Public asked to take action ahead of United Nations Climate Change Conference

• The UK and China will lead global action to protect the planet this year as hosts of the UN Conferences on climate change (COP 26) and biodiversity (COP 15);
• The UK’s inclusive Presidency of COP 26 will harness the commitment of the public as well as Governments and businesses around the world;
• An international campaign launched today in Beijing will promote 10 steps everyone can take to play their part.

The international campaign is supported by the United Nations and WWF and will promote ten steps members of the public can take to tackle climate change.

British Ambassador to China, Dame Caroline Wilson said:

Climate change poses an existential threat to humanity and the world we live in. To combat it we must all come together for our planet.

UK and China climate experts will lead global action this year but we also need to engage our people in how they can make a difference.

From tackling food waste to driving electric this campaign will raise awareness of the simple steps we can all take to cut emissions. Join us in acting now.

The 10 steps have been selected with experts from the UN Environment Programme based on three criteria: impact on personal carbon pollution, power to influence society, and capacity to involve as many people as possible. The 10 steps to COP26, include:

• January – Reducing Food Waste. Reduce the amount of food that is wasted or thrown away at home.
• February – Repair and Reuse. Repair belongings rather than always buying new.
• March – 5-Minute Shower. Save water by taking shorter showers, turning off the tap when brushing teeth, installing a low-flow toilet, and many other ways.
• April – Speak up at Work; Talk to Friends. Come together with colleagues, friends and families to make change at a bigger scale.
• May – Eat Seasonal. Eat food produced at its natural time of the year to reduce the need to transport food products long distances.
• June – Walk and Cycle More. Travel by bike or foot wherever the circumstance allows.
• July – Dial it now. Turn down the heating at home by a degree or more, or turn up air conditioner by a degree or more.
• August – Green your Money. Consider choosing investments, funds, and using financial services that operate finances responsibly.
• September – Wear Clothes to Last. Buy fewer new clothes and wear them for longer.
• October – Drive Electric. Consider making your next car purchase an electric vehicle.

At the launch event, Dame Caroline Wilson joined a panel discussion with British chemist Dr David Evans, Chinese key opinion leader Meng Chang, and Chief Program Officer of WWF China Zhou Fei, to discuss how individuals can apply the ten climate actions from the campaign.

Chief Program Officer of WWF, China Zhou Fei said:

We are pleased to be part of this campaign where a joint climate change vision is celebrated. WWF shares COP26’s goals, as we have been calling for the world to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, and any stakeholder’s commitment to align climate and biodiversity targets is encouraged.

Public events will be hosted online and offline throughout 2021 to engage people in our planet’s future and to provide more information on how they can get involved. These will include screenings of David Attenborough documentaries, green finance investment training and social media challenges.

As an organisation, British Embassy and Consulates in China will start to apply the 10 steps internally to further reduce the organisational carbon footprint and encourage its staff to live a greener lifestyle. Since 2018, UK Government in China has banned all single use plastic across all office areas and has a popular recycling programme in place.

Notes to editors:

• The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 1 – 12 November 2021. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UK is committed to working with all countries and joining forces with civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire climate action ahead of COP26. More info about Together for Our Planet Campaign, please visit the official website: https://together-for-our-planet.ukcop26.org/

• WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent organizations dedicated to the conservation of nature, founded in Switzerland in 1961.WWF has been active in China since 1980, when it was invited by the Chinese government as the first international NGO to work on nature conservation. To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, WWF’s mission is conserving the world’s biological diversity; ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.