Climate advocates called up to cut our carbon craving

The British Council, the UK’s international body for cultural relations, has recruited twenty five Climate Advocates aged between 18 – 35 years of age across England, Scotland and Wales to join its ambitious Challenge Europe initiative.

The Climate Advocates will work together to unearth new ways to reduce carbon use and develop innovative solutions that will help to reduce our addiction to fossil fuels by working in partnership with local scientists, entrepreneurs, academics, politicians and community leaders.

They will be developing a range of eco-friendly projects from helping businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and championing sustainable transportation to promoting food production that benefits both the local economy and the environment.

Now in its second year, the British Council Challenge Europe campaign aims to build a network of more than 500 motivated Climate Advocates in 15 countries across the continent to share expertise, best practice and to develop creative solutions to accelerate change to a sustainable low carbon future.

Dr David Viner, British Council Programme Leader Climate Change, said: `Climate change is real and happening now but it is the younger generation who will inherit its most devastating impacts. This year’s recruitment of Climate Advocates across the UK will join an active network of passionate and committed individuals who are already playing their part in tackling the impacts of climate change.

"I welcome the Climate Advocates to the programme and I look forward to seeing some of their innovative and pioneering ideas being turned into reality.’

They are:

Estelle Mandigout (25), Brighton;

Mary Walsh (32), London;

Matthew Linnecar (28),

London; Neil Jennings (28), Kingston-Upon-Thames;

John Walker (27), London;

Susan Poupard (27), London;

Sarah Marie Williams (26), Manchester;

Jane Burston (28), London;

Ben Meaker (23), London;

Chloe Nicholson (31), Loughborough;

Leon Chen (21), Oxford;

Ben Jewell (28), Newcastle;

Joe Warren (23), Warwickshire;

Rory Crawford (24), Islay;

Alasdair Robertson (28), Livingston;

Angus Crabbie (34), Edinburgh;

Ruth Carruthers (24), Glasgow;

Stephanie Barrows (29);

Howwood; Rory Moody (27),

Edinburgh; Dylan Owen (29), Cardiff;

Gavin Harper (22),

Cardiff; Aled Owen (31), Carmarthenshire;

Oliver Morris (31), Aberystwyth;

Cerys Ponting (28), Cardiff.

For more information about the Challenge Europe campaign and the British Council’s work to support the growing international consensus on tacking climate change, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org/climatechange

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For more information or to request an interview with any of the Climate Advocates, please contact Antony Watson on +44 (0) 207 389 4872 or email antony.watson@britishcouncil.org

Notes to Editors:

• Challenge Europe is part of the British Council’s global International Climate Champions initiative which supports passionate and committed individuals in sixty countries worldwide to implement projects within their local communities that raise awareness of climate change, limit its impact and reduce our carbon footprint on the environment. For more information, please visit: http://www.britishcouncil.org/climatechange-climatechampions.htm

• Marking 75 years in 2009, the British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations

• We work in over 100 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas

• We work in the arts, education, science, sport, governance and climate change

• Last year over 128 million people benefited from our projects

• We are a non-political charitable organisation which operates at arm’s length from government

• Our total income in 2007/8 was £565 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £197 million

• For every pound of grant we receive, we generate an additional £1.92