In this guest blog, resident and Eastside Climate Leadership programme participant Ruth Nortey shares an update on the launch of the ‘Climate Justice in Action’ podcast series and magazine. The project was commissioned by Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership as part of the National Lottery-funded Community Climate Action Project, which Eastside Community Trust has been a part of since 2020.

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My name is Ruth Nortey, and I am a local resident of BS5. During the spring and summer of 2025, I spoke to different people working or interested in climate justice issues, to understand how different groups are represented in climate action work. Working alongside two other local residents Dr Naralie Hyacinth (Podcast Producer) and Ellie Shipman (Illustrator and Magazine Creator), these conversations were turned into four podcasts and a magazine called Climate Justice in Action. It was a creative commission for Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership as part of their National Lottery funded Community Climate Action Project. 

Inspired by the stories and experiences shared in Eastside Community Trust’s climate action leadership workshops last year I wanted to celebrate some of the great climate action work across Bristol. Since becoming involved in climate action work I’ve become interested in how different communities are represented in actions to reduce the impact of climate change. As a disabled woman of African heritage, I was particularly interested in how people from the community of Disabled people and people from Global Majority backgrounds (a term used to describe people of African, Asian, Indigenous, Latin American or mixed heritage backgrounds) are represented in climate action work. 

The four-episode series features local voices from BS5 including Eastside Community Trust’s Emily Fifield, Abiir Shirdoon, and former chair Manu Maunganidze all sharing their experiences of working on climate action in the local area. 

Whilst making this podcast I had so many interesting discussions and learnt a lot about how different groups are represented in climate action work. For me, the conversations highlighted how climate action work by people from Global Majority backgrounds is often overlooked by many mainstream environmental organisations. Particularly when it comes to learning from communities in the Global South already living with the impact of climate change. 

I was also struck by how the needs and priorities of Disabled people are often missing from climate action. There was a common theme that people from both communities felt excluded or left out of conversations around climate action because of the over complicated words or jargon used in climate action work. From the conversations that I had it was clear that in using more accessible everyday language more people could understand the impact of the climate emergency and how to take action. 

My hope with the podcast was to highlight and celebrate some of the stories and knowledge from Disabled people and people from Global Majority communities involved in climate action work. It’s just a snapshot of some of the great work being carried out across the city.  

After listening to the podcast or reading the magazine, I’d love for people working in the sector to reflect on their work and take steps to make their work more inclusive. There is a growing movement of Disabled people and people from Global Majority communities becoming leaders in climate action work. I would like to see this continue and for the environmental sector to become a more welcoming and inclusive space for people of all backgrounds. 

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You can read the Climate Justice in Action magazine HERE