“I hope the Climate Guide will reduce the threshold for getting up and running. That it can help people to take the first step towards doing something,” says Kajsa Kramming, author of the Climate Guide – Strategic climate action for departments or equivalent units.
The Climate Guide is intended as inspirational material for those who want to start doing something concrete to mitigate climate change. The Climate Guide presents a model with four pillars for strategic climate action. For each pillar, there are questions and suggestions that you can use as inspiration to get started. See the fact box below for links to the Climate Guide.
Kajsa Kramming works as a test designer at the Department of Education, where she is also the environment representative. In addition, she has started working part-time as an environmental strategist within the University Administration.
Grassroots initiative
She emphasises that the Climate Guide was a grassroots initiative after she began thinking about how she could influence climate action within the context of her role as the environment representative at the Department of Education.
“I looked up the material that was available about environment work at the University and started to think about what I would like to have as an environment representative and I found that there was nothing concrete to get to grips with.”
So Kajsa applied for funding from the University’s climate pot to produce a Climate Guide with concrete suggestions. While working on the Climate Guide, she got a part-time position as an environmental strategist within the University Administration.
“The point of the Climate Guide is that it should be enjoyable; if something in the Climate Guide really appeals to you, you should do it. Go with your gut – you can start with the last thing if you want. The Climate Guide is a smorgasbord you can choose from.”
Inspiration for getting started
Kajsa Kramming describes the Climate Guide as a source of inspiration for starting to do something for the climate when it all feels a bit too overwhelming and hopeless.
“Hopefully, the Climate Guide can make it easier to talk about climate action. It can be difficult to start doing something because it can feel a bit grim and hopeless. Perhaps the Climate Guide can dispel the myth that all climate action has to change the world order, the world economy, or deep structures.”
The Climate Guide therefore focuses on simple and feasible things that individual employees, research groups, the department management or a smaller group can do when they want to start taking action at the department.
“You don’t have to feel afraid, anxious or oppressed by climate action. Do something from the Climate Guide – you can pick and choose from among the suggestions. It might be something small, but if it gets done then that’s a start.”
Starting point for initiatives of your own
No one can do everything and there are many things that, as an individual employee, you don’t have the power to change.
Focus on what you yourself do have the resources to do. Do something – it might take an hour and you can be happy with that.
The Climate Guide is intended as inspiration and a foundation for those who want to start doing something. Once you do get started, climate action can have its own momentum.
“Hopefully, the Climate Guide can become a living document in the background that serves as a starting point for employees to find ways that work for them.
“Anyone interested is welcome to attend the launch of the Climate Guide on 20 September 2023,” concludes Kajsa Kramming (see the fact box below for the invitation to the launch).