Climate activists use potholes to win support by stealth

A climate activist group has used public anger over potholes to drum up support for the net zero agenda by stealth.

Roger Harding, the director of green group Round Our Way, highlighted the success of a campaign focused on how climate change causes problems with Britain’s roads - and encouraged other groups to follow suit.

Speaking at the Association of Charitable Foundations’ Leaders Forum in central London on Wednesday, Mr Harding promoted his own group’s success at reframing civil issues to deliver climate awareness.

Third Sector, a trade publication for voluntary and nonprofit organisations, reported Mr Harding as saying: “For example, we did some stuff on climate change making potholes more likely, probably the biggest story we’ve done and we still get tons of coverage.

“Loads of people wanted to talk about that and we could highlight that and talk about flooding and other things.

“So climate change comes at the end of the sentence rather than the beginning. I think that’s our best shot at making it engaging.”

‘Disproportionate impact’

Round Our Way has described itself as “an organisation for people in the UK paying the price for climate change”. The group seeks to amplify stories about climate change, as well as lobby the Government and companies.

Mr Harding said: “What we do at Round Our Way is try to highlight the disproportionate impact climate change is having on working-class people and then we try to get more of our voices in the media and political debate.”

Mr Harding said his work at Round Our Way had also looked at the impact climate change was having on elderly people and school conditions because of temperature changes.

The forum took place at the County Hall and kicked off with a breakfast laid out by Ruffer, an investment management firm which caters for charities, institutions, pension funds and private clients.

In the morning before the panel discussion, attendees were invited to partake in peer reflection circles, sessions on “inner development goals” and an investing for climate session put on by Cazenove Charities, part of Schroders.

In the same panel discussion, Kamran Shezad, the director of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, called on faith leaders to thread climate awareness into their teaching.

He said: “I find the faith angle a very interesting way to start this conversation because it supports the personal and systemic motivations to bring about change.

“Faith groups are not just about theology and scripture – that’s one part of it, but you can mobilise communities and have influence on policies.

“There’s a growing space that’s expanding and more people are getting involved, not just faith leaders but also the community leaders, uncles, aunties, credit union people, it’s a central hub.”