Representation |
Greater representation in the environmental sector and decision-making |
The Ethnic Minority Environmental Network (EMEN)
is a platform and resource for all ethnic minority voices
to engage in climate change issues and policies
and to develop links with environmental stakeholders.
EMEN is facilitated by CEMVO Scotland which is a national intermediary organisation with the aim of building the capacity of the ethnic minority voluntary sector and its communities.
The climate crisis is not merely a complex environmental and scientific issue but one that with all its magnitude and severity, further exacerbates the already increasing inequalities that affect ethnic minority communities. EMEN works with ethnic minority organisations, communities and individuals to build capacity among these groups to develop a collective voice through raising awareness of climate issues, developing a vision of a low carbon society, and contributing to discussions with decision-makers.
One major achievement was our partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful to address the lack of any ethnic minority communities in receiving Climate Challenge Funding (CCF). This partnership was delivered by CEMVO with support from EMEN, and resulted in the number of ethnic minority projects funded through CCF going from 0 to over 150, with over £15 million allocated funds.
What we do
ENABLING the ethnic minority community groups and individuals to come together to discuss and raise awareness of climate change issues.
DEVELOPING a collective vision of a low carbon society.
EMPOWERING a collective and coherent ethnic minority voice on climate change, sustainable development, and environmental issues.
ENGAGING in dialogue with key decision-makers at a local and strategic level.
INCREASING ethnic minority groups and individuals’ participation in relevant stakeholder consultations, events and campaigns.
BUILDING leadership and capacity of network members to advocate and campaign for social & environmental justice.
PROVIDING training and self-development opportunities for members, including Climate Changemakers residential, Leadership Development Programme, Campaigning, Activism, and Public Speaking.
Our Missions
We want to ensure that environmental and climate change efforts are just and represent minority ethnic groups by aiming for:
Capacity |
Build capacity among ethnic minority groups to join forces to raise awareness on climate issues |
Vision |
Develop a vision of a low carbon society |
We envision a world where we have transformed society and the economy to priorise people and environment.
Environment:
We put the environment at the centre of everything we do.
The climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges we face, and we work together to protect the environment’s health because it is inseparable from our lives.
Representation:
We work together with people around the UK to ensure climate justice.
Our approaches to climate change include social, economic, public health, and other adverse impacts on different people.
Community:
We work with diverse communities towards a low carbon society.
Climate change will change the way people live in their built and natural environments. We’re a community, and we’re focused on tackling climate change issues to better our society and our lives.
Meet the EMEN Team
Aekus Kamboj
Ethnic Minority Environmental Officer
Aekus has an academic background in Sociology and Social Ecology from the University of Glasgow. She has been passionately involved in ecological research and debates since 2017 with a particular focus on marine ecosystem restoration strategies.
Aekus also has a keen interest in the global environmental refugee crisis and has carried out research on the effects of climate change on the Rohingya refugee crisis with the Ministry of External Affairs of India. During COP26, Aekus worked with the UNFCCC staff in the press conference rooms and provided special projects’ support to the UN meeting rooms.
As the EMEN Officer, Aekus provides capacity building support to the network members undertaking climate action, supports the Scottish Government in their endeavour to make the green sector an inclusive space for ethnic-minority individuals and organises community engagement activities to work towards the goals of climate justice.
Andrew Williams
Environmental Projects Coordinator
Andrew is a sustainability professional with over 15 years’ experience working in marketing and communications around environmental and social justice issues.
Andrew co-founded one of the first event management agencies in the world to take a sustainable approach to projects in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics.
He sat on the committees which wrote the BS8901 and ISO20121 standards for sustainable event management, and was named a “London Leader” by the Mayor of London.
As part of EMEN, Andrew enjoys connecting, communicating and innovating to amplify the voices of ethnic minority groups in the mainstream environmental sector.
Christopher Clannachan
Environmental Race Equality Officer
Christopher is a law graduate with an LLB in Scots Law and LLM in International Law and European Union Law, with a particular focus on human rights.
Christopher leads our Race Equality Environmental Programme (REEP), which assists mainstream environmental organisations to become more aware of issues around race equality and representation. The programme is funded thanks to support from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.
A highlight of Christopher’s legal career was taking part in the European Human Rights Project in 2018 and mooting in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He was awarded the GlasGO award for international community work when volunteering with refugees in Germany.
During COP26, he took part in an initiative which highlighted how marginalised groups are more likely to be disproportionately affected by climate change.
Through EMEN, Christopher enjoys developing networks with ethnic minority communities and looking at environmental issues through an intersectional lens.
