‘It’s now or never’ – The urgent need for diverse voices in climate change decision-making

Olivia Meyonette Sweeney may be speaking at COP26 but that doesn’t mean she’s uncritical of the global conference and its ability to adequately tackle the climate emergency.

“Part of me is very flattered to be asked, but at the same time I think you do need to be critical of COP. It’s the 26th one and what’s it achieved?” Asks the Black & Green ambassador, who will also be joining protests outside the summit.

“I don’t fully believe that COP is the vehicle to create a just transition, it’s so embedded in all the structures that create the inequalities anyway.”

Olivia is at the forefront of work in Bristol to empower diverse leadership in the environmental movement, challenge perceptions and connect people.

The fact she and fellow ambassadors were invited to speak at the global summit is a testament to the success of the programme that launched in 2015 in a bid to ensure action to tackle climate change is inclusive and representative of all communities.

Olivia, pictured with fellow Black & Green ambassador Roy, may be speaking at COP26 but she’s not uncritical of the summit – photo courtesy of Olivia Meyonette Sweeney/Black & Green Programme

Despite the work being done at a grassroots and citywide level, a recent report by the University of Bristol revealed an “alarming” lack of diversity in climate change decision-making.

The report, based on a year-long study, found that while the same number of white men and white women attended meetings, white men spoke two-thirds of the time – almost twice as much as their female counterparts.

By contrast, just five per cent of participants were men of colour, who spoke only one per cent of the time. Women of colour comprised 14 per cent of participants and they were found to speak just two per cent of the time.

Authors of the report, Dr Alix Dietzel and Dr Alice Venn, are calling for urgent action to address the stark disparity.

“Dr Venn and I have studied global decision making for years, and we have found stark issues of diversity and inclusion, which impedes climate justice,” says Alix.

“We were not surprised to find similar patterns at the city scale, and we hope our research can inform policy in Bristol and beyond.”

https://twitter.com/alixdietzel/status/1446397634491605015

It comes as campaigners from the Cop26 Coalition warn the summit in Glasgow will be the whitest and most privileged ever due to the barriers in place preventing people from the global south attending, whether because of visa and accreditation complications, lack of access to Covid vaccines or expensive accommodation.

Meeting Bristol24/7 on St Mark’s Road – an area where communities are uniting to seek grassroots solutions to environmental challenges – Olivia reflects on why diverse voices in decision-making are so vital.

“At the moment, we’re trying to build solutions and tackle the climate emergency and nobody knows everything. Unless multiple voices are part of building those solutions, they’re not going to work for people,” says Olivia.

“We are in the state of emergency, so actions need to be fast. Unless those changes work for everyone, it’s not going to be quick enough to tackle everything.”

The Black & Green ambassadors programme launched in 2015 in a bid to ensure action to tackle climate change is inclusive and representative of all communities – photo courtesy of Olivia Meyonette Sweeney – Black & Green Programme

The Black & Green ambassador works in sustainability and says justice needs to be at the heart of the fight against climate change, along with recognition that systems of colonialism and the patriarchy have meant knowledge from indigenous communities has been lost.

“And the value that we put on certain people’s lives has been lessened because of things like the enslavement of African people,” continues Olivia. “If we valued everyone’s life equally, the idea of polluting one part of the world, we just wouldn’t do it.”

She adds that the environmental movement in the city is changing but is still viewed as a white, middle-class movement and the solutions that are celebrated too often reflect this.

Carlos Shanka says today’s leaders provide a “last spring of hope for the future” – photo courtesy of Carlos Shanka/Bristol University

For Carlos Shanka, COP26 represents “one of the very last chances we have to stop our world’s turning point”.

The biology student and president of the Bristol University Sustainability Team is one of a cohort of students from the city heading to the global summit in Glasgow.

“It is now or never. We, young people, have created incredible momentum. I have met world leaders at COY16 [the youth equivalent of COP26] and COP26 so far, and they provide my last spring of hope for the future,” says Carlos.

“We have come together from all parts of the world and, unlike global leaders, we are joining forces to tackle the biggest hazard facing our world: climate change.”

Emily Muir wants to ensure those who have been ignored have their voices heard – photo courtesy of Emily Muir/ Bristol University

Emily Muir, a geography student at Bristol University, adds: “At COP26, we are aiming to have our voices heard as well as hearing and acting on the voices of those heavily affected by climate change yet have been systemically and historically ignored, such as indigenous communities.”

With the rise of youth climate strikes and environmental figureheads such as Greta Thunberg internationally and the likes of Mya-Rose Craig (AKA Birdgirl) and Green councillor Lily Fitzgibbon in Bristol, the younger generation is taking the lead on climate action.

But Alex Taljaard argues these voices are not being heard in the decision-making process.

“People are hearing us because we are shouting loudly but they are not being listened to,” says the youth panel member for Sovereign housing who also works with Creative Youth Network.

“Bringing young people into decision-making processes in a meaningful way would make a difference. Giving them a seat at the table would be a good first step.

“Younger people now are more ambitious about what they can achieve, and I don’t know if it’s because they are desperate because we are in a crisis, but I think young activists are breaking down barriers that have not been broken down before.”

Alex adds: “COP26 is fiddling while Rome burns – it’s just business as usual. I think it’s the old way of doing things and promises will be made that will never be kept.”

Savita Willmott says Bristol is leading the way with projects such as the UK’s first pesticide amnesty – ©Barbara Evripidou/FirstAvenuePhotography.com

Savita Willmott, the CEO of Bristol natural History Consortium, says the focus for Bristol now needs to be on how we bring under-represented voices – and those not currently involved in the sector – into environmental decision-making. This also needs to go beyond diversity in age, gender and race to include people from different backgrounds and those with disabilities.

“We are trying to change things in a big way and there is a clear equation that that requires everyone’s input,” Savita tells Bristol24/7, adding that it’s also important to understand how nature’s recovery can tie in with climate recovery.

Savita recently pioneered the UK’s first pesticide amnesty in Bristol and says this is just one example of how the city continues to lead the way – even if there is much more to be done.

“The challenge for us is to tie local ideas and local actions into international actions,” she says.

“We need to make changes now and faster both for personal, climate and ecological impacts. Perhaps we need more energy and excitement about what that kind of Bristol would look like – not just doing it because it’s the right thing but because it’s something that is going to benefit us all.”

Speaking just ahead of her appearance at COP26, where the Black & Green ambassadors will be talking about their work and potential for replicating the programme, Olivia says it’s vital that in pushing for a green world we don’t replicate the same widespread inequalities.

What is the one thing that could make the biggest difference?

“I think it’s about redistribution of wealth and power into communities,” Olivia tells Bristol24/7.

“People make the right choices for their places and their environment and they know what works best for their environment if they’re allowed to do that.”

Main photo by Peter Brooks

Read more: Cycling from Bristol to COP26 in Glasgow with a block of ice

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