Committee on Climate Change

Hermione Taylor is a green sponsorship entrepreneur. She recently cycled to Morocco and asked people to sponsor her by committing to reducing their carbon footprint rather than donate money. This was her first trip and through 216 pledges and people taking 346 actions she saved just over 16 tonnes of carbon, which amounts to "600,000 balloons full", or the equivalent of 83 flights from London to Morocco. You can see the type of actions listed on the website – www.justsaving.org

1.    What inspired you to ride to Morocco?
I had wanted to visit Morocco for years but I didn’t like the idea of flying for just a short break. Some flights are justified, and I am the first to admit that the world is not going to kick its airborne habits, but knowing the impacts of flying I just couldn’t bring myself to do it for such a self indulgent holiday. 

 The romance of a big bicycle adventure had a magical appeal and I had come up with this new sponsorship idea, and was simply longing for an opportunity to test it out.

2.    How did you come up with the idea for pledge sponsorship?
Essentially, I wanted to use the challenge to raise support for climate change but I didn’t like the idea of asking friends for money. I knew they were all getting tired of endless fundraising requests, and given the financial climate people didn’t have all that much cash to be throwing around anyway.

I realised that climate change doesn’t need people’s money as much as it needs their action, and so the idea was born: why not ask sponsors to give action, not cash? Why not use the sponsorship mechanism itself as a means to reach those people that the environmental charities would spend £100,000’s trying to reach?

3.    What have you done to reduce your own emissions and what was the hardest thing?
For years I have been doing all the small things I can, slowly integrating them in my way of life (often to the annoyance of my family or housemates!) – from being frugal with the heating to cutting right down on the meat, saving sizzling sausages for special occasions only; from selling my car to taking my coffee mug with me everywhere I go.

The self control required to stop myself jetting back to Canada to visit my great friends over there has been pretty tough though, but it’s definitely been aided by the financial constraints of starting up my own business.

I think the hardest thing I’ve done has been becoming a home owner. Suddenly those big-buck, big-energy options have opened up to me, and the responsibility weighs heavily on my shoulders. It’s a classic draughty Victorian townhouse; finding the time and the money to raise it from its lowly ‘F’ rating has been seriously hard, especially given that I’m currently working 24/7 on JustSaving and am yet to see a paycheque.  But the first step is about to be put in place – the windows are finally being draft proofed... this winter is going to be bliss!

4.    Are you planning on any new challenging events in the near future?
Yes! But not just for me... I am busy working on the new website at the moment, which will enable thousands of others to use the novel sponsorship tool. I have some exciting plans brewing for some pretty huge, mass participation challenges to tie in with the launch of the new site, which should take place towards the end of this year. Watch this space! (And if you want to get involved, let me know - I’ll be needing all the help I can get!).