Laura Young graduated in Environmental Protection and Management in 2019. She's a climate activist, environmental scientist, sustainability educator and ethical influencer - someone who has devoted her life to climate issues.
Laura is also this year's Being Edinburgh winner, an award that recognises a University of Edinburgh graduate who's doing something great right now, and that's voted for by Edinburgh students, staff and alumni.
Here's Laura in her own words, telling us about her work, motivations, hopes and fears.
Right now, I spend my time working at the Christian international development charity Tearfund as the ‘Let’s Change the Climate’ Programme Manager. I’m also working as a sustainability consultant, primarily with the media, and engaging with campaigns in a wide variety of businesses.
A huge motivation for me is finding grassroots campaigns and seeing how we can work to bring attention to them in the mainstream media, and to make changes in policy form. For example, current campaigns against ghost flights and artificial grass are big favourites for me personally, but I also love hearing about all sorts of initiatives. One of the latest projects I have been working on is the launch of the ‘Volkswagen ID Buzz’ all-electric camper van, which really is bringing electric vehicles into the mainstream, and I love seeing an iconic manufacturer leading the way into the sustainable future that we need!
I have an attitude of ‘yes’ and always being up for trying new things. That’s how I got into public speaking, working with the media, throwing myself into social media. I try to meet as many people as possible to build up a network and community of individuals who can help one another achieve their own personal goals, and the goals of the environmental movement.
After COP26, I felt a mixture of emotions. But the final feeling I had was that we had achieved progress, but not justice. From the world’s point of view, we didn’t get what we needed. Also, I was tired!
When I see the impact of the changing climate, I can’t just sit still and do nothing about it. Through my work at Tearfund, and all of the experiences I had at COP26, I met so many people who have felt the impact of climate change first hand. It’s their stories that drive me forward in the work I do.
I’ve been challenging myself to think about fashion, specifically thinking about the industry in terms of climate change and the impact it’s having on people. I organised a campaign at Tearfund called the Great Fashion Fast, and it challenged people to wear only 10 main items of clothing throughout the month of March. The aim was, of course, to raise awareness of the wastefulness of our clothes-buying habits, but also to fundraise for climate change projects.
This all stems from knowing that the fashion industry is a significant contributor to the problem of climate change, with more emissions than the shipping and aviation industry. We, as consumers, have contributed to this by buying five times more clothes than we did in the 1980s. It has been an eye-opening experience to see just how much we can wear from stuff we already have, and how we don’t need lots of clothes to look and feel good. It has made me think even further about my dedication to sustainable fashion, and think about how I can further reduce the amount I buy, and look into ways of styling what I already have to create more outfits!
The first thing I did was unsubscribe and remove my accounts with online fast fashion retailers –do the same and you’ll be amazed at how much you stop buying when you’re not bombarded with emails about deals and sales. Then I swapped how I bought clothes – I went from the high street retailers to online second hand sellers like Depop, as well as to charity shops and vintage stores. And of course lots of borrowing and sharing with friends and family.
I think I’m almost there: two pairs of jeans, a black dress, a couple of plain T-shirts, a couple of jumpers, a flannel shirt, and perhaps a denim jacket and a big coat that I can wear with everything.
One thing each of us could do to help the fight against climate change is simple - talk about it!
I was Inspired by Prof Katharine Hayhoe’s TED Talk in 2018. She’s a world renowned climate scientist and spoke about how having conversations with each other can be the most impactful thing to do as individuals, and can help to bring along those in our sphere of influence. This might be talking in your household about swaps you can make to be more eco-friendly; it could be a conversation with your bank or pension provider about options to invest more sustainably; a conversation with friends about a holiday which is lighter on the planet; or it could be a conversation in your workplace or university about how you can make more institutional change.
I engage with businesses near to where I live to embrace more eco-friendly practices. I also write to my MP, answer government consultations, and speak to my church leader. Change can come through all of these opportunities to talk.
Being an influencer is so important to me. I want to change the way we think about ‘influencers’ and I want to be one that achieves something positive for my followers. But I also recognise that everyone is an influencer in their own way. and I’m constantly thinking about how I can positively push others in the same direction as myself.
The more I talked about what I was passionate about, the more traction I had on social media. My number of followers grew consistently over time. I was actively looking to expand my own network, and reach into different spaces. Of course doing things like my TEDx Talk in 2019, media work, and partnerships with big brands helps to raise awareness of my goals, but mainly it has been organic growth as more people connect in with the issues I address.
People bring their questions and struggles, and find it’s a good space for learning. Some of the things I’ve shared I’ve learned from my grandparents, and I’ve been able to teach them some things as well.
My main concern for the immediate future is the speed of progress. We know where we need to be, and we have lots of ways of getting there, but we just aren’t moving quickly enough.
I’m surprised by the number of amazing solutions out there to stop climate change and end poverty. We just need to get the support to the right places, and the changes in the wider system.
I’m also hopeful because the next generation of young people have grown up with this knowledge of the changing climate – it's not new to them. They will continue to inject speed and enthusiasm into these conversations. They will lead the change, and we just need to keep creating space for them to do their thing!
When I was told I’d won the Being Edinburgh alumni award I was shocked! The other candidates were all fantastic and doing a whole range of amazing work in their own spaces. I was honoured to have been chosen, and hope to do the award justice as I continue to work away on environmental issues.
My final point to readers is that the most important thing is ‘less’. Everything is about less, and when we realise this, it becomes a lot easier. Less consumption, less waste, less destruction, and more simplicity.
Main image: Laura delivers her talk 'Kicking the plastic habit' at TEDx Glasgow in 2019. All photos courtesy of Laura Young.
Visit Laura's website: Less Waste Laura