Energy was high and ideas were flowing at Climate Clarity’s first Taster Climate Fresk in Bristol.

Reps from Bristol-based businesses came together at Future Leap on Gloucester Road to experience the Climate Fresk and see if it could benefit their team. People connected over tea and coffee, getting to know each other and the facilitators Ash and Ru. Then we launched into the card game section of the workshop: climate science.

Everyone brought their own experience to the table and what they knew about climate science, creating a unique learning space, with a high level of knowledge between the group of sustainability enthusiasts. The teams bonded quickly as they grappled with the information on the cards and raced to assemble the map of climate components. Piece by piece, the chains of cause and effect grew longer and the picture of how we arrived at our current situation became clearer. One participant shared the shocking news that methane is breaking down even slower than was previously thought – a new discovery from earlier this year.

Once the map was complete, it was time to take a break and prepare to digest all the information we’d just taken on. It’s important not to ignore the emotions that come up when learning about the science of climate change. As humans who depend on our planet’s health for life, it’s only natural to react to the fact that we have knocked ecosystems and the weather system out of balance. Indeed, sharing some of what we feel can help us connect and stir us into decisive action. It’s a vital step towards changemaking.

After we shared together, we moved into the final section of the workshop: generating ideas for action. We’d heard about the problem and felt how it impacts us personally, now we had the chance to transform that energy into tangible outcomes. What are we going to do about it? How big can we encourage each other to think? How can we set up accountability in our communities and teams so that we follow through with our decisions?

Ideas from today’s workshop included changing to a sustainable pension plan, educating every person in the company in climate science, looking at the supply chain, and growing the business without increasing emissions. It was amazing to see people come alive and speak with passion and determination about the changes they wanted to make. You can feel a sense of the whole workshop crystallising, like everything has led up to this moment of clarity. It’s exhilarating and creative and empowering.

The workshop came to an end officially, but the energy spilled over into the Future Leap cafe where participants continued discussing ideas over a bite of lunch. A wonderful side-effect of attending a Fresk is the unexpected connections you make in the process. Not a bad way at all to spend a Tuesday morning.

If you’d like to hear more about the Climate Fresk and see if it could be right for your team, email Ru Horlick at ru@climateclarity.co.uk.