COP Twenty Stitch

COP Twenty Stitch is our creative call for local climate action. It’s a window display for our first-floor gallery window at Stretford Mall to convey our collective concern about climate change. The display was made over the course of three Making Days by a group of volunteers and members of our local community. It is made entirely from post-consumer textiles which otherwise were destined for landfill. We will be installing the display over the next week – stay tuned for the big reveal!

The amazing COP Twenty Stitch idea came from Bawn Textiles in Glasgow, who invited other groups to join in an bring the message to areas across the UK.

The aim is to draw attention to the urgency of the climate crisis and call on our local leaders to take action, in the run up to COP26. Read on for some quick links to contact your councillors and MP and for some ideas for local climate action you can take in your community. There’s a way for everyone to contribute – let’s do it now!

WHAT IS COP26?

Not sure what COP26 is? You are not alone! Here’s a quick summary.

COP26 is a global climate summit (a ‘Conference Of the Parties’) where world leaders gather to make agreements on how to tackle climate change. It takes place in Glasgow between 31st Oct to 12th Nov.

At COP21 in Paris in 2015, a historic agreement (the Paris Agreement) was made for each country to bring forward national plans setting out how much they would reduce their emissions – known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or ‘NDCs’. They agreed that every five years they would come back with an updated plan that would reflect their highest possible ambition at that time.

That is why all eyes are on COP26 – the run up to this event is the moment for countries to update their plans for reducing their emissions.

However, the commitments laid out in Paris did not come close to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, and the window for achieving this is closing.The decade out to 2030 will be crucial.

So as momentous as the Paris Agreement was, countries must go much further in order to keep the hope of holding temperature rises to 1.5 alive. COP26 needs to be decisive.

Read more about COP26 here: https://ukcop26.org/uk-presidency/what-is-a-cop/

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The aim of Cop Twenty Stitch is not only to create a visual representation of our climate concerns, but also to call on our local leaders to take bold and immediate action on the climate, as well as showcasing local actions you can take in your community too.

Contact your councillors + MP

Email your councillor

Find your local councillors and email them via Friends of the Earth here

Or you can compose your own. Topics you might want to include are their continued investment in the airport, planning decisions about green spaces, plans to make active travel more accessible, the creation of green jobs, increasing access to reuse and recycling.

Email your MP

Input your postcode to find an contact your MP via Climate Coalition here. While you’re there, their 10-point plan setting out actions we need to take and government progress towards a green recovery is well worth studying.

Reach out on social media

Example Tweet for councillors

@[insert Twitter handle] In this decisive year with #COP26 in Glasgow, I ask for your commitment as my local councillor to ensure the council climate action plan is robust + implemented effectively: committing to reduce emissions + pollution, create green jobs & promote wellbeing.
Click to Tweet

Example Tweet for MPs

@[insert Twitter handle] In this decisive year with #COP26 in Glasgow, I ask for your commitment as my MP to ensure the government’s action on climate is robust + implemented effectively: committing to reduce emissions + pollution, create green jobs & promote wellbeing.
Click to Tweet

Thank you for contacting your local representatives! It’s great to let them know how concerned community members are about the climate crisis. But climate action does not stop there! Read on for some more ways you can take action within your local community.

Other ways to take action

Join a local group
*We’ll keep updating this list so please share your suggestions with us – the more the merrier and any area of Manchester is welcome.

Campaigning

Climate Emergency Manchester – do a fantastic job of holding the council to account on their climate promises and they always welcome new members.

Manchester Friends of the Earth – see how your area is performing on climate and nature issues using the Near You tool: https://foe.uk/1mz09. Use Friends of the Earth’s template 50-point Climate Action Plan to give you more ideas about how our council can take climate action: https://foe.uk/t5lku.

FoE have a Youth section too.

Extinction Rebellion Manchester – there are also lots of specific groups you can join within XR MCR, including XR Fashion Action North.

Chorlton Craftivists – air quality campaign