Torfaen Sustainability Week
Young girl sitting in a field of buttercups
Changing by degrees with Torfaen Sustainability Week
A cleaner, greener future for everyone in Torfaen.
That is the aim of the first ever Torfaen Sustainability Week (10-16 October), as it encourages people to live their lives in a more sustainable fashion.
The week is divided into themed days ranging from climate change, to encouraging better health and wellbeing. Other themes include green travel, biodiversity, and waste and recycling.
The motto of Torfaen Sustainability Week is ‘Changing by Degrees’, which shows how, by making minor adjustments to the way people live, everyone can help reduce consumption of the earth’s resources and atmospheric emissions.
The message is clear – we must all help tackle the unsustainable manner in which some people live their lives, for the good of everyone on the planet.
The leader of Torfaen council, Councillor Bob Wellington, said: “From the smallest rural communities to the largest urban developments, the threat of climate change affects everyone. If we increase awareness on the importance of tackling our energy use, we can improve people’s unsustainable habits.
“We want to help people ensure all decisions are made with a conscious understanding of their potential impact on sustainability, by providing practical advice and information to promote sustainable living.”
A range of events has been planned for Torfaen Sustainability Week, with a conference at Greenmeadow Community Farm on 12 October taking centre-stage.
The week kicks off on Saturday 10 October with Keep It Local Day, including a local producer market at Greenmeadow Community Farm, and ends on Friday 16 October with Green Travel Day.
Councillor Wellington continued: “I feel passionately about the environment and I want us to take a lead in helping to tackle some people’s irresponsible attitude towards sustainable living.
“By promoting the message of sustainable living in their neighbourhoods and explaining why we need to tackle excessive consumption of all our limited resources, people’s habits can be improved.
“We will place particular emphasis on encouraging the next generation of young people so they know the important of sustainable living.
“Educating Torfaen pupils about this is essential and all schools will be encouraged to incorporate this message into everything they do.”
Other key events taking place throughout the week include a climate change conference, an open day at Pontypool Active Living Centre, a special screening of The Age of Stupid and a Carbon Trust energy management course for businesses.
More information and a programme of events will be included in October’s Torfaen Talks, the council’s community newspaper, and can also be viewed online here.