A Reflection on Dorset COP 2025
- emmaholly333
- 27 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Hear from an attendee about her experience
This year, I attended Dorset COP for the first time. I have always been passionate about the environment and about amplifying voices, but haven’t always known where to start – particularly on a local level. For me, Dorset COP 2025 was an ideal introduction to local community action, serving as a springboard for me to effect change.
Indeed, I had heard of Dorset COP. I didn’t realise that it was so popular that the event itself would be oversubscribed; that was a heartwarming discovery upon arrival. The foyer was jam-packed with Dorset locals – and even those from further afield – who were interacting with stallholders sharing their work. Like many other attendees, I went to the event solo. This was not daunting in the slightest, as everyone seemed genuinely passionate about making connections with one another. Throughout the sessions, I had the privilege of talking to people of all ages about what sustainability means to them.
Amongst other inspiring individuals, the opening plenary saw Jennifer Morisetti, Chair of Sustainable Dorset, pay tribute to the late Jane Goodall, who proved that one person really can make a difference. This was a theme that underpinned the day’s activities. We also heard from Cllr Carole Jones (founder of the Vale Family Hub) and Howard Johns, (founder of People Owned Power), outlining their vital work in the community.
Spoilt for choice, I chose to attend Julia Findlater and Martin Gregory’s talk on creating a waste-free Dorset. Early into the workshop, I learnt that if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest country in the world. It was a staggering fact and one that created a rightful sense of unease in the room. As was the theme of the day, I found myself jotting down all of the hopeful solutions to combat frightening facts. I learnt of various reuse apps, such as Olio, and of extended producer responsibility, wherein companies are responsible for the environmental impact of their packaging.
I followed this talk with Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee’s passion for their town, and Amy Smith, a Local Nature Recovery Officer, who informed us on Dorset Council’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Their pillars of change rested on land management, education and community involvement, and developing sustainable practices. The dedication and commitment to the conservation of Shaftesbury were deeply moving.
It was in the final talk I attended that I connected with a wonderful group of women. Between the five of us, we spanned many generations. Each voice was respected for what she said, and no opinion was discounted. To be amongst such passionate women is something that has lingered with me; it was a privilege to see us united by the common goal of turning environmental ambition into action. The female-led session on Climate Conversations through Clothing particularly inspired me for this very reason; Adele Keeley and Jennifer Morisetti encouraged us to educate each other. We discussed how sustainable clothing is just as much about deconstruction as much as it is about construction to be recyclable.
Rounding off an enriching day, climate and health justice activist, Emma de Saram, spoke in the closing plenary. She spoke of her journey into activism and of how her health has influenced her relationship with the environment. Seeing someone of a similar age to me up on the stage, unafraid and sure of her place, made me realise there truly is a space for the youth in the environmental sector. It was an inspiring talk, and Emma closed with a sentiment that has stayed with me since:
“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” (Quote by Arundhati Roy)
I have created a comprehensive list of the organisations that so generously gave their time for Dorset COP 2025; the day couldn’t have been such a success without them. I encourage you to research more about the important work they do. Here is a list of the attendees:
⛵ Christchurch Harbour and Marine Society
🌸 Hilfield Friary
🌱 Queen Thorne Nature Watch Group
🌊 River Char Action Group
🧵 Sherborne Repair Cafe
♻️ Dorset Council
📕 Arts University Bournemouth
🌍 This Living Place
💡 Dorset Community Energy
🫂 Wessex Community Assets
🌻 Sustainable Dorset
🌍 Portland 4 the Planet
🚌 The Big Yellow Bus Project
🎨 Stalbridge Community Land Trust & Guggleton Farm Arts
❤️ Sturminster Newton Community Benefit Society
🏘️ The Threshold Centre Cohousing Community
🌿 The Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee
🌳 Orchard Town Shaftesbury
👖Defashion Dorset
🎭 Environmental Arts Practitioners Collective
🐝 Dorset Climate Action Network
💚 The Green Collaboration
🍃 Zero Carbon Dorset
🕯️ People Owned Power
Looking ahead, Sustainable Dorset will hold regular meetings (both virtual and in-person) to keep discussions on climate action active. They will also create spaces for women to gather and reflect on environmental action. As noted by one attendee of Dorset COP, “The predominance of women presenters was a breath of fresh air.” Sustainable Dorset will continue to empower women in the climate sector and will post updates about this in due course.
