Cowley Climate Collective

In a time of escalating social and environmental crises, the understanding that climate justice is social justice is imperative to building support networks. Attitudes towards social justice differ widely between communities, and understandings of how climate justice feeds into this is equally varied. In CCC, our understanding of what climate action means is framed by the context of the area, and we want to avoid using standardised goals devoid of context, such as carbon footprint, to measure long-term environmental impact. How we treat the environment reflects how we treat each other and one cannot be approached without the other. We cannot forget as well that climate catastrophes are innately unequal processes, impacting black and brown communities, women, and disabled people disproportionately.  Sharing of resources, avoiding waste, and building local support networks create an alternative to the over consumption that fuels environmental crises. We aim to build sustainable and long-lasting community support in Cowley through this lens.

In East Oxford, young people lack affordable space to meet and socialise, as well as space to develop solutions to the issues they face. This is especially true for racially marginalised young people who often face significant material deprivation, as well as exclusion from existing spaces because of the economic barriers. 

CCC prioritises creating spaces for marginalised communities in East Oxford that are shaped and run by local young people. These spaces facilitate mutual support networks that are learning to address the needs of the East Oxford community. Importantly, these networks also embed an understanding of shared struggle and mutual aid with our wider international community, especially communities in the Global South impacted by colonialism. 

Young people cannot act alone and our events aim to be places of community, education and material support for all ages and backgrounds - all through a collective approach where we learn from each other. CCC organises projects in East Oxford including; a youth space; community solidarity days that meet social and food-related needs; and fundraisers and film nights which focus on issues faced by those in the Global South. We believe these events reflect our understanding of the needs in East Oxford and our connected communities.