Transition Exeter will hold an on-line AGM on Tuesday 9th June 2020 at 7pm, and we are delighted to be joined by Molly Scott Cato, professor of economics and former South West MEP, for the first hour of the meeting. She will talk about how we can Build Back Better after the Covid-19 crisis and this will be followed by a Q&A session. Please register through Eventbrite to take part.
Transition Exeter Report from the Committee 2019-2020
A lot of water has passed under the bridge (we’d like some of it back now!) since the jam tasting event which accompanied our last AGM at Beacon Heath Community Centre.
Since then, work that has taken place under the aegis of Transition Exeter has included:
- Orchard Celebrations at Mincinglake Community Orchard
- A public meeting to share ideas and practice on how Parish and Town Councils are responding to the Climate Emergency, with inputs from Ide PC and Totnes Mayor.
- Collaboration with the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, including a large public meeting at the University on Climate Emergency Motions, What Now? And, through our new daughter social enterprise New Prosperity Devon.
- Three seminars in September, also in collaboration with the GSI, on Community Wealth Building ,organised by a new daughter social enterprise New Prosperity Devon. These looked at the Preston model and other pioneers working with anchor institutions sustaining and distributing wealth in the local economy. Two took place at the University with the participation of academics, procurement officers in institutions, councillors and climate activists, and a third with the RSA focusing on supporting the consumption and procurement of more local food.
- A public meeting to encourage community groups to make submissions to the Devon Climate Emergency consultation on Net Zero Carbon Plan, with follow up support for them to work on these submissions; Transition Exeter also made a number of submissions in its own right. A committee member is serving on the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group’s Net Zero Task Force, charged with producing a Devon Carbon Plan
- Two public meetings early this year on Divestment from Fossil Fuels and divesting Devon Pension Fund, and a private conversation with Devon County Council personnel on this topic. The transfer of funds to Brunel Partnership is accompanied by a greater attention to reducing climate risk, but those involved in this campaign feel that a) the Devon committee could require more of Devon pension funds in Brunel’s Low Carbon Fund and b) could retain some funds for active investment in building the green economy in Devon.
- A public meeting on Homes and the Climate Emergency focussing on retrofitting old houses and new passivhaus council building, with Exeter City Council Councillor Rachel Sutton
Members also worked on Exeter’s Transport Strategy and contributed to Exeter City Futures Net Zero Carbon Plan conversation on transport’s contribution to developing Zero Carbon Exeter.
As usual we maintained an intermittent newsletter to our 500 + supporters, and were helped by Polly Meyrick and Andrew Bell to improve and update our website. Andrew has introduced a new communications strategy and greatly enhanced our social media presence.