After a weekend exploring how we can inspire action on the climate and biodiversity crisis at the CAT Conference, attendees left the weekend feeling energised and inspired.
This summer’s high temperatures and consistent dry weather have provided a grim reminder of the dangers we face unless radical action is taken to reduce emissions and mitigate the impacts of an already rapidly changing climate. Heading into the weekend following a very long period of drought, CAT was lucky enough to have had a good dose of rainfall throughout the week leading up to the conference, helping create a refreshing atmosphere for arriving conference attendees.
Connection, Courage and Practical Hope
The theme of this year’s conference was courage, connection, and practical hope, and to help bring this theme to life, we shaped the programme broadly around Joanna Macy’s spiral of the work that reconnects.
- Coming from Gratitude begins by grounding people in what gives life, steadies attention, and opens presence; it is the starting place that helps participants arrive more fully and with less defensiveness.
- Honouring Our Pain for the World gives space for grief, fear, anger, or overwhelm, treating these responses not as problems to fix but as expressions of care and compassion for the living world.
- Seeing with New/Ancient Eyes invites a wider view, where interconnection becomes clearer and people can begin to notice new possibilities, relationships, and sources of agency.
- Going Forth then turns insight into action, encouraging people to take the next steps that fit their gifts, context, and limits, while learning from what unfolds along the way.
Structuring the conference in this way allowed us to take the time to face the extent of the problem, in a year where climate change looms large, whilst also creating space to process without feeling overwhelmed, helping attendees and ourselves reaffirm our commitment to taking action.
The People’s Emergency Briefing
The first main session, a screening of ‘The People’s Emergency Briefing’, provided a useful, though sobering jumping-off point for the weekend, and brought together conference attendees with members of CAT’s local community.
Filmed in November 2025, the film follows the events of the National Emergency Briefing in Westminster, where 9 leading scientists and experts were brought together to brief 1200 politicians, along with leaders from business, faith, and beyond on what climate and nature breakdown means for health, food systems, national security and the economy.
Mike Berners-Lee, the acclaimed writer and researcher on carbon footprinting, who chaired the National Emergency Briefing, introduced the film and led discussions, and was also the keynote speaker of our Conference the following morning.
It was great to be part of one of the around 3000 briefings that have either been planned or have already taken place. If you’d like to learn more or find out about running your own screening visit – https://www.nebriefing.org/peb
During CAT’s Annual Conference we caught up with Mike Berners-Lee to talk about the People’s Emergency Briefing and what we can do about the climate and nature crisis.
Opportunities for hope and collective action
Building on the screening of the first night, Mike’s keynote lecture delved into how we can chart a pathway through the polycrisis in the face of accelerated global change.
We know what needs to change – there are various models for transitioning to a more sustainable future , but only by reducing energy use can renewables hope to make a difference to our emissions.
So why aren’t we getting there? Mike argues that “We need the reasons behind the reasons behind the reasons.”
Mike stresses that the crisis isn’t just climate change, the crisis we face is a political crisis, a crisis of how we run our economy, a crisis of media (that is failing to tell us the truth), in a world of massive inequality, where rich people have undue influence.
In the face of this, Mike argued that there are three things we need to insist on:
- Equality – we need to insist on the equal value of everyone
- Respect for the environment – not just as something separate to ourselves as we are part of the environment.
- Respect for the truth – we need a clearer view of reality, and if we can’t insist on higher standards of honesty we’ll never get anywhere.
Other key takeaways from the keynote talk included that we, as a society, have a tendency to want to approach problems individually, failing to recognise how interconnected the systems we live within really are. Rather than approaching every problem individually and feeling like we need to change the world alone, we should instead ask how we can help change the world collectively.
Seeing with new eyes
Building on this session, Rachel Tucket and Ruth Stevenson from CAT’s Innovation Lab led a facilitated, reflective session with conference attendees looking at how we can see the world with new eyes and foster our collective agency.
As part of this, attendees split into groups and were asked:
- How can we develop a wider sense of self?
- What would a richer experience of community feel like?
- How can a different understanding of power support our collective agency?
This session acted as a mini taster of our Innovation Lab process, which brings people together from different sectors, with a diverse range of knowledge to help identify solutions that work across a range of complex, interacting areas. The session led to a host of thoughtful, productive, and at times challenging conversations amongst the various groups.
Time for reflection
After a morning inside, Saturday afternoon saw a change of pace, providing attendees with the chance to stretch their legs, and see sustainability in action across the CAT site. Sessions included:
- An immersive walk through CAT’s woodland Coed Gwern led by CAT Volunteers Beth and Corran, with the chance to learn about sustainable woodland management techniques and conservation.
- Time in CAT’s gardens with CAT Gardener Veronica, learning how to design and build mini climate-resilient gardens.
- A tour of CAT’s energy and water systems led by CAT Trustee, volunteer and renewable energy specialist Tim Brewer.
- The chance to explore circular construction and get experience using clay and locally grown natural fibres with Sustainable Building Engagement Ranger and course tutor Dieter.
On a beautiful sunny day, much improved by a week of rain, this provided a chance to relax, reflect and hopefully other conference attendees were as inspired as Zoë Binning:
“One of things that I loved was around the gardens and micro gardens because I have a very little garden and I want to get the most out of it – both for us as a family for food, but also for plant life, insects and for birds. It was a lovely session because it made me think about what I could do in a really small space – just in a few pots, that might actually tick quite a few of those boxes and for it to be resilient as well!”
Stories from the CAT Community
Each Conference, we like to create a space where members and CAT students can showcase their own work, experiences and expertise. This never fails to provide inspiration, as we hear about the many different ways people are taking action in their communities and workplaces.
This year’s session included presentations on storytelling and poetry to explore topics such as how we can deepen community engagement, natural flood management, climate change, health and sustainable healthcare, and the work of the Greener Golf Network.
Supplementing these formal sessions were a whole host of conversations during lunch and tea breaks where we got a chance to learn about all the other ways attendees are out there making a real difference.
The final day
The Sunday of the CAT Conference started off with a Q&A session with our trustees Rhiannon Turner, Tim Brewer and Jordan Hau, leading into sessions exploring different facets of sustainable action!
The climate crisis, on colonial histories and Black future imaginaries
CAT Graduate and Doctoral researcher Michael Lomotey led a session in two parts.
The Words Give Notice: reflecting in the wake on the climate crisis, on colonial histories and Black future imaginaries.
Discussing his own family’s history, involving the connection of a Ghanaian fishing community with a Hull-based seafaring family, Michael used his own families’ experiences to reflect on representation, inclusion and speech, experiences and decision-making related to climate change, people and water.
Antiblackness as a Stumbling Block to Radical Transformative and Hopeful Change.
Reflecting on the theme of this weekend, Connection, Courage and Practical Hope, Michael asked attendees to consider whether climate action without justice is white supremacy in green clothing? And drawing on Black experiences of floods in the heart of empire (UK), he interrogated the policy and practice that addresses disaster risk reduction processes and explored how we can create collective futures that are liberatory, emancipatory and more equitable.
Energy return on Energy Invested
Dr Alan Owen, who teaches at CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment, explored what he considers an oversight in discussions around renewable energy, the energy return on energy invested (EROEI), and the implications for energy hungry societies.
The basic concept is simple, how much energy does a technology generate over its lifetime compared to how much energy it took to make, use and dispose of the device. But when we consider the EROEI within the context of how we use energy and broader questions around the electricity grid and energy storage, then things can quickly become more complex.
CAT’s Graduate Community – a panel
Jordan Hau, new CAT Trustee and recent CAT Graduate, began the session by introducing the panel and asking each panellist to reflect on the recent weather before introducing themselves and asking what they have been doing since leaving CAT.
Panellists included:
Michael Lomotey – a graduate of our MSc in Sustainability and Adaptation who is now a doctoral researcher in in the School of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Southampton. Michael is interested in using antiblackness framing as a theoretical, ontological and conceptual approach through which to interrogate and seek to uncover truths in climate change discourse.
Dr Alice Breeveld – while working in the university sector, Alice studied our MSc in Sustainable Food and Natural Resources part time. Graduating in 2023, she initially had planned a career change but instead has decided to use what she learned in her current workplace. She now leads two small but dedicated and growing groups at work, one following the university Green Impact programme and writing a departmental sustainability plan, the other seeking to make the grounds more biodiverse while reconnecting staff and students with nature.
Fran Graham – a graduate of our MSc in Sustainability and Behaviour Change who now uses her skills in a regional leadership role with the Woodland Trust.
Raddon Stephenson – a graduate of our MSc in Sustainable Food and Natural Resources who now manages the running of a community allotment and a food pantry in north Manchester, that helps address food poverty and bringing people closer to nature through organic horticulture. He is also an accomplished musician, who entertained fellow conference attendees earlier in the conference.
David Nugent – an architect by training, after graduating from CAT with an MSc in Sustainability and Adaptation, David moved to Leeds to become Chief Executive at the UN Habitat Award-winning Canopy Housing. They work with diverse teams of local volunteers to retrofit Victorian terraces using bio-based materials. They house homeless families, teach green construction skills, help diverse neighbourhoods thrive, and support other organisations who would like to replicate their successful model.
A big thank you to all the panellists for taking part, and to attendees for all their insightful questions.
Click here if you’d like to learn more about our Graduate School of the Environment
Going Forth
One of our aims for the Conference was to help attendees leave with a realistic sense of the challenges we face from the climate and biodiversity crisis, but also to head forth with courage, inspired not only by our incredible speakers, but also the amazing work of their fellow attendees.
In the closing session of our Conference, Rachel Tuckett and Ruth Stevenson from CAT’s Innovation Lab helped attendees to reflect on their insights from the conference, on their gifts and capacities, and consider how we can collectively go forth and step into action.
Individually, our impacts have marginal impact, but by working together and acting collectively, we can energise people to act and create the change we desperately need.
A big thank you to all those who attended, our speakers, including Mike Berners-Lee, CAT Graduates, Staff and Lecturers, and to all the staff and volunteers who have helped make this weekend so special!
Want to attend next year’s Conference?
The Conference runs 20 to 22 August 2027. Use the code CONF2027 before the end of September to get 10% off the price.
https://cat.org.uk/event/annual-cat-conference/
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