Climate Cymru Ethnic Minorities Network (CCEM)

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About

Climate Cymru Ethnic Minorities (CCEM) is an independent, self-determined network established in July 2021 by Climate Cymru Ambassadors.

CCEM provides a vibrant platform for individuals and organisations of ethnic minority heritage living in Wales. It is a space to connect, collaborate, and strengthen advocacy on the climate crisis, climate justice, and related issues.

Our mission is to amplify underrepresented voices, galvanise collective action, and ensure ethnic minority communities are actively shaping local, regional and national efforts. At the same time, CCEM supports the professional growth and visibility of ethnic minority practitioners within Wales’ environmental and climate sectors.

The Need

There is an observed paucity of members of the ethnic minorities in the Environment & Climate sector in the UK, there’s no documented data at this time for the same in Wales. Given the lived experiences of some of the current constituent members – where we are usually the only ones present as the ‘diversity’ in the room, we can only imagine that the value is much smaller.

The CCEM group is born out of a need to showcase the availability of environmental & climate and related professionals of ethnic minority origins living in Wales by providing an avenue for these individuals to come together, deliberate, build our networks, share resources. We aim to be a vibrant resource group.

Objectives

1. Build Connections

• Establish a vibrant platform for ethnic minority professionals and advocates in Wales’ environmental and climate sectors.
• Foster collaboration, peer support, and resource-sharing across local, regional, and national levels.

2. Increase Visibility & Representation

• Showcase the expertise and contributions of ethnic minority practitioners in climate and environmental work.
• Address the data gap in Wales by amplifying lived experiences and highlighting diverse leadership.

3. Develop Capacity & Leadership

• Provide opportunities for training, mentorship, and professional growth.
• Support ethnic minority voices to access leadership roles and career advancement in the sector.

4. Drive Advocacy & Campaigns

• Ensure ethnic minority communities are actively shaping climate justice campaigns and policy discussions.
• Champion inclusive, community-focused solutions to the climate crisis.

Implementation

The Climate Cymru Ethnic Minorities (CCEM) network is currently hosted by Climate Cymru, providing a dedicated space for connection and collaboration.

We maintain dynamic virtual platforms to keep our network informed and engaged:

• Google Group mailing list for collective planning, resource-sharing, and regular updates.
• WhatsApp group for quick, urgent communications and real-time coordination.

In addition, we meet monthly to review our progress as a network, share experiences, and exchange updates from our members. These sessions strengthen our collective voice and ensure that CCEM remains responsive, inclusive and impactful.

Contact

ccem@climate.cymru