Tag Archives: trudi bishop

Opinion: How will we adapt to a post-coronavirus economy? – Trudi Bishop

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By the time this goes to print the state of the COVID-19 pandemic will be in a very different place than it is now so bear with me.

We are experiencing unprecedented times. The pandemic is not just affecting the health of the global population, but it is also having an effect on the health and wellbeing of the planet as a whole. Due to the various lockdowns we have seen a significant reduction in air pollution over these countries. To give some context (but not wanting to downplay the significance of the pandemic), according to WHO, air pollution kills almost 7million people every year. But this barely gets a mention in people’s conversations or on the news.

Every day our children walk to school they breathe in the poisons from our commuters’ cars (it’s also worth recognising children in buggies are at the same height as a car exhaust) yet we don’t seem to find social media meme’s saying ‘stay safe’ for our kids but simply accept this is how life is.

With the sudden and exponential onset of COVID-19 we are seeing businesses having to rethink their whole way of operating. Working from home has become the ‘right and safe thing to do’. Amazon has stopped all ‘non-essential’ deliveries. With these small changes we will see an immediate positive effect on our children’s wellbeing.

Beyond this, as public events, sports and schools close we will be ‘forced’ to spend more time with each other as families. This may be a little daunting for some, but it can also be seen as an opportunity. We have the chance to reconnect with our children and allow life to slow down to really think on what is important. As the UK is not in full lock down it also allows us to reconnect with, notice and appreciate nature.

The ‘business as usual’ mentality has had to change in light of this tragedy. Attitudes to our consumption behaviour have changed whether through necessity (due to lack of goods) or due to focussing on our health and wellbeing. And despite the selfish act of stockpiling by many people, it has also brought out the good in humanity. We have neighbourhoods looking out for the elderly and housebound by buying and delivering goods for them. Behaviour has changed and it is the more positive results of the pandemic that I hope we can show children on how society really can be.

But what happens once the pandemic passes and business as usual returns? The economic scars could be long and deep. There will be the temptation (as we see in China already loosening rules on pollution) to ramp up production and put the long-term negative effects on the environment aside for short term monetary gain to get us all ‘back on track’.

Surely as we all have to rethink how we work, live and shop, this presents us with the opportunity to make the permanent and systematic shift toward a better future, giving us a very real chance of saving humanity and the precious environment.

We owe it to our children and we owe it to ourselves.

Opinion: International trust and how to keep our young consumers onside – Trudi Bishop

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In my on-going battle against plastic waste, I have previously written that it was time for brands to be more public about the actions they’re taking to be more sustainable. Consumers aren’t looking for perfection, but they are looking for action. 

Action by brands leads to increased trust and loyalty. For younger consumers, the lack of trust and belief in the actions of adults is growing. This is partially a result of living their entire lives surrounded by the effects of global warming and by news of the climate emergency. All the while, watching politicians declare a climate emergency on one hand, and voting for airport expansion on the other.

They are angry. They are frustrated. They are looking for leadership. Most importantly they want action.  

By the time we reach the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals’ deadline many of the children currently playing with our products or watching our content will still only just be coming to the end of their teens. The future they face is an uncertain one.

In Greta Thurnberg’s speech to the UN last September she said, “… as young people begin to understand adults’ betrayal of the planet… the eyes of future generations will be watching”.  

The lack of action and broken promises by politicians and brands on the climate emergency has led to an increase in anxiety in children about the effects of global warming.  

More than 1000 clinical psychologists have signed an open letter highlighting the impact of the climate crisis on people’s mental health, in particular the mental wellbeing of children.

The psychologists have suggested that actions by and with their trusted adults can help to mitigate the potential climate anxiety in younger children. 

As a child’s world is small, the actions need to be local, simple and relevant as does the language used when speaking about the climate crisis with children.

Parents and schools can help by doing local litter picks with the children or simple research projects about the environment and how to look after it.

But what of brands and content creators? Brand loyalty starts at a very young age often helped by the brands parents have an affinity with. It is with them that trust in the action of adults and the mitigation of climate anxiety can happen. 

The revamping of trusted favourites such as The Wombles will give children and parents relatable local actions to follow in a fun way. Songs such as Nick Cope’s “Plastic Bag” help teach children about plastic pollution in a gentle, informative way. 

Content creators can use their platforms to inform and entertain making positive environmental behaviours part of a child’s everyday life. 

By starting with the brands children know and love, solutions to the climate crisis can become accessible for the young without scaring them.