Stay Onside with Climate Change

Reading Football Club incorporated the climate stripes on the sleeves on the home shirt this season to help visually demonstrate to Royals supporters how global temperatures have risen over many decades.

University of Reading’s Professor Ed Hawkins – inventor of the climate stripes – joined the Council’s climate month launch at Bearwood Park Training Ground where the backdrop for the official team photo was Reading Buses’ climate stripes gas-powered bus.

Reading’s now world-famous climate stripes are a visual representation of how temperature has changed over many years, with each stripe representing the (average) temperature over a year. The stripes turn from mainly blue to mainly red in more recent years, illustrating the rise in average temperatures.

The stripes are an effective conversation starter about the warming world and the real risks to humanity of climate change. 

Almost four years ago, in February 2019, Reading Borough Council declared a Climate Emergency on behalf of the community of Reading. The Climate Emergency is everybody’s responsibility, and no one organisation can deliver a net-zero carbon Reading in isolation.

Starting on Monday 7 November the Council will work to educate, engage and inspire residents, businesses and organisations to make positive changes and reduce their carbon footprint.

The four-week campaign will focus on:

• Young people: decarbonisation in local schools and the Schools Climate Conference to be hosted in the Council Chamber on 11 November;
• Action being taken already: through the Reading Climate Emergency Strategy annual report, and the Council’s Carbon Plan;
• Inspiring local communities: to be greener and take action on plastics;
• Raising awareness: of greener leisure facilities, transport options and waste services for Reading;
• Promoting low-cost and no-cost energy efficiency measures: and how residents can access funding and reduce energy bills.

Councillor Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: 

“Like many other places, Reading experienced its hottest day on record this summer on 19 July 2022 when temperatures hit 37.6 ^oC.

“This will not be a one-off. Our own climate stripes clearly illustrate the warming temperature in Reading over many years which, if it continues, will create enormous challenges in terms of the infrastructure we all take for granted and rely on.”

“Despite real progress locally, there remains a huge amount to be done to achieve net zero for the Borough. As we have said on countless occasions, this is something the Council cannot achieve on its own. We need residents, communities, businesses and organisations across Reading to get involved and play their part.”

“I’m delighted that the Council-owned Reading Buses and Reading FC joined Professor Ed Hawkins to launch the Council’s climate month. Both the Bus Company and the Club are doing their bit to highlight awareness of his important climate stripes. More residents, communities, businesses and other organisations across Reading need to get involved to spread the word.”

“Our four-week climate change campaign is an opportunity to learn and be inspired to build a cleaner, greener town. Residents will get the chance to see the decarbonisation work the Council has completed in schools across the town, how the Council is leading by example in reducing its own emissions and to pick up low-cost and no-cost energy efficiency tips as we head in to winter.”

Watch the video from the Reading FC official first team squad photo at Bearwood Park Training Ground kicking-off the council’s climate change month >