This statement of intent outlines how the North West Migrants Forum will embed sustainability and climate justice across every programme. It is co-authored with youth, women’s, and grassroots groups who are already leading climate action.
The North West Migrants Forum (NWMF) is resolutely committed to confronting the urgent challenges posed by the climate crisis.
With a strong foundation in community engagement, our team, supporters, and beneficiaries come from areas greatly impacted by climate change. This connection compels us to adopt and advocate for sustainable practices — encompassing reduction, reuse, recycling and repurposing efforts. We are dedicated to cultivating an environment of ongoing education on climate action, aiming to transform our community into one that is not only aware of but also actively engaged in implementing viable climate solutions.
Our operational strategies are carefully crafted to minimise our carbon footprint, including the adoption of digital communication methods, commitment to waste recycling, active participation in litter-picking initiatives and heightened awareness of environmental issues. By incorporating environmental policies and impact assessments into our projects and fostering partnerships with key organisations such as the Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) and Friends of the Earth, we enhance our collective ability to address environmental challenges effectively.
NWMF is firmly focused on achieving a neutral environmental impact through our activities. Acknowledging the carbon emissions inherent in certain aspects of our work, such as travel, we are committed to offsetting these impacts wherever feasible. Our aim is to empower everyone within the NWMF community, including staff, volunteers, leadership, and beneficiaries, with a thorough understanding of the climate emergency and the critical need for action at both local and global levels.
Our climate action strategy is fundamentally linked to the concept of localism, prioritising efforts that have a direct impact on the communities we serve. This localised approach is vital to our strategy for addressing environmental challenges, ensuring that our initiatives have a meaningful impact.
In practice, we focus on reducing paper usage through digital communications, promoting anti-litter campaigns to improve local environmental quality, and operating in a way that reduces energy consumption and unnecessary travel. Through these actions, NWMF strives to be an exemplar of environmental responsibility, showing that community-based projects can achieve significant positive impacts while maintaining a minimal carbon footprint.
By weaving these commitments and actions into our core operational philosophy, NWMF not only upholds the principles of sustainability and environmental protection but also contributes to global efforts to combat climate change. Our emphasis on education, community involvement, and practical environmental stewardship establishes NWMF as a frontrunner in the global sustainability movement, advocating for a future where community action is a key driver of worldwide environmental initiatives.
Decisions about energy, transport, and green space are led by migrants, Travellers, and racialised communities who are rarely invited to the table.
We link environmental policy to housing quality, border controls, and labour rights so no one is left behind.
Projects connect Derry, Donegal, and Tyrone so rural residents and city dwellers share learning in real time.
These initiatives combine cultural celebration, data, and collective care. They are open for collaboration and funding partnerships.
Volunteers map cold homes and explore collective retrofit solutions with local authorities.
A network that mobilises interpreters, transport, and emergency grants when floods or storms hit marginalised families.
Young people use film and podcasts to challenge narratives that blame migrants for climate breakdown.
Contributors include the African Women’s Forum, community gardeners in Strabane, Donegal Intercultural Platform, and migrant youth climate activists who co-designed the action plans.
Email us to add your name, request a workshop, or fund implementation. We will publish updates quarterly.
Follow our News page for progress reports, funding calls, and opportunities to co-design the next phase.
