with governments, businesses and communities to deliver practical solutions to improve resource efficiency. We make full use of their fantastic resources.

XR (Extinction Rebellion) Oxford is very active and creating drive for other organisations involved in climate change in and around the city to step up their level of action. It is really interesting to compare these new civil movements emerging to tackle this issue.