The pandemic revealed the impact of poverty and disadvantage on coping with lockdowns, including whether it was possible to work from home or have access to green space.

Climate change will continue to expose further inequalities within our society, disproportionately affecting those from marginalised communities. There is an urgent need to look at the prejudices of climate change and how these impact individuals and communities.

As more households fall below the fuel poverty line, we need to work with communities to identify alternative solutions and minor improvements to tackle climate change in an affordable, community-focused and sustainable way.

Reinforcing that climate action can be created and sustained through small and tangible steps.

This event is being held in partnership with the Edinburgh Science Festival.

Speaker biographies:

Louisa Harvey, Community Climate Action Team Leader, Scottish Government

Louisa has worked for the Scottish Government for 15 years and is currently responsible for the climate action hub and climate action town programmes. She has previously worked in economic development leading on the 4 city and regional growth deals across the Highlands and Islands, managing the sustainable ERDF strand in the 2014-2020 programme and the H&I ERDF projects for 2007-2013 programme.

Dr Andy Kerr FRSE, UK and Ireland lead, EIT Climate-KIC

Andy is a leader in catalysing innovation in climate policy and practice. He mobilizes and connects resources, insights and capabilities to enable cities and regions, investors, and entrepreneurs to deliver their ambitious climate targets. Having co-founded and directed the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation and the Scottish Centre of Expertise on Climate (ClimateXChange), he now leads EIT Climate-KIC – Europe’s largest public-private climate innovation partnership – in UK and Ireland and EIT’s Global Outreach programme in Silicon Valley and Israel. He is an Honorary Professor of University of Edinburgh, having previously been appointed as Personal Chair of Climate and Low Carbon Innovation.

Joan Lawrie, Project Manager, North Highlands & Islands Climate Hub

Joan has been the development manager of Thurso Community Development Trust for four years, the Trust have embedded community led climate action into all of their projects including being chosen to operate one of the pathfinder regional Climate Action Hubs by the Scottish Government. Joan has been operating and project managing the North Highlands & Islands Climate Hub since September 2021 focusing on supporting and encouraging community led climate action throughout the region.

Dr Nick Fraser, keeper of natural sciences, National Museums Scotland

Nick received his PhD. in Geology from the University of Aberdeen in 1984. He then spent six years at Cambridge University as a fellow of Girton College studying Triassic reptiles. In 1990 he moved to Virginia as the curator of vertebrate palaeontology at the Virginia Museum of Natural History where he subsequently became Director of Research and Collections. He was appointed keeper of natural sciences at National Museums Scotland in 2007.