C8 overview

To set the agenda for Energy Saving Week 2007 the Energy Saving Trust hosted a very important meeting on the 22nd of October - the C8 Summit. With the hope of setting off a million conversations about climate change right across the UK, the meeting was attended by a special group of representatives - the C8 Group.

Forget the G8, meet the 'C8' (Communities 8). These eight community groups will be encouraging one million conversations about climate change throughout Energy Saving Week that kicked off on Monday. Like the G8, the C8 is made up of important leaders - but these leaders represent everyday influential communities in the UK that have the most potential to drive mass adoption of energy efficient behaviour and reduce the UK's carbon footprint.

On Monday 22nd of October eight senior representatives from the Energy Saving Week C8 group attended a roundtable event hosted and chaired by our Chief Executive Philip Sellwood.

C8 members were selected by the Energy Saving Trust on the back of the launch of the world's first ever climate change Influence Index that measures potential to influence large numbers of people through understanding of green issues, social networks and their community connections. Following a summit on Monday to discuss the best ways to spread the word about climate change through their organisations and networks, representatives from each community today brought their findings to the Government.

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister attended the meeting and said:

"Energy efficiency is firmly on our agenda here and we value the great work that the Energy Saving Trust has done in this area and the potential of its 'C8' partners to spread the message. As the 'C8' has stipulated, saving energy and fighting climate change isn't solely about the Government taking action, it is also about what we can all do as individuals and in our communities".

The C8 summit focused on three key themes:

1. The power of word of mouth
2. Collective action to effect positive change
3. Collective ways to drive personal commitments to save energy and help fight climate change.

Inspired by the following questions, the C8 Group hopes to collectively set off a million conversations - that's at least one conversation by each of their members.

• Who are the people with the power to do most to help fight climate change?

• Which networks have the most potential to reduce the UK?s carbon footprint?

• When it comes to climate change, what kind of ?influencer? is your network/community?

• Power to the people. Who are the men and women crucial to saving the planet?

• How do we start a million conversations to engage UK communities and social networks?