2 weeks ago, we hosted a campaign stunt and action to get politicians’ attention to urgently address the nature emergency and Revive Our World.
Our InConvenience pop-up shops in Cardiff, Manchester and Edinburgh told the story of a nature-less future and revealed the impacts nature loss could have on so many basic things we take for granted, like clean air, water and food. We all want to live in a world that is more beautiful and full of life, where we have avoided climate disaster and nature is abundant. You used your voice to make a greener future a reality. In just 7 days over 105,000 of you helped us send the message to UK leaders to Revive Our World. Thank you all so much for your support and courage to stand up for what you believe in.
Story-telling pop-up shops:
Between 1-8 July, The RSPB opened 'The InConvenience Store' in Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Manchester. These pop-up shops showed people a glimpse of the shopping experience of a future where nature's recovery wasn't secured. The shops stocked a range of survival items that we hope we never need to put in our baskets, including: clean air and water because nature isn't there to clean it for us; sandbags because nature is no longer there to provide flood defences; hugely expensive fruit and vegetables because pollinators have disappeared; and recordings of birdsong because nature’s greatest musicians have all but disappeared.
You can see our CEO Beccy Speight give an interview from the shop in Manchester, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnNwmHEoRak
You took action:
Over 105,000 people supported the campaign by adding their name and helped compile a physical basket of these goods to be delivered to the Prime Minister and the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, and the First and deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland. Your message called on them to be global leaders, setting an example other countries will follow, and putting in place targets for nature’s recovery at every level of government in the UK. For the Prime Minister, as the leading figure for the UK’s role hosting OCP26 this year, we used this opportunity to give a platform to our amazing Youth Council, who wrote him a letter carrying all of your support as well as revealing how important it is to them that our Prime Minister steps up his action to address nature loss and climate change. See the youth letter here.
What happens next?
This campaign comes at a pivotal time in the fight for nature’s recovery as the meeting of global leaders at CBD COP15 in October and COP26 in November draws closer. We want to keep the pressure on the UK Government and devolved leaders to make a stand for nature on the world’s stage and you can continue to get involved!
The Great Big Green Week will take place 18 – 26 September 2021, and will be the largest event for climate and nature ever seen in the UK. Thousands of events will celebrate how communities are taking action to tackle climate change and protect green spaces, and encourage others to get involved too. For more information on how to take part you can visit their website.
In the coming weeks we’ll be asking lots of you to speak up for nature by sharing what nature means to you and why you want the Government to do more to protect it. Keep your eye out for more information on this in the next Campaigns Update.
The InConvenience Store in Manchester
Basket of survival products delivered to First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, outside the Senedd.
(Left to right) Head of Campaigns Natasha Yorke-Edgell and Youth Council member Kabir Kaul deliver basket and letter to the PM with all your voices added, holding the Advert in the Times newspaper that day (Monday 12th July)
(left to right) Declan McAleer, Chair of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, stands with Head of Policy and Advocacy John Martin and Philip McGuigan, Vice Chair of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, on the steps of Stormont to hand in your voices to the NI assembly.
(left to right) Parliamentary Officer Nora Casey and Parilamentary Manager Patrick McGlinchey hand in the basket of survival products and your voices to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon’s office.