Moss Side residents are taking part in Manchester’s first ever climate change campaign as the city bids to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2038.
The campaign saw a new ‘sensory structure’ erected in Moss Side Park to engage residents in what they want to hear, smell, taste, touch and see in the future.  The structure aims to brings people closer to nature, creating pockets of green and wildlife habitats in unexpected places and transforming disused patches of land and inspiring people through innovative solutions.
Several organisations are behind the initiative, including the charity Hubbub, which promotes environmentally friendly ways of living. The charity said the sensory structure was based on research which shows that exposure to nature makes people more likely to adopt environmentally-friendly behaviours.
Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub, said:
Through the Sensory Structure we’re looking forward to hearing what kind of nature local people in Moss Side want to experience, so we can work with the local community to make it a reality.
The structure in Moss Side Park is part of a wider programme to support households live more sustainably and address the climate and ecological emergency. In 2019 the UK government passed a law to ensure the country has net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but the city of Manchester and many other cities in the UK have opted for more ambitious targets.
The campaign launch saw 500 plants for passers-by to take home and the sensory structure will be in place until Sunday 18th July for people to visit. Until then, a number of workshops will take place to give residents the chance to get in touch with their senses and have their say about what they’d like to see in Moss Side.
Local resident Lisa Lingard, who also works for the Manchester Climate Change Agency, said that the next five years were ‘critical’ in ensuring Manchester was able to halve its carbon emissions by 2025.
Lisa said:
With the help of everyone in the city we’re aiming to unlock the potential of residents and communities to take meaningful action on climate change and create solutions that can go on to be replicated in other communities across the city.
For more information, visit www.zerocarbonmanchester.commonplace.is and follow @InOurNatureMCR on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for tips and inspiration to support greener living.
Image by Hubbub