The sixth and final carbon conversation (1) took place on Monday June 24, 2024, in the premises of the Vatan intercommunal library. In the Champagne Boischauts community of communes, carbon conversations were able to be launched thanks to the European project “Life – Let’s go 4 climate”, a project coordinated by the Centre-Val de Loire region.
Nathalie and Adèle, trained by the négaWatt institute, are the facilitators, that is to say they lead and intervene during the workshops. « Pour each workshop of six times two hours, six people are brought together. No more than ten, however, to allow everyone to exchange and share experiences. »
“Trying to improve my daily practices”
The six chapters of their reference manual address fundamental questions: how can I change my habits for a low-carbon future and by what process can I achieve this? Climate change, what to do? Understanding the carbon footprint, matching these fundamentals in daily life, for travel, for the choice of purchases, both for food and for the energy we consume, preserving natural resources of all kinds, consume better… What should we do with waste? Why is change so difficult?
The importance of the personal aspect in these questions finds its resolutions, or its avenues of resolution, around the discussions discussed between participants. For Yvonne, present at these conversation workshops, it is necessary ” at the beginning, understand the meaning of the word carbon. » Among other things, but also realize that common sense and reflex gestures are acquired: “Consume locally, shop locally, practice self-consumption. » For Claire, ” It is curiosity, now I implement what I have learned to try to improve my daily practices. »
Frédérique is restoring a building that she has transformed into a gîte and guest room. The construction is in ecological mode and she hopes to raise awareness among her future customers about water waste, thanks to the installation of equipment that counts the water drained from each shower in her accommodations. She also had her insulation done with natural insulating materials, favoring wood wool.
New workshops in October
Nathalie and Adèle ended this first cycle of carbon conversations with these six meetings. The objective is to start another session from October, and a third in the first half of 2025, still in Vatan. These workshops allow you to benefit from the collective dynamic to find your own levers and act calmly and sustainably in your personal and professional spheres, facing the challenges of tomorrow.
For two years, in voluntary territories such as Champagne Boischauts, four participatory workshops have been organized, and gave birth to four citizen collectives.
For the next second semester workshops in Vatan and Neuvy-Pailloux: looking for people interested in the approach, the only commitment being to follow the six workshops of the cycle. Free and mandatory registration at [email protected]; such. 02.54.49.77.07.
(1) Concept developed by Rosemary Randall and Andy Brown notably in “Ready in time for tomorrow? »
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> Les conversations carbone also address the psychological and emotional dimensions of behavior change. Participants question their personal values, their motivations and the obstacles that hinder their progress. Everyone can work on what drives them, which strengthens their motivation and creates strong commitment.
> The history of the project Carbon conversations began in England in 2005. During a conference, Rosemary Randall (psychotherapist) highlighted the mechanisms that lead to inaction despite incessant warnings about climate change. With Andy Brown, her engineer husband, she is betting on a new awareness-raising method: groups of 6 to 10 people who discuss six times for two hours with the support of two facilitators. In the United Kingdom, the conversations were followed by more than 5,000 people. Carbon conversations have been developing in France for ten years, following a pilot project launched by “La Revue Durable” and the négaWatt Institute in Drôme in 2014. Since then, around 250 facilitators have been trained throughout France.
