JUST ONE THING

JUST ONE THING IN MAY

Explore The National Emergency Briefing (NEB) where UK's leading climate and nature experts briefed some MP's on the risks, impacts and solutions to the climate emergency. There are 10 short films. They cover nature, climate, tipping points, weather extremes, food security, health, national security, economics and energy transition, chaired by Mike Berners-Lee

Our AGM took place on 3rd June. We showed and discussed two of the nine NEB lectures (national security, and health. Here are some comments: "Worrying", "scary", "serious", "challenging", "one of the most useful to engage the unengaged".

Some of our members are involved in arranging local showings of and discussions around the 45-minute film based on these expert lectures. There are hundreds of showings across the country; you're never far from one: Find your nearest on this interactive map.

ALSO, Become one of the 100 000 petitioners required to ensure that Parliament debates this: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767687

One MP recently raised the issue of putting the film on prime-time TV, in Parliament. See the exchange here.

JUST ONE THING IN APRIL

Now is the time to invest in your ISA for 25/26 if you haven’t already, and to think about transferring one so that your money helps green growth rather than funding fossil fuels. This is not financial advice, but is information which we hope you might find useful

If you are going to invest in a cash ISA or want to move one here are some options, combining green credentials, courtesy of Ethical Consumer Magazine’s gradings. These are the greenest with a good return.

1. Tandem 4.35% fixed rate for a year

2. Coventry Building Society 4.21% fixed rate for a year. JISA* 3.75%

3. Saffron Building Society 4.1% fixed rate for a year

Moving 20k from Barclays, HSBC, Nutmeg, First Direct to any of the ones above would stop approximately 4 tonnes of CO2 emissions entering the atmosphere. How green is my money?

Stocks and Shares ISAs

1. Triodos

2. Big Exchange Stocks and Shares ISA + JISA

3. One Family Stocks and Shares ISA + JISA + LISA*

Ist Direct, HSBC and Nutmeg all scored zero.

*A JISA is a Junior ISA. It can only be opened by a parent and the child does not have access up to his 18th birthday. Grandparents can obviously fund it. The maximum amount that can be put in each year is £9000.

** A LISA is a way of saving for the deposit on a first house up to £450, 000 or helping to fund retirement. It can only be opened by 18 to 39 year olds, and the maximum amount you can contribute a year is £4,000. The government puts in 25% bonus per year and interest is earned as well.

JUST ONE THING IN MARCH

Last year we asked you to write to your MP asking for their support in stopping the development of Rosebank oilfield (Europe's biggest). Now 9 MPs (so far) have tabled an early day motion https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/65298/rosebank-oil-field. Do please write to your MP again (via www.writetothem.com is the simplest way) and ask them to support it if they haven't already and if they have please say how pleased you are. ALSO, Why not join us in Westminster on 24th March (for details see FORTHCOMING ACTIONS page of our website)?

Trainings and Courses You Can Do.

  • University of Edinburgh: Offers free online courses on climate solutions, justice, and net-zero strategies.

  • University of Reading: Provides free short courses on weather, climate, and tackling environmental crises.

  • The Open University (OpenLearn): Features free courses on climate psychology, renewable energy, and ecology.

  • One Home & Others: Curates lists of free online courses from various providers on climate change basics.

  • Youth & Community: The British Red Cross offers resources and games for young people on climate adaptation and anxiety. Climate Emergency UK: Offers practical tools and training for local climate action.

  • Climate Ed: A charity providing free climate science and action education for children and cross-generational learning.

  • Carbon Literacy Project: Offers accredited training to help individuals and organizations understand and reduce their carbon footprint.

  • https://freecoursesinengland.co.uk/em-lc-climate-change-environmental-awareness-lv2/› This free online course is designed to provide you with an essential introduction to the principles of climate change and environmental awareness. This is provided by Uk Government.

  • Climate Action Network (CAN) trainings in the UK offer diverse opportunities, from formal university courses like the University of Leeds' module on turning anxiety into action, to practical local workshops by groups like Climate Action North, which focuses on CPD for businesses, and community-led initiatives from groups like Climate Action Leeds and Edinburgh Communities Climate Action Network (ECCAN) providing grassroots skills in areas like consensus building and local campaigning, often linking to larger networks like Friends of the Earth and their local branches for broader campaigns and resources.

As 2026 begins why not add to your knowledge base and do a training connected to climate matters. Many are free and cover a wide range of topics. Two of us are currently doing a free training with Tipping Point on 'movement organization' and mymothertree.com offer a training on finance. See below for a list of many more and do let us know how you get on.

JUST ONE THING IN JANUARY

JUST ONE THING IN FEBRUARY

Our Grandchildren's Climate is a member of Climate Coalition and in the spirit of collaboration this month we are joining their February action 'Show the Love' . With a grandchild or without, send a green heart to a local politician with a message about what is important to you about your community and environment. If you are not certain who to send it to, use the excellent Write To Them website, or from 14th February you can send a great heart postcard through the Climate Coalition Website. Let us know how you get on.

JUST ONE THING IN DECEMBER

December's Just One Thing is to read about or watch a video about organisations taking countries to Court in relation to climate protection being a human right.

The Good Law Project is working with Global Legal Action Network and the claimants SOS UK, Tipping Point and Save Hemsby Coastline (in Norfolk) to challenge the UK government. Keir Starmer’s climate framework is so full of holes that it breaches our right to family life. Nic Harries (Our Grandchildren's Climate Board and Executive member) has condensed the 82 pages into a short document. The case has implications for many places along the UK coastline.

In their claim they refer to the Swiss Elder Women (Klimaseniorinnen) who successfully won a judgement at the European Court of Human Rights - a judgment that is binding on the UK, which is is still a member

We had an inspiring talk at our monthly meeting on 3rd December, given by Isabelle Jörg, one of the Women. You can watch it here.

JUST ONE THING IN NOVEMBER

The 89 Percent Project (Frequently Asked Questions - The 89 Percent Project) is a year-long global media collaboration aimed at highlighting the fact that the vast majority of people in the world care about climate change and want their governments to do something about it.

Most don't realize that most others share their fears. Tell your local press about this and let us know what they reply. Here is a sample letter:

JUST ONE THING IN OCTOBER

#1 MOVE YOUR MONEY

You can move it from your current account, savings accounts, ISAs, and self-invested pensions.

Did you know that Barclays, HSBC which includes First Direct, Chase and many other banks invest in fossil fuels?

Triodos, The Co-operative Bank and the Nationwide Building Society don’t invest in fossil fuels at all and have a low carbon footprint.

You can find out how where you currently bank impacts climate by going to www.mymothertree.com and clicking the tab ‘How green is my money?’ You can put in the amount you have in different bank and savings accounts and it will give an estimate of the carbon footprint in C02 tonnes and tell what you can reduce to by changing bank accounts.

If you do move bank please let them know why. Here is a longish letter that comes from earth.fm #earth stories ‘Fossil Fuel Divestment 101:A Complete Guide to Divesting Your Money (UK).

“Dear (name of old bank/ CEO),

I’ve banked with (old bank) for (x) years. But as you continue to finance the fossil fuel industry which the UN says is driving the planet towards “severe, widespread and irreversible impacts,” I’ve been forced to switch my banking to (new bank)—who do not fund fossil fuels.

I trusted you with my money. But by continuing—despite the warnings of the IMF, World Bank, Bank of England and others—to invest in companies who aren’t just endangering the future of life on earth, but whose resources are also set to become “stranded assets” within a matter of years, you’ve shown that you lack the foresight to be trusted with my funds.

I urge you to reconsider your position and commit to withdrawing support from fossil fuels of all kinds as soon as possible—as you must, to comply with the Paris Agreement. I look forward to a response detailing exactly when you’ll end support (financial and advisory) for coal, oil, gas, and other dirty fuels like tar sands.

Although I’m just one customer out of millions, the fossil fuel divestment movement that I’m part of is growing all the time—and until you listen to its demands and act with moral and financial responsibility, you’ll continue to lose customers to (new bank).

Yours sincerely,

(Your name)”

You have a few options as to where or how you send your letter. If you are on linked in you might be able to contact the CEO directly or you could send them an actual letter in the post. The last option is via the complaints page on your banking app

Below are the names of the CEO and addresses of the worst offending banks. For more information go to one of the websites listed at the end.

Barclays Bank, top investor in fossil fuels: CEO Vim Maru, Barclays Bank UK PLC, I Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

HSBC as at 20th April 2025 awaiting a new CEO, HSBC Holdings PLC, 8 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HQ

CEO Kuba Fast, Chase Uk, 25 Bank St, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JP

CEO Paul Thwaite, Natwest PLC, 250 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AA

Further Resources

www.mymothertree.com, it can calculate how green your money is or not and suggest alternatives. It also offers a climate champion course.

www.thepath.co.uk 1st time a financial advisor has been given Best Buy label from ‘Ethical Consumer’ magazine and lastly

www.bankingonclimatechaos.org info on banks worldwide and their investments in fossil fuels.

Reclaimfinance.org Reclaim Finance is a research and campaigning organization. It was founded by Lucie Pinson, winner of the 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize with the goal of harnessing finance to advance social and climate justice.

© 2026 by ourgrandchildrensclimate.org

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