Aldersgate Group

Read below an opinion piece written by one of our Future Leaders, Duc Huynh, working at Aldersgate Group for the summer. He outlines what he believes the new Government's policies mean for young people 🌍 👇

We're delighted to welcome four exceptional new trustees to Rewilding Britain 🎉 Their extensive experience will be invaluable in helping us achieve our charitable goals. Meet Justin Albert (Chair elect), Beth Collier, John Cook and Rachel Solomon Williams. Justin Albert OBE has spent his career championing our natural world. As a filmmaker for the National Geographic and Discovery Channel and as Head of Development and Production for Animal Planet, he’s helped deliver inspiring stories globally. For 13 years he ran National Trust Wales, protecting cherished landscapes. He now partners with Sir Tim Smit (founder of The Eden Project) on radical climate solutions, is Vice Chair of the University of Wales and lives with his wife on a regenerative farm in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons). Beth Collier is a Nature Allied Psychotherapist and Ethnographer who teaches natural history and woodland living skills. Beth is the Founder and Director of two organisations: Wild in the City, supporting well-being through relationships with nature with a focus on supporting people of colour; and Nature Therapy School, which offers professional training for psychotherapists in Nature Allied Psychotherapy. John Cook is a lifelong farmer in the North York Moors National Park. He’s always had an interest in managing landscapes for nature and food production. John has previously been on the board of an agricultural marketing cooperative and his local NHS Trust. Rachel Solomon Williams is Executive Director at Aldersgate Group, a cross-sectoral alliance of businesses and other organisations championing a prosperous, environmentally sustainable economy. Rachel has over 20 years’ experience of working in environment and climate policy, primarily as a civil servant but with time spent in the private sector. We’re so happy to have them on board! Learn more about our new trustees on our website [link in comments]. 📷: Katerina Gulika #Rewilding #RewildingBritain #Trustees #Charity #ThinkBigActWild

I am delighted to write for the Aldersgate Group blog series during my first week at the Cambridge Zero Future Leaders Programme. The blog reflects upon recent new Government policies and upcoming proposals, and how can they target young people's concerns. I thank Ben P., Rachel Solomon Williams for welcoming me into the team, and Beth S. for the lovely Programme induction process thus far. I look forward to contributing towards coordinating sustainability dialogues across different sectors throughout the rest of the summer.

✍ What does the new Government’s #netzero agenda mean for young people? In our latest blog, Duc Huynh, Policy Communications Project Assistant at the Aldersgate Group, provides young people's perspective on the urgency of climate action and key priorities that the government must consider going forward, particularly the importance of: ⚡ Energy policy that lowers bills 🏡 Addressing the housing crisis with sustainable new homes 💡 Ensuring awareness of the green economy and its opportunities to drive skills development Read the full piece ⬇ https://lnkd.in/enGJJdYS

Today's announcement of a partnership between GB Energy and The Crown Estate demonstrates a welcome level of ambition and a clear focus on delivery from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. We are pleased to see it made clear that there is an intrinsic link between delivering #netzero and achieving the Government's mission to drive growth across the UK. GB Energy's key functions confirmed as part of this can play an important role in delivering #netzero, boosting energy security, and driving growth. 📈 Investment can support vital #renewables schemes. ⚡️ Local power plans could help to drive down bills. 💡 Strong supply chains ensure long-term job creation. As we saw from the challenges faced in recent CfD renewables auctions, creating an environment that enables private sector investment in the net zero transition is vital as international competition significantly increases. Read our full reaction from Rachel Solomon Williams here 👇 https://lnkd.in/ggwZ8Qes

In a new blog for Green Alliance, Rachel Solomon Williams explores our recent collaborative project with RenewableUK and CPRE The countryside charity. This aims to establish how the planning system can deliver the energy infrastructure that we need for #netzero whilst protecting #nature, landscapes, and communities' right to input. Rachel is clear that there are lessons to be learnt from the vaccine roll out, including the recognition that this is not a purely mechanistic challenge, but is about hearts and minds as well. Public buy-in is vital and the same is true for the new grid and #renewable infrastructure necessary to meet the 2030 government target. Read the full piece ⬇ https://lnkd.in/d8pSA5Cp

I am loving working with the brilliant Aldersgate Group, CPRE The countryside charity and RenewableUK teams on this project looking at how how the planning system can enable energy infrastructure development while engaging communities effectively and protecting the environment. It is a big challenge but important for future #climatepolicies that the government get this right. The team are already researching the final recommendations for the autumn which will set out the actions needed to rise to this challenge. Thanks to all involved for their help with this so far, especially Marie-Laure Hicks and Beth Barker 😁

It was great working with Aldersgate Group and CPRE The countryside charity to publish this interim report on how 'onshore' planning for grid & renewables can be improved. As the Government is determined to reach an even more ambitious target of renewables deployment, bring back onshore wind and build the grid we need to sustain a modern economy, a streamlined planning system is essential. Recommendations include: 👉 Developing a strategic approach through the #NSIP regime, so that location of key infrastructure takes into account developer, community and environmental concerns rather than be dictated by grid connections and similar constraints. 👉 Improve resourcing across statutory bodies and local authorities, with a focus on improving the level of expertise in ecology or the energy transition. 👉 Clarity on how trade-offs can be managed, especially when these involve balancing of national priorities vs local interests. Stay tuned for our final report, which will delve into strategic planning and the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan and the importance of early engagement to address challenges in the current system. #planningreform #energytransition #nature #grid #renewables

When it comes to decarbonising energy infrastructure, there are lessons to be learnt from the Covid vaccine roll out. Rachel Solomon Williams discusses the collaborative effort of Aldersgate Group, CPRE The countryside charity and RenewableUK to achieve the 2030 net zero target on our blog👉 https://lnkd.in/d8pSA5Cp

UK public backs the push for #renewables, but a joined-up planning system is needed for net zero success. Today, we launch the interim findings of our collaborative project on the planning system with RenewableUK and CPRE The countryside charity. This publication aims to create a shared understanding of how the planning system can enable #netzero while protecting landscapes, #nature and communities' right to input. These interim findings assess the current challenges associated with the system, outlining the need for: 💡 Improved strategic planning 🤝 Stronger public engagement 📈 Increased resources Polling from RenewableUK launched alongside this publication makes clear the public consensus on driving investment in #renewables. 64% of those polled support investment in the sector, and 60% believe their local MP should advocate for further renewable energy investment. Click here to read the full press release and report: https://lnkd.in/e49jA86t A full series of recommendations to address the challenges outlined in this interim publication will follow in October as the final output of this project.