How to have a Sharing Economy COP26?

The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. GLOBAL LEADERS WILL NEGOTIATE A NEW DEAL TO STALL RISING GLOBAL TEMPERATURES.

The UK’s sharing economy enables its participants to make more sustainable choices

The sharing economy allows people to unlock the value of assets, connect with local communities, and to increase productivity by enabling the trade of space, skills, and their stuff. The UK’s sharing economy can play an important role in uniting the nation to tackle climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change will be critical to meet the goals of the Paris agreement. We believe that by changing consumer habits in our daily lives, everyone can make an impact in helping accelerate action towards the COP26 goals. This can we done through the sharing economy, with it’s rental, reuse and peer to peer models which are inherently more sustainable.

Through the power of digital technologies, anyone with access to a smartphone (projected to be 94% of total population by 2025[1]) or the internet will be able to make a sustainable difference by participating in the sharing economy. With innovation at its core, the industry offers a range of green options for consumers to consider, from car to clothes sharing. Alongside the consumer side of the transaction, a recent report from the British Business Bank highlights the crucial role smaller businesses can play in driving the changes required in the UK’s transition to a net zero economy - including sharing economy start ups.

JULIET ECCLESTON, CHAIR OF THE CBI SHARING ECONOMY COUNCIL SAID:

“As more people begin to use sharing platforms, the concept of sharing rather than owning is moving beyond something that's acceptable in society to something that's desirable. Powered by a wave of recognition for a more sustainable way of living, people are also recognising the cost savings and new opportunities that utilising sharing platforms open up. The huge challenge brought about by climate change can seem simply too big for individual people to tackle alone. Sharing platforms enable this. Whether it's a journey shared or an item rented, you become part of the mass movement of people taking action and making a visible difference.”

By making positive greener steps to share more and waste less, each of us can play a part in creating a mass movement in the lead up to COP26, showing how small actions culminate in large collective action. We fully support the #OneStepGreener initiative and hope to inspire others with this article on how to make a difference for the planet.

[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/553707/predicted-smartphone-user-penetration-rate-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/

Liftshare

The Liftshare Group is an award-winning technology provider dedicated to decarbonising the commute. The UK’s oldest and largest car-sharing Platform, working with 700 of the UK’s leading employers, Liftshare For Work schemes have saved their communities over 1 billion miles over the last decade. With 22 years of behaviour change expertise, the Group developed the Mobilityways Platform, a suite of software tools that enables employers to evidence, track, plan and change their commuter emissions to support employers meet their net zero goals.”

SKOOT

Where SKOOT cannot reduce, they use in-built auto offsetting, with tree planting in their site in Kenya. SKOOT’s Management Portal helps identify and report Scope 3 emissions, reporting the reduced, avoided and offset, including staff leaderboards for gamification. Our journey’s just begun, but over, 160k green miles, 620tonnes of CO2 offset, 114,000 trees planted.

Airbnb

Around 30,000 government representatives, media and campaigners from around the world are expected to attend the landmark climate conference, creating pressure on local accommodation providers. According to the Glasgow Convention Bureau hotel room capacity in Greater Glasgow is limited to just 15,000 rooms*. To help local families, businesses and communities economically benefit from this important event and to support the climate debate with world leaders, Airbnb is offering a £100 travel coupon to anybody that hosts their first Airbnb guest in Glasgow during the COP26 dates (1-12 November). 

TrustedHousesitters

Slow, purposeful travel through house sitting; no contribution to over-tourism — most sits take place in off-the-beaten-path locations, away from busy city centres. Less environmental impact from transport — the average sit duration is 10+ days. No incremental carbon footprint in sitter holiday accommodation (utilities/property are already there). Sitters get a real reason to travel, and enjoy the company of pets

Bundlee

With sharing at the core of their model, Bundlee give parents a convenient way to always have the right size clothes in the home, whilst getting access to quality clothes at a more affordable price. Bundlee’s model saves 86% of the CO2e and 96% of the blue water consumption in comparison to buying baby clothes new. Already the startup has saved 30,000kg CO2e and 5 million litres of water. Their vision is to create a better future for babies to grow into.

By Rotation

As a constantly improving business, By Rotation strive to better sustainability credentials with innovations such as the carbon emissions calculator feature in our app. Earlier this year in April 2020, they created a proprietary ‘Impact Scale’ app feature which was integrated into the rental check-out process. The feature helps track the positive savings rotators have made by renting rather than buying - they can see just how much textile waste, water and CO2 they are saving by renting a particular item instead of purchasing it.

RentMy

Through sharing everyday items we can reduce our individual carbon footprints and collectively make an impact on reducing the unnecessary waste created by buying something and only using it once. A community who shares will benefit from a greater social experience all whilst helping the environment - a winning combination for a brighter future.

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Here’s our guide on how to have a sharing economy COP26

HOW TO GET TO COP26?

Choose vehicle sharing

COP26 will be hosted in Glasgow, which was chosen by the UK due to its experience, commitment to sustainability and world-class facilities. Making use of shared transport services like Liftshare, the UK's biggest car sharing community and SKOOT, the only carbon negative green navigation app for drivers, to travel to the venue reduces vehicle emissions and is a good way to make better use of under utilised resources.

“A car with two people in is twice as efficient and half as expensive as it is with one – even more so if you can fill the other seats, of which there are 47m empty on our roads every rush hour!”

— Liftshare

“SKOOT’s carbon negative green technology platform helps businesses and communities identify, offset and avoid CO2 emissions for all car travel whether for every drive by using our patented App with in-built navigation, or carpooling (avoiding CO2). ”

WHERE TO STAY FOR COP26?

Choose accommodation sharing

Shared accommodation providers like Airbnb and global pet sitting community TrustedHousesitters are a lower cost and sustainable option for travel, providing authentic unique experiences whilst helping local communities. Airbnb is offering communities in Glasgow and surrounding areas an incentive to start hosting and be a part of history in response to concerns of a shortage of accommodation during COP26.

“I’m delighted for Glasgow to host such an event. It is exciting to be a Host to someone who will be making a difference, the ultimate guest who comes with a great purpose. It feels like I’m taking part in COP26 even though I’m not a delegate”

— Philippa Farnese, Airbnb host

“We’re changing the way people travel by building a global house sitting community that values trust, respect and sharing. By offering a slow, purposeful alternative to travel, we help make a positive impact to the lives of pets, people — and the planet!”

— TRUSTEDHOUSESITTERS

WHAT TO WEAR FOR COP26?

Choose clothES SHARING

A great way to make sustainable choices is to utilise existing resources, including in fashion with rental options. Sharing economy businesses Bundlee and By Rotation are proving clothing options for consumers from the very youngest in age to challenge overconsumption habits. The sharing economy helps to prolong the life cycle of unused clothing in wardrobes, which is estimated to be £30 billion in value (WRAP).

“Babies outgrow 7 clothing sizes in their first 2 years. Started to give parents a better alternative to buying clothes that will just be outgrown, Bundlee is the UK’s first rental subscription service for baby clothes. Through Bundlee’s innovative model, parents can rent clothes for their baby and swap as they grow.”

“Our business model is entirely built on sustainability, our priorities are to remain digital, enhance the user’s journey through our in-house developed machine learning tools, not to purchase inventory for the business and include a wide audience from all over the UK, and eventually globally. Our community and technology are our strengths. ”

— by rotation

WHAT TO USE AT COP26?

Choose stuff sharing

COP26 will be an event like no other, a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness history in the making. We recommend sourcing second hand items or renting equipment such as bikes, cameras or video recorders from sharing economy businesses like RentMy to capture any special moments. By reusing ‘stuff’ through rental models we are facilitating the shift from linear to circular and sharing economies.

“Harnessing the power of the sharing and circular economies will engage our communities and create a new perspective on our social interactions. RentMy aims to challenge and grow this to empower it’s users to consider the climate and make small changes towards a greener economy.”

Reducing ownership and waste through the power of the sharing economy can help against the threat of climate change. We must all work together and make conscious consumer decisions to better protect our people and planet, ensuring a greener future for us all.

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Read more about our sustainability focused members here:

Sustainability in fashion How By Rotation – a sharing economy start-up – is changing habits one rental at a time.

An antidote to fast fashion Entrepreneur Eve Kekeh believes any new business should be a force for good, so she’s introducing sustainability to the very youngest of consumers.