The UK’s first ever National Emergency Briefing (NEB) on the Nature and Climate Crisis took place in London on 27th November.
More than 1,200 invited MPs, peers, civil servants, business leaders, faith and civic leaders, activists and journalists attended the event at Westminster Central Hall. As did some members of ASP. The NEB event was also attended by some familiar faces, including Deborah Meaden, Jennifer Saunders, Zack Polanski, Mark Rylance, and Brian Eno.
Movements grow when people realise they are not alone, when they can see themselves in the solution.”
– Brian Eno.
Here is a summary of:
- What the NEB said
- Some reflections from ASP members
- How ASP members are already supporting the NEB’s objectives
- Actions you can take now to help
What is the National Emergency Briefing, Who Organised it and Why?
The National Emergency Briefing, also called the NEB, was organised to highlight the crisis in climate change and nature to politicians, leaders and policymakers – and show them ways to tackle it now.
The November event was organised by science communicators Simon Oldridge and Nick Oldridge, co-founder of the Climate Science Breakthrough communications project, and supported by Ben Casey and Henrik Delehag of the Utopia Bureau.
They believe that the damage, risks and threats of climate change to people, places and nature are so severe that the UK is already experiencing an emergency – and that the whole country deserves to know what’s happening and what can be done about it.
During the NEB event (opened by Chris Packham, the renowned British naturalist, conservationist, photographer, TV presenter and activist, and chaired by carbon footprinting researcher and writer Mike Berners-Lee) nine speakers delivered presentations on climate, nature, health, energy, tipping points, food security, weather extremes and national security.
Towards the end of the event British actress Olivia Williams read out an open letter to Kier Starmer and leaders of the major broadcasting companies, calling on them to hold an urgent televised national emergency briefing for the public, and to run a comprehensive public engagement campaign so that everyone understands the profound risks this crisis poses to themselves and their families.
What ASP Members Who Attended the NEB Are Saying about it
ASP member Linda Aspey (who is a climate psychologist, coach and facilitator) resonated strongly with the words of Professor Nathalie Seddon from the University of Oxford about nature.
According to Professor Seddon, biodiversity loss needs our attention as much as climate breakdown.
Linda said (in her post on the ASP website): “Nathalie highlighted nature’s essential role in building resilience and supporting the foundations of a safe, happy, and prosperous society; it should not remain on the fringes of policy.
“I was in the audience; it was both sobering and motivating, as were all the talks.
“What I most welcomed about Nathalie’s talk was how connected she is to the rest of nature – and her words rippled around the audience, evoking similar feelings in many, whom I spoke with afterwards. This was a presentation not just about facts, but about feelings. Not sentimental but deeply heartfelt.”
Nathalie Seddon is Professor of Biodiversity and Founding Director of the Nature-based Solutions Initiative in the Department of Biology and Smith School for Enterprise and Environment at Oxford University, and Director of the Agile Initiative.
Professor Seddon called on politicians and policymakers to:
- Consider nature as critical infrastructure
- Stop funding harm, reward restoration
- Redirect finance and measure what matters
- Cultivate a culture of care
- Create an economy that values nature not as a resource to extract, but as a partner in prosperity.
Linda Aspey wants to know what her local MP, Manuela Perteghella (Stratford-on-Avon) – who was not at the NEB event – will do with her team to put nature even higher on their agenda.
Linda said: “They may already be doing a lot – but it’s clear that they (and we) ALL need to step up our efforts to restore and protect biodiversity, to protect the web of life.”
Everyone can ask their local MP the same question.
Gwyn Jones said in his post on the ASP website:
“At least five ASP members were present (at the NEB). All of us were deeply moved by the presentations – both the hard facts and the positive actions that were offered to the elected policy makers present.
“We heard from scientists and experts from a wide range of disciplines, including societal areas such as NHS and the military – both of whom, along with insurance actuaries, have declared climate as a major threat to the UK economy and society.
“For me though I was deeply impressed by the many remedies, strategies and actions that the elected officials and policy makers can take NOW. They offered practical choices that could save lives, boost the economy and, by focusing on the wellbeing of nature, people and the foundational aspects of society.
“In doing so they could put the UK in world-leading positions by investing in the new technologies and industries – e.g. regenerative agriculture, nature restoration, alternative energy systems – while minimising the devastating impacts and costs that no action will have (and is already having!) on the UK. If we achieve this other countries will follow our lead, thus amplifying the impact.”
Some Criticisms of NEB Missed the Point
A small number of people have criticised the NEB for adding a barrage of depressing facts to the ‘doom and gloom’ or eco-anxiety many already feel around climate change, nature and human survival.
However, both Linda and ASP director Gwyn Jones believe that only tells one part of the story.
Yes, the facts and statistics shared in the presentations were hard hitting and made for uncomfortable listening. But each of the speakers offered actionable strategies and calls to action, and the NEB messaging ended with positive ways forward. Options and ideas that MPs (the target audience for the London event last month) could digest, and use to create policy and strategy designed to mitigate damage and result in improved (more nature aware) GDP.
We Can All Make a Difference
Creating a sense of personal and collective agency is important in climate and nature communications, whilst not diminishing the systemic nature of the crisis, and the critical role that policymakers and business leaders must play. However, people do want to know “So what can I / we do?”, so Linda pointed to some immediate actions everyone could take at local level to make a difference to restore and protect biodiversity.
– Stop using weedkillers or pesticides, at home and in town councils (if we lose insects it means no food for birds, amphibians or small mammals; no pollination services, no soil production).
– Stop using bleach, certain washing up liquids or other harsh cleaning chemicals – some of which are “forever chemicals” – as they go down our drains and (despite what people may think) do NOT get removed from the water system and kill insect, plant and aquatic life.
– Only use pet flea, worm and tick treatment if absolutely essential (i.e. not as a routine treatment) as these treatments can get into the rivers where your dog swims, and into the water system when you wash pet bedding. (You can read more facts shared by Linda here).
What’s Happened Since the NEB event and Where does ASP fit in to all this?
Organisers of the NEB have three key objectives:
1. Drive signatures to an open letter, calling on the major TV networks and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to deliver a televised briefing. (Update: the open letter currently has more than 45,000 signatures)
2. Publish each individual talk by the nine experts, with the aim to get all policymakers (who didn’t attend) to watch the presentations. (Update: these videos are now up on the NEB YouTube channel)
3. Start work on the film version of the event, essentially a people’s emergency briefing, that will be shown in halls, community spaces, churches, local council meetings and cinemas next year. (Update: the film is due for public screenings from February/March 2026 onwards.)
How ASP Members are Already Getting Involved
Some members of ASP have already signed the open letter. And a number of ASP members have already begun to explore how they – and the Association – might support the aims of the NEB.
- Linda Aspey, for example, is working directly with the NEB team to support their engagement and communications objectives. And Simon and Nick will be invited to meet with ASP to explore areas of support.
- ASP members could be invited to reflect upon this in a meeting in January and suggest ways both individual members, and ASP Community as a group, could respond.
- Another question to consider is how could we engage our Alliance partners (such as The Schumacher Institute, Responsible Project Management and Change Agents UK) in this?
Maybe you have other questions or ideas you would like to share with ASP?
What You, as an ASP Member, can do now
You may feel there is a lot to digest here. But there are also three simple actions you can take now to support the NEB.
1. Watch the recordings of the nine NEB speakers’ talks and presentations (HERE)
2. Sign the Open Letter to broadcasters and Keir Starmer, calling for a televised version of the National Emergency Briefing. (HERE)
3. Reflect on how you would like ASP to be involved with and support the NEB, and share your reflections, questions and ideas with us.
Linda Aspey added: “We can all step up – caring for nature benefits us all. A few changes in our behaviours and most importantly how much we notice and attend to nature can make a massive difference, if enough of us do so.”
