Plymouth City Council declared a climate emergency in March 2019 and pledged to make Plymouth carbon neutral by 2030. We need to act together to meet this challenge. Working alongside us, Climate Ambassadors will take positive action to reduce carbon emissions locally.
The Climate Ambassadors programme is intended to run until 2030.
What Climate Ambassadors will do
Climate Ambassadors will act as advocates in their communities for positive action across all neighbourhoods of the city. They will engage with communities, their neighbourhood, workplace, or interest group where they will raise awareness of climate change issues and encourage others to act.
Climate Ambassadors are free to organise their activities as they wish, provided they follow our Code of Conduct. For example, they could:
- reach out to people and/or organisations who are not yet involved in climate action to raise awareness
- organise talks or presentations on climate change for their communities and networks
- exchange knowledge to help anyone start or expand climate initiatives
- test low carbon solutions
- give inspiration and ideas to help others make a positive difference to the Climate Emergency
Climate Ambassadors might, for example, promote active travel, help others save money on energy, lead recycling workshops or organise a car-share scheme.
What Climate Ambassadors are not
- Climate Ambassadors are not spokespeople for Plymouth City Council. They act and speak in their personal capacity only, not on behalf of the Council.
- Campaigning for or against specific companies and organisations, including their products, should not be undertaken in the capacity of a Climate Ambassador. Campaigning is a valuable contributor to climate action but there are other more appropriate initiatives that provide a platform for this.
- Climate Ambassadors should not use their status to recruit or fundraise on behalf of activist or political groups.
- Fundraising or funding bids should not be undertaken in the name of the City Council, except with the prior agreement of the Council.
Who can be a Climate Ambassador
Anyone can apply. There is no need to be a scientific expert. Climate Ambassadors will come from all walks of life and contribute their personal experience or professional ability to climate conversations. They will show an interest in, and commitment to, reducing carbon emissions through action, sharing good practice, or through proposed 'grass roots' initiatives.
There is no age limit and our recruitment will follow the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, promoting diversity and inclusiveness. As much as possible, Climate Ambassadors will be appointed to promote fair representation and will act in their personal capacity.
Benefits
Climate Ambassadors will receive:
- recognition of their role and activities by the Council through an official Climate Ambassador status
- the opportunity to publicise their engagement activities and case studies on the city's climate website
- Access to resources and to the network of Climate Ambassadors
As part of the welcome process, Climate Ambassadors will be given:
- contact details for a liaison officer within the Council
- access to materials and resources to engage others in climate conversations
- the opportunity to take part in training on climate change
Climate Ambassadors are volunteers. They can claim for reasonable expenses with prior agreement from the Council, such as travel expenses or room booking fees.
Selection process
Applicants need to complete the online application form, where they will asked to subscribe to the Climate Ambassador Code of Conduct, describe their planned activities, and agree to share contact information about themselves, compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Volunteers will then be invited to take part in a conversation about their application and an informal induction.
Once approved, Climate Ambassadors' name, photo, public contact details and description will be published on the Climate Emergency website.
The Council reserves the right to select Climate Ambassadors based on an overall consideration of the aims, values and ongoing development of the initiative. They will be selected through a fair, transparent process based on applicants' motivation and track record and on the merit of their activities and their alignment with the Council's values.
Each Climate Ambassador will be endorsed for a period of one year, reviewed in May, with the possibility of extension. Climate Ambassadors will be asked to keep records of all engagement activities and any stories of achievements/actions supported, which will be pulled together into a Climate Ambassador Annual Statement.
The membership of the Climate Ambassador scheme will be reviewed every year.
Successful applicants will receive an email to confirm they have been selected.