Month: June 2020

Edinburgh businesses urged to apply for free mentoring programme

 

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses around Edinburgh adjusted their offerings to stay afloat. Now, as we start to come out of lockdown, many will have questions about how to ensure their survival. A free mentoring programme by Scottish Business Cares (SBC) will help them find answers.

SBC is a goodwill collective delivered by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) in partnership with the Scottish Government that aims to provide guidance around the various issues businesses are facing as a result of the outbreak.

The crux of SBC’s offerings is a one-to-one mentoring service for Scottish organisations who need immediate support in overcoming challenges post-lockdown, with a focus on SMEs.

The deadline to apply is 26 June at 5pm GMT. Interested organisations can apply directly on the SBRC website. SBRC is also hosting a webinar on 23 June at 12pm with more information, registration details are available here.

Jude McCorry, CEO of SBRC, said: “SBRC have been running Business Resilience webinars answering general questions about surviving the COVID-19 lockdown since March.

“What we now need is one-to-one mentoring for organisations who require more specific support to overcome immediate challenges and get back on their feet. We are delighted to work with Scottish Government to provide this.

“We are very lucky to have Belinda Roberts, founder of WeDO Scotland and member of our Scottish Business Cares Advisory Board, run the mentoring programme for us.”

Belinda Roberts added: “The challenges facing businesses in light of COVID-19 are unparalleled.

“The Scottish Business Cares mentoring programme has been specifically created to offer support and guidance to businesses as they emerge from lockdown and map out their future paths. SMEs are the lifeblood of the Scottish economy and it’s essential that they are given every advantage to ensure their ongoing viability and success.”

At least ten successful entrepreneurs and senior business leaders have agreed to mentor organisations looking to adapt their business in light of the pandemic.

The mentors all have previous economic crisis experience gained during the 2008 financial crash as well as a strong track record of business growth and success. They have also agreed to use their extensive networks to enable introductions that will benefit mentees.

Belinda Roberts continued: “Our team of mentors have demonstrable business expertise and knowledge, which is backed by specialist advice where required, from experts in the fields of investment, legal and financial management as well as grant funding and support from the public sector and governments.

“We are very much looking forward to the mentoring programme making a tangible difference to businesses whilst helping to bolster the Edinburgh economy on the road to recovery.”

The programme will launch later this month with an initial 50 SMEs and grow based on demand and funding availability. To comply with current social distancing guidelines, participants will get a total of 7 hours virtual mentoring from their matched mentor over a period of 6 weeks.

Businesses can also email sbcinfo@sbrcentre.co.uk with any questions.

Pupils being driven to school at the highest recorded levels

Edinburgh: Cycling at highest recorded levels (was 4.5% in 2010, is 7.0% in 2019). Has more than doubled since the first survey in 2008, in which it was 3.3%

The percentage of pupils travelling to school by car reached its highest ever recorded level in 2019, according to new data released by Sustrans Scotland.

More than a quarter of pupils said they used private motorised transport to get to school each day, with 23.8% reporting they arrived by car – the highest level since the survey began in 2008.

And, despite remaining the most frequently reported mode of travel to school in Scotland, active travel fell to its lowest recorded level over the same period. Of the 47.8% of pupils who reported travelling actively to school, 41.0% walked, 4.1% cycled and 2.7% scootered or skated.

Cycling to school is at its highest recorded level, whereas walking to school is at its lowest recorded level.

The findings form part of the annual Hands Up Scotland Survey, an official statistic in Scotland. Funded by Transport Scotland, the survey was carried out in September 2019 by Sustrans Scotland in partnership with all 32 Scottish local authorities. 78.9% of all state schools in Scotland (excluding nurseries) took part in this year’s survey.

Bus use also continues to decline from 18.2% in 2010 to the lowest recorded level of 16.0% in 2019, whilst the percentage of pupils travelling to school by park and stride (driven part of the way and walk the rest) increased to a high of 10.2%.

The findings also reveal a difference in active travel between independent and state schools. 44.5% of pupils from independent schools are driven to school whereas 23.6% of state school pupils are driven.

Commenting on the findings Sustrans Scotland’s National Director John Lauder said: “We want to thank all the schools who took part in the 2019 Hands Up Scotland Survey.

“The report is an incredibly useful indicator of trends in how children travel to school. Helping schools, local authorities and partners identify what needs to be improved to help more children travel actively every day.

“What we have seen during lockdown, with fewer cars on the road, is that people will change their behaviour if they feel their streets are safer.

“Travel patterns will have inevitably changed as a result of lockdown. It is important we make it easier and safer for children, parents and teachers to travel in an active and sustainable way.

“Our streets cannot afford more congestion and air pollution and our children cannot afford more inactivity after months of homeschooling. Let’s bring back something better.

“We need to make it easier and safer for children, parents and teachers to travel in an active and sustainable way, once schools re-open in August.

“Only then will we be able to ensure that walking, cycling and scooting is seen as a viable alternative to the private car.”

Rehabilitation support available to Covid-19 patients in Edinburgh and Lothians

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has praised Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s work to reform the way people with lung conditions access rehabilitation and support.

Covid-19 is expected to lead to a dramatic increase in the numbers of people managing what will possibly be long-term lung conditions and needing support for rehab and recovery.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland have been working with NHS Lothian to make rehabilitation support to accessible to patients who are recovering from Covid-19.

A total of 2,807 people in NHS Lothian have been confirmed as having Covid-19 since that start of the outbreak.

As of 16 June, 131 patients were in NHS Lothian hospitals with Covid-19, 193 patients with suspected Covid-19 and 6 patients in Intensive Care.

3,929 patients who have tested positive for Covid-19, who have previously required hospital treatment, have now been discharged from hospital since the start of the outbreak, with the most serious cases having longer term conditions.

A full list of measures put into place by NHS Lothian and CHSS Scotland is included below.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “I am pleased that NHS Lothian have put a range of measures in place to support survivors who have had severe cases of Covid-19.

“Having rehabilitation support in place for patients is crucial for their recovery and quality of life after having Coronavirus.

“The Covid-19 pandemic will have an impact on NHS Scotland for years to come, with increased waiting times for treatments.

“Prevention and recovery will be more important than ever for keeping people in Scotland healthy.

“I have called on SNP Ministers to develop a national Covid-19 rehab strategy to support people who will have long term health conditions from contracting Covid-19.”

Measures put into place by NHS Lothian and CHSS

Establishment of a comprehensive rehabilitation and support pathway for survivors of severe COVID across all three Lothian acute sites.

An Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) discusses all cases weekly, and agrees personalised requirements for physiotherapy, dietetics, Occupational Therapy (OT), and Speech and Language Therapist (SLT).

In addition, all patients have psychological review and support.

Case management is coordinated by an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) trained nurse, who uses previously established pathways to liaise with relevant health-social care hubs, GPs, pharmacy, and other community based services in relation to anticipatory discharge planning and support post discharge.

Rehabilitation services at Astley Ainslie Hospital (AAH) join the weekly Multidisciplinary Team and where appropriate review patients and transfer them at an appropriate time to the AAH.

NHS Lothian are also working with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) to liaise with their community staff (who are linked with the Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for respiratory).

NHS Lothian are producing a patient/family information resource for COVID survivors in collaboration with CHSS (funded in part by the Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation).

There has also been a community advice line resource set up by therapists in Edinburgh which allows patients to access community services such as pulmonary rehabilitation’.

Rainy Days: poor will pay for Coronavirus ‘for many years to come’

Lower-income households are twice as likely as high-income households to have increased their use of consumer credit during the crisis, leaving them particularly exposed to the ongoing economic crisis, according to a major new Resolution Foundation report published today.

Rainy Days, published in partnership with the Standard Life Foundation, examines the distribution of wealth across Britain in the run-up to the crisis, and how the crisis is having different impacts on the balance sheets of richer and poorer households.

The report shows that those most at risk in the crisis have the weakest private savings safety net to fall back on, while the crisis itself is exposing Britain’s wealth gaps, and the ability of low-wealth households to weather the economic storm.

A typical worker in a shut-down sector of the economy – and therefore most at risk of unemployment – had average savings of just £1,900, far less than the average savings (£4,700) of someone who has been able to work from home during the crisis.

These workers are most worried about making ends meet if they lost their main income source for a month (24 per cent are worried, compared to 17 per cent among those working from home).

Looking at the impact of the crisis on households across the income distribution, the report finds that lower-income households are far more likely to run down their savings and turn to high-interest credit.

Among the second poorest fifth of households, one-in-three (32 per cent) are saving less than usual, compared to one-in-six (17 per cent) who have increased their savings. One in four of these households have increased their use of consumer credit – most commonly credit cards which carry high interest rates – during the crisis.

In contrast, just one-in-eight high-income households have increased their use of consumer credit, while one-in-three (34 per cent) are seeing their savings increase significantly as their spending falls.

These very different experiences of this crisis reflect both how focused its negative effects have been on lower-income families, and the big wealth gaps across Britain before the crisis struck.

The report shows that the wealth gap between the richest and poorest tenth of households grew by more than £370,000 (in real terms) between 2006-08 and 2016-18 to reach £1.4million.

Wealth gaps across the country have also grown, with London and the South East accounting for 38 per cent of all wealth in 2016-18, up from 32 per cent in 2006-08.

The Foundation adds that while wealth inequality has not increased in recent years, it remains almost twice as high as income inequality.

Rainy days shows that the lack of a private savings safety net, for so many low-income households in particular, could pose significant challenges as the Government phases out its emergency support for family incomes.

It highlights the need for both a stronger social security safety net, and for policy makers to do more to tackle very large wealth gaps once Britain emerges from the crisis.

George Bangham, Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Pre-coronavirus Britain was marked by soaring wealth and damaging wealth gaps between households.

“These wealth divides have been exposed by the crisis. While higher-income households have built up their savings, many lower-income households have run theirs down and had to turn to high-interest credit.

“The impact of coronavirus crisis will be with families for many years to come. That’s why it’s important for the Government to both strengthen the social security safety net via Universal Credit, and assist more low and middle-income households in building up their private safety nets by boosting their savings.”

Mubin Haq, CEO at the Standard Life Foundation, said: “Today’s report highlights how vital wealth is to our living standards. Not only does it help reduce costs, especially housing, but savings and assets provide an important buffer when income drops.

“Millions are now facing an income drop and in need of that buffer. Savings are not a nice to have, they are a must have.

“The growing jobs crisis and the tapering of furlough and self-employment support brings this to the fore. People who lose their jobs or have a drop in their income, and have been unable to build up their savings, are being pushed into borrowing. Those on the lowest incomes will have less choice and more likely to be reliant on high-cost credit.

“The Government needs to move quickly to make further reforms to boost incomes so people are protected from the financial crisis created by the pandemic. In the longer term the Government needs to think of ways everyone has a greater share of the wealth generated in the UK.”

Rainy-Days

Windrush: What we need most now is action, says Priti Patel

Home Secretary Priti Patel has launched a Cross-Government Working Group to address challenges faced by the Windrush generation and their descendants.

As part of the ongoing efforts to right the wrongs experienced by the Windrush generation, Home Secretary Priti Patel has today (Monday 22 June) launched the Windrush Cross-Government Working Group.

The Group, co-chaired by the Home Secretary and Bishop Derek Webley, brings together stakeholders and community leaders with senior representatives from a number of government departments to address the challenges faced by the Windrush generation and their descendants.

Progress is being made to right the wrongs, with more payments made every week under the Windrush Compensation Scheme.

However, there is much more to do. This Group will play an important role in ensuring the Government upholds its commitment to the Windrush generation.

The purpose of the Group is to:

  • Provide strategic input into the Home Office’s response to the Wendy Williams Lessons Learned Review
  • Support the design and delivery of practical solutions to address the wider challenges that disproportionately affect people from Black and wider BAME backgrounds. This will include programmes on education, work and health
  • Advise on the design and delivery of the Windrush Schemes Community Fund

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “This group is crucial to delivering on our promise to right the wrongs experienced by the Windrush generation and it is right that we advance these issues in a constructive, sensitive and responsible way.

“We know that the best way to make sure we reach all those affected is by listening to them and hearing their voices, including how best to address the wider challenges that disproportionately affect those from BAME backgrounds.

“From issues affecting education, work and health, this group will support Government to deliver practical solutions as well as advising on the design of the Windrush Community Fund scheme and response to the Wendy Williams review.

“What we need most now is action and I am excited to work in partnership with this group who themselves hold valuable experience within the community and are driven to bring the ultimate change that we all want to achieve, which is making a difference to people’s lives.“

Bishop Derek Webley, co-chair of the Windrush Cross-Government Working Group said: “It’s an honour to be able to serve members of the Windrush generation who have served this country with dignity and pride, and helped to build this country over many years.

“This Working Group recognises that the work we’re doing can’t be done without the voices of the community, and we will work with them and the government in finding a way forward that would meet the satisfaction of the Windrush community.”

Group members include stakeholders and community leaders representing the affected communities, including Bishop Joe Aldred from Churches Together in England; Paulette Simpson, Executive Director of the Voice; Blondel Cluff, Chief Executive of the West India Committee and Kunle Olulode, Director of Voice4Change England. All members bring a balance of experience in community engagement and specific sector expertise.

Members also will include representation at a senior level from a number of government departments, including No10, the Home Office, the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Member of the Group, Duwayne Brooks OBE said: “The Windrush generation were treated terribly by successive governments and it is time this is put right.

“I am pleased that the government is committed to righting these wrongs and I am looking forward to working with the Home Secretary and others to ensure all those affected come forward to claim the compensation they deserve and get the support they need to move on.”

Blondel Cluff CBE, who is also a member on the Group said: “We are at a seminal moment as a nation and as such I welcome the invitation to serve on the Cross-Government Windrush Group, particularly given the evident ‘buy in’ across government.

“I trust that together we shall make tangible, positive, and sustainable progress on this critical matter.”

The Home Office, as requested by Wendy Williams, is carefully considering the Lessons Learned Review. The Home Secretary has agreed to respond in full by the end of September and has also committed to provide an update to Parliament before summer recess.

The Group will play an important role in assisting with the Home Office’s response by providing insight and guidance, as well as help to ensure that the lessons from the Windrush review are shared across government.

As announced by the Home Secretary in March, the Home Office will shortly launch a separate £500k Windrush Scheme Community Fund for grassroots organisations, to help improve uptake and awareness of the schemes supporting those who were directly affected.

This includes the Windrush Scheme, which has so far provided over 12,000 people with documentation confirming their status. One of the first tasks for the Group will be to work with stakeholders to co-design and deliver this Fund.

To ensure that all those affected are reached, the Home Office is also launching a £750k targeted advertising campaign, using a range of channels, such as adverts and social media, to make sure those most affected around the UK are aware of the support available to them and know how to apply. The Government will work closely with stakeholders to ensure our campaign encourages as many people as possible to apply.

Grassroots activity, including recruiting community ambassadors nationally and in priority areas to encourage and support applications among their networks, is also being undertaken. More details on this activity will be announced in due course.

Black communities and wider minority ethnic communities still face injustices, and the Government is dedicated to tackling this, including by launching a cross-governmental commission into racial inequality.

The Windrush Cross-Government Working Group will also have an instrumental role to play in this work, and in ensuring we address the wider challenges that disproportionately affect people from black and wider minority ethnic backgrounds. The Working Group will meet quarterly for the duration of the Windrush Compensation Scheme, which is currently open until April 2023. The date will be kept under review.

The Group will complement the Race Equality Commission, which is being set up by Number 10 and will sit separately to this group.

For more information on the measures put in place to support the Windrush generation, please see our factsheet: https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/05/13/wind/

Letters: Help prevent a kitten crisis

Dear Editor

Cats Protection is asking cat owners to help prevent a kitten crisis this year.

Due to fewer vets doing neutering during Covid-19, the charity estimates as many as 84,000 extra kittens could be born this summer.

This is why we are urging people to keep their unneutered cats indoors, and also unneutered males and females and siblings apart, until vet practices can become fully operational and resume neutering.

Cats Protection has produced an infographic with useful tips on how to stop cats becoming pregnant: www.cats.org.uk/neutering-your-cat

The charity can also support owners on limited incomes with the costs of neutering when vet practices are fully operational again. Call Cats Protection’s Neutering Line on 03000 12 12 12 (option 2) or visit the charity’s website at www.cats.org.uk/neutering

A survey of 1,000 cat owners has highlighted many are unaware of the importance of neutering and the consequences for not neutering cats at the earliest opportunity. Seventy seven per cent were unaware that a female cat can become pregnant from four months old and 86 per cent didn’t know that an unneutered female cat can have as many as 18 kittens in a year.

Our fear is that many kittens born will be left on the streets. Cats Protection is full up with cats and, owing to Covid-19, is unable to admit many more except in emergencies.

We hope your readers can help do their bit and help to prevent a kitten crisis.

Yours faithfully

Sarah Reid

Acting Head of Neutering, Cats Protection

Win free doughnuts for a year!

Your favourite signature Original Glazed doughnuts will be available for UK nationwide delivery* with the launch of its latest additions: Krispy Kreme Celebrations – an indulgent doughnut decorating kit, and Say It With Krispy Kreme, a hand-piped half dozen, personalised with a message of your choice.

Krispy Kreme is inviting people across the nation to get creative with their signature original glazed doughnuts. From 22nd June, Krispy Kreme fans can begin placing orders to treat themselves or send the perfect gift to loved ones.

The arrival of the Krispy Kreme Creations kit allows fans to indulge their fantasies of becoming a doughnut chef while Say It With Krispy Kreme adds a personal touch when gifting to a loved one  whether you want to customize with a name or meaningful message.

From birthdays to baby showers, anniversaries to make-shift graduations, with a personalised hand-piped box of Original Glazed doughnuts, whatever you want to say, say it with Krispy Kreme.

The launch of UK nationwide delivery with the Krispy Kreme Creation kits and hand-piped half dozens means doughnut lovers across the country can now order signature Original Glazed doughnuts straight to their door by contactless delivery.

Thanks to the expansion of the doughnut brand’s delivery service, you can now enjoy the infamous Original Glazed from the comfort of home and garden.

Krispy Kreme’s beautiful bespoke hand-piped half dozens are the perfect gift for friends and family. Right now more than ever, everyone deserves a little treat and what better way to put a smile on someone’s face and tell a loved one you’re missing them with the gift of sweet treats.

Complete with everything you need to make the doughnut of your dreams, the Krispy Kreme Creations kit, comes with four Original Glazed doughnuts, chocolatey and caramel icings and a selection of indulgent toppings including cookie crumb, lotus biscoff biscuit crumb, chocolate & honeycomb pieces and white chocolate, the perfect activity for a joy-filled afternoon.

To celebrate the launch of UK nationwide delivery, one lucky customer who places either a Say It With Krispy Kreme or Krispy Kreme Creations order on the 22nd June for a kit of hand-piped half dozen, will win free doughnuts for a year.

Following the prize draw on Tuesday 23rd June, the winner will receive a pre-loaded gift card as part of their doughnut delivery**.

Krispy Kreme Creations kits will be on sale for £14.95 and Say It With Krispy Kreme hand-piped half dozen boxes will be on sale for £10.95. Both available from 22nd June with a £3.95 delivery fee; with first delivery day available from 30th June.

More information can be found at https://www.krispykreme.co.uk/.

*excluding Scottish Highlands & Islands **T&Cs apply

Transport Convener: We’re responding to the city’s desire to walk, cycle and wheel

Transport and Environment Convener Lesley Macinnes writes of council plans to make walking, cycling and wheeling safer and easier during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond:

One positive aspect of these last few, trying months is the city’s clear desire to get walking and cycling.

Not only has our own analysis shown pedestrian and cyclist numbers rocketing, but since launching the interactive Commonplace map we’ve received thousands of ideas for making it easier and safer to get around the city by foot, bike or wheelchair.

It’s clear there’s work to do – and we’re responding. Every suggestion, from removing guardrails on narrow pavements to pedestrianising streets, to speed reduction or pop-up cycle lanes, is extremely valuable.

This process is a very complex one and our teams are working flat-out to assess and consider responses, as well as linking them to those actions already identified across the city.

From inception to delivery, each scheme’s timescales can vary significantly, and we must target the projects that deliver the greatest benefits. For this reason, we won’t be able to undertake every suggestion, but each one gives us an invaluable insight into the kind of city people want to see post-COVID and we’re taking this on board.

We’re already delivering initiatives at a more ambitious rate than any other Scottish local authority.

In the last week we have installed more than 5km of pop-up cycle lanes leading to Edinburgh’s two main hospitals, adding to some road closures to help people walk, cycle and wheel to their local greenspaces and amenities.

These changes follow engagement with communities, mobility and active travel groups and local councillors. They’ve had a great response so far. We’re continuing to listen to the people that use them, tweaking the designs where necessary.

As we begin to tentatively emerge from lockdown, we must get the city moving. Before long, businesses will begin reopening and this will have a real impact on the way we move around Edinburgh. We want cafes, bars and restaurants, shops and other services to thrive, once they’re able to reopen, while also protecting people’s safety as Scottish Government advice on physical distancing remains.

We’re already preparing for this. From this week we will begin implementing several, major interventions in the city centre to help create a safer environment, encouraging people to spend time on foot or bike as restrictions ease.

These include footway widening and the introduction of bus, cycle and taxi gates on East Princes Street and South St David Street, reducing traffic volumes and aiding cycling and public transport, and the partial closure of Waverley Bridge.

This kind of real, tangible change, supported by similar, forthcoming measures across the city’s local high streets, will help us to move to the next phase of eased restrictions.

Reintroducing parking enforcement next week is crucial if these measures are to have the desired effect. By minimising often dangerous obstructions from our streets, we will be able to create and maintain spaces for people. What’s more, encouraging turnover of parking spaces means a higher and more varied footfall on our shopping streets.

Much of the work we are undertaking is to create quick, temporary changes to help people travel safely as we adjust to these exceptional circumstances. Emphasising clean, sustainable transport and people-focused spaces, where fewer cars result in less air pollution, supports our long-term city goals of a carbon neutral future where air quality is improved and healthy, and where walking, cycling and wheeling is the norm. We will get through this together and, if we are to make the right decisions now, we can harness these positive outcomes as we emerge from this crisis.

Find out more about Spaces for People on the Council website.

Concerns over falling numbers of pupils with Additional Support Needs in positive destinations

Commenting on the Scottish Government’s latest statistics for leaver destinations, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – an alliance of leading independent and third sector service providers – said:

“We are deeply concerned about falling level of those school leavers with additional support needs (ASN) such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems in positive destinations. This includes further education, higher education, employment and training.

“While 87.9 per cent of those school leavers with ASN were in positive destinations in 2018/19, this is a drop on 2017/18 when the figures was 88.4 per cent.  For those with no ASN the figures are 95.1 per cent and 95.3 per cent respectively.

“The attainment gap between those school leavers with ASN and those with no ASN has increased from 6.9 per cent for 2017/18 to 7.2 per cent in 2018/19.

“It is deeply disappointing to see a fall in the number of school leavers with ASN in positive destinations and to note that this gap is growing when compared with those with no ASN. There is also a clear gap between the number of those with ASN who are unemployed (10.2 per cent), compared with those with no ASN (3.9 percent).

“As the impact of COVID-19 becomes more evident we anticipate this gap growing and it is crucial that resourcing is targeted at those individuals with ASN to give them the best possible opportunities, both in the classroom and beyond.

“The statistics come hot on the heels of recent evidence that the attainment gap between those school leavers with ASN and those with no ASN has increased from 7.3 per cent for 2017/18 to 7.6 per cent in 2018/19 for those with at least one pass at National 4, and from 21.8 per cent to 22.4 per cent for those with at least one pass at National 5. It has dropped from 31.9 per cent to 31.2 per cent for those with at least one pass at Higher.

“It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need in order to give them the best possible start in life, to close the educational attainment gap and give them the best opportunities possible beyond the classroom.

“This is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity, however, the cost to society in the long term if adequate resourcing is not provided will far outweigh any potential savings made today.”

Travel influencers should stick to low-cost staycations, says expert

  • Travel influencers and social media celebrities have been urged to stop promoting expensive holidays abroad, in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. 
  • The influencer marketing industry is predicted to be worth over $15 billion  by 2022, with the fastest-growing platforms being TikTok and Instagram. 
  • The average person still exceeds climate change targets by 7.8 tonnes of CO2 each year, while the tourism industry accounts for 8% of global warming. 
  • Celebrities must take responsibility for influencing where fans go on holiday and must champion climate change to avoid hypocriticism, expert says. 

Social media influencers must place more emphasis on promoting affordable staycations in place of extravagant holidays abroad to help curb climate change, experts advise. 

According to EU recommendations, the maximum amount of CO2 that can be generated per person from flying is 0.6 tonnes. However, the average person currently generates 8.4 tonnes of carbon emissions each year – exceeding the target level 14 times over.

Air travel is detrimental to the environment now more than ever as the number of airline passengers worldwide has doubled over the past two decades. This needs to be curbed, as each additional metric ton of CO2 shrinks the Arctic summer sea ice cover by 32 square feet.

Ketti Wilhelm, Founder of TiltedMap, is in favour of staycations being promoted online to reshape the way we perceive travelling abroad, saying: “All the uncertainty brought by Covid-19 makes this travel season a perfect time to try staying closer to home. 

“Coronavirus will remind people to travel more thoughtfully – this means commuting and excess business trips, but also that nagging obligation of the Instagram era to always be going further away, to more exotic destinations – even if only for a short trip.”

Dr Andrew Welfle from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of Manchester, believes that influencers who promote holidays abroad without mention of climate change are hypocritical.

He says: “Aviation from its early days has been a glamorous way to travel, and many millions of pounds are now spent on promoting tourism to destinations where it is only practical to get to via air travel. 

“Seeing celebrities and influencers enjoying destinations via TV, film and social media channels provides a further ‘pull’ factor that makes aviation travel even more attractive. Celebrities therefore have a level of responsibility in influencing tourism.

“In addition, celebrities who champion environmental issues such as climate change and then go on to extensively fly, risk undermining their environmental messaging – something not lost on the public.”

As well as on social media, this championing must be mirrored at political level in order to be effective, said Dr Welfle. “There is a greater role our UK politicians can play in promoting many of the UK’s great holiday destinations.

“This would bring jobs and money to UK holiday destinations and at the same time reduce the UK’s contribution to aviation emissions.”

This commentary comes as a new political pollution study reveals that EU and US leaders are still set to exceed climate change recommendations by a staggering 230 tonnes of CO2, despite a drop in emissions resulting from Covid-19 travel bans.