Standing with Greta Thunberg at the Climate Strike in Bristol
We encouraged all of our staff to join the climate strike in Bristol, this is what happened.
It takes something fairly unprecedented for a business to tell its workforce to go on strike. But that is what happened at Good Energy when Greta Thunberg, the global climate activist, came to Bristol.
Having supported the youth strikes in Bath and Bristol before, when we heard the news that Greta Thunberg was planning to come to Bristol, we knew we had to stand with her and the youth strike movement that is calling for urgent climate action.
As Fran Woodward, our People and Customer Operations Director, put it: “We wouldn’t normally do this, but I felt we needed to. It’s why this company exists, so the decision was a no-brainer really.”
One of the team, Johanna Pettipher, had only recently joined us as an accounts specialist. She explained that “In my last job I had to take a day off work to go on the last climate strike. My passions are now aligned with my company’s and I hope that as a collective we can encourage more people to show their support for making a difference. Protesting is the best way to tell the world that we are ready for better.”
Around 30,000 people are estimated to have joined the strike, with our people bolstering the numbers, visible with yellow banners and placards.
Greta made a rousing speech, making it clear that“We will not be silenced, because we are the change. And change is coming whether you like it or not.”
We will not be silenced, because we are the change. And change is coming whether you like it or not.
– Greta Thunberg
The Good Energy team also wore custom t-shirts for the march. Printed on organic cotton in a renewable powered factory by our customer Teemill, which is the first company in the world to ever create a ‘circular’ t-shirt — t-shirts made from recycled, old t-shirts. The designs are available in various sizes and on tote bags from our Teemill store, where all profits go towards WWF UK’s emergency Australia appeal.
