Going further, faster with the 10:10 Pioneers

Here at SE2 we’re constantly reminded of how we can all achieve more in a short amount of time by learning from the experience of others. It’s one of the reasons why we’re so pleased to be writing a report for the Technology Strategy Board on their Retrofit for the Future scheme; a series of real-life building projects undertaken to help all players learn about the effective delivery of low carbon retrofit in the UK’s housing stock.

 The 10:10 Pioneers project also subscribes to the idea that we can go further, faster by working together, and aims to make carbon cutting expertise more easily accessible to those who need it. Today’s post comes from Malachi Chadwick  of 10:10, the organisation that launched the project last year with the aim of spreading the experience and enthusiasm of some of their most inspirational sign-ups.

How should we go about solving climate change? You could fill a library with answers to that question, but ultimately it boils down to three words: do more, quicker.

Back in the hot summer of 2009, we set up the 10:10 project to help make that happen. We thought people might be willing to up their ambition if they could see others doing the same thing, but we never expected to see organisations cutting 20, 30, or even 40% of their emissions!

That said, if you’ve ever tried to run a really bold carbon-cutting programme within an organisation, you’ll know it’s not always smooth sailing. Sometimes you need a bit of extra help, and there’s no substitute for talking to someone who’s actually been there.

That’s why we set up the 10:10 Pioneers programme – a free skillsharing and mentoring service that connects experienced carbon-cutters with anyone in need of a helping hand.

The 12 Pioneers are spread all over the UK and have a real mix of professional backgrounds - from corporate energy managers to the heads of local charities. They’re not experts in the traditional sense (all you energy consultants can rest easy), but each one has led an exceptional carbon cutting effort within their organisation, and they’re ready to share what they learned along the way.

Since we launched the programme in early 2012, the Pioneers have helped all sorts of people with their carbon cutting conundrums, but it’s often the beginners that get the most out of it. Denise Miley was part of a group of management trainees charged with reviewing Hertfordshire Council’s emissions reports and proposing a new energy saving strategy. After an exchange with Brett Hagen from Crawley Borough Council, her feedback spoke for itself…

Brett set us on our way - the advice was fantastic! One of Brett’s comments - that Hertfordshire had maybe hit a ‘glass ceiling' in terms of carbon reduction - helped us show that the next move would have to be a financial commitment if Herts CC wanted to move on. Our presentations were well received and utilised by our department.

Climate change presents us with the mother of all to-do lists (not to mention a bit of a deadline), and we can move faster if we don’t have good people tied up with reinventing the wheel.  Ultimately, the Pioneers programme is about freeing up all the ingenuity that’s wasted when someone like Denise has to puzzle over problems that someone else has already solved. In short: doing more, quicker.

So whether you’re pitching a bold energy saving strategy to a sceptical boss, or putting a shiny new transport policy into practice, why not see if a 10:10 Pioneer can help you out?

You can find more about 10:10's projects here. If you're interested in writing a guest blog for us, please contact Hannah!