Welcome to the Groundwork UK Eco-Challenge!
Your Facilitator
One of your colleagues is co-ordinating the Eco-Challenge for your organisation. If you have any questions about how the challenge works or what you need to do, they can point you in the right direction.
Your facilitator is:
Joe Osborne
joe.osborne@groundwork.org.uk
In the end, it’s not really about saving the planet. It’s about saving ourselves
DAvid Attenborough
Why it matters
The climate and nature emergency is one of the greatest challenges that humanity has ever faced. We are already seeing the effects today and we need to act now if we wish to protect the biodiversity and climate that supports our civilisation.
What is the Eco-Challenge?
Some of these problems will need high level international cooperation to solve, but many are linked to the way we all live our lives. The Eco-Challenge is a series of fun and inspiring challenges and tips that help you to explore new ways to be greener and that empower you to take practical action on the climate and nature emergency.
How to play
The first step is to form a team of six people. It’s a great chance to get to know colleagues that are outside of your department so why not mix things up a bit?
Once you’ve assembled your team, let your Challenge Faciliator know your team name and who’s in the team.
Who will be crowned the greenest team?
Every challenge that is completed is worth points for every team member that completes it. Look out for bonus points that are available for some challenges, that can push your team into the lead.
Starting your challenges
To get started you each need to click on the link for the current challenge and then work through the steps at home. We recommend checking in with your team members to give each other tips, stay on target and to make sure you have the best chance of picking up those precious bonus points!
If you have other people in your household why not get them involved too? Many of the challenges are great fun for all the family.
When you have completed the task, contact your Eco-Challenge facilitator to let them know, so they can award you your points.
Scoring
You get 1 point for every team member that completes the task. Additional points can be picked up for some challenges, don’t miss them!
Month 1: January 2021
The eco spot check challenge – 10 points
The first step to reducing your environmental impact is understanding what your current impact is and where you can make the most difference.
Month 2: February 2021
Reduce and reuse – 20 points
Each year we produce 300 million tons of plastic globally, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle from production to refining to the way it is managed as a waste product. Plastic takes hundreds of years to biodegrade and single-use plastic bags have been found in the world’s deepest ocean trench.
Month 3: March 2021
Don’t throw it, regrow it – 30 points
The production of the food we eat is one the main contributors to climate change. The clearance of land for agriculture also has a huge impact on the amount of habitat available for plants and wildlife that help our planet to thrive. Reducing the amount of food that is wasted is an easy way to reduce this impact – this challenge explores fun ways to cut that waste.
Month 4: May 2021
Really Wild Challenge
The really wild challenge is about appreciating the vital spaces local to us that are carved out for our wildlife and discovering ways to support biodiversity on our doorstep.
