What is COP30?
COP30 is the 30th annual UN climate meeting. It is meeting in Brazil between Monday 10 November to Friday 21 November 2025.
They publish daily agendas and lots of videos, news items, daily photo highlights and all kinds of information on the COP30 website here - you can watch many events live or on-demand.
COP stands for "Conference of the Parties". "Parties" refers to the nearly 200 countries that have signed up to the original UN climate agreement of 1992.
What does it mean for us in Norwood?
No need to travel to Brazil, there is plenty happening locally.
Norwood Forum has been raising awareness of the bigger environmental picture and identifying ways in which we can focus on grass roots change for many years: what can we do that doesn't - quite literally - cost the earth.
During COP30 we will be posting news items below and across our social channels highlighting local projects including our own Green Norwood, and hopefully providing some inspiration too.
Remember Green Norwood are holding two more public workshops on 18 and 22 November - find those details here:- we very much hope to see many of you at one of them.
Monday 10 November
Norwood Forum would like to mark the start of COP30 in Brazil today with a good news story from our local neighbourhood relating to the Transport for London's (TfL) Travel for Life programme.
The number of Lambeth schools who have been awarded gold in the ‘Travel for Life’ programme has doubled from eight to sixteen and those achieving bronze from four to fourteen.
We would particularly like to congratulate Rosendale Primary School who won gold in September 2024 and Rosemead Preparatory School who were awarded the same gold recognition recently in September 2025. Full story here
Tuesday 11 November
At COP30 today in Brazil they were looking at progress on the Paris Agreement (keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius).
But - what can we do?
All of Norwood Forums environmental work sits under our 'Green Norwood' banner and we will be hosting two further workshops (18 and 22 Nov) as we develop new strands of work. Everyone is very welcome to attend.
The outcomes from the workshop we held in September and our recent survey, as well as times and venue details for the coming workshops can be found here.
Wednesday 12 November
A renewables revolution
At COP30, the talk has been about a 'renewables revolution' across the globe. Already in the UK, renewable energy is generating about half of our electricity.
Norwood Forum's Green Norwood project wants to help make solar power a reality for our community. Read our full News story here
Thursday 13 November
Our environmental story today (focusing on the local during COP30 in Brazil) it to highlight a community campaign for better connectivity between West Dulwich, Dulwich Village and Herne Hill. Solutions being suggested include rerouting the 201 and improving the quality of service of the P4. Norwood Forum offers our full support to this campaign and encourage local residents to sign this petition. Read all about the campaign and sign the petition here.
Norwood Forum has been lobbying on behalf of residents for better East/West bus services in the area both to Lambeth and Transport for London (TfL) through our elected representatives and direct. Improved orbital routes is an issue that gets brought up frequently - it was one of the major pieces of feedback received from our ongoing community engagement on Public Transport and Active Travel and this campaign aligns with those goals. TfL have altered the route of the 45 which now runs from Elephant & Castle to Morden, now combining a different service, so there is precedent for extending routes such as the 201.
We are pleased a new Superloop 15 bus service is also being consulted upon and the proposed 201 extension would compliment this welcome addition if it is approved. Have your say here.
A display of community support can really help shape decisions made at TfL at a moment when budgets are being allocated - so we really urge everyone to get involved.
14 November 2025
Help yourself whilst you help the planet
It pays to check your favourite retailers latest offers for helping the planet and your purse!
Offers available now:
Earn 100 vantage points at Boots for 5 packs of your used blister and vitamin packs. Boots will give advantage card points on your Boots app.
Earn 5p vouchers at Sainsbury’s , 10p vouchers at Iceland and Tescos and 100 points at Morrisons for bottle returns.
Earn £5 voucher from Curry for old computers or laptops no matter where they were originally bought.
15 November 2025
Recycling electronic goods
Did you get this leaflet through your door recently?
Brazil launched a campaign: Sumaúma Digital Challenge, to recycle electronic goods in advance of hosting COP30. This campaign led to the collection of 200 tonnes of electronic waste in just one week, far exceeding targets.
Inspired by this, Norwood Forum highlights here corresponding efforts by Lambeth Council after the leaflet above was recently distributed to residents. The leaflet shares an important link to useful information about how and where to recycle and gives details about the environmental, health and economic benefits of recycling electronic goods, one of the fastest growing sources of waste. Read our full story including other tips on recycling electronic goods here.
16 November 2025
Recycling - every little helps - nothing is too small
We shine a light on three examples of recycling available from local businesses:
Superdrug (blister packs), Community Tech Aid (old tech equipment), Woodfall Opticians (glasses).
Full details here
17 November 2025
The nights are drawing in, the temperatures are dropping
...and our thoughts turn to making our homes a welcoming place to be. For many people that’s synonymous with lighting their fire or wood burning stove. This is even after the changes in regulation to control the wood burnt to less polluting types. Yet very few if any provide the main, let alone only, heat source for residents. Did you know that wood burning stoves produce as much PM2.5 pollution as cars in Lambeth - see Lambeth Air Quality Action Plan - consultation on this is currently underway, please contribute. Read our full News story on wood burning stoves here
18 November 2025
How draughty is your home?
It’s that time of year again – weighing up the financial and environmental costs of putting the heating on. Luckily, living in a more sustainable way can save you money and there is help available online and in our neighbourhood.
The Energy Saving Trust has lots of good advice about what we can do to reduce our energy bills and keep our homes more comfortable; their top tip is to draught proof our homes. The Library of Things has worked with local councils and community organisations to allow you to book and borrow a thermal imaging camera for free in November and December. We can use the Library of Things in Upper Norwood Library (Crystal Palace). They supply all the instructions for the camera so that you can use it to find and fix those draughty cold areas of your home that are costing you money and comfort.
19 November 2025
Our Green Norwood/COP30 story today looks ahead to this coming weekend and ways to get directly involved. First off on Saturday we have another #GreenNorwood workshop, this time in The Hope Pub Community Room - please join us at 11am as we continue to build an action plan. Then on Sunday join Open Orchard and the SE27 Gardeners in helping maintain our pavement beds along Norwood Road - meet at Butter Up Coffee in Tulse Hill at 10am. Details on both can be found on our Events webpage
20 November 2025
COP30 in Brazil this year has made water saving and security a central pillar of its climate action agenda. In addition, flood prevention is being discussed as a critical component of climate change adaptation and resiliance strategies, where coastal flood prevention represents the single highest adaptation cost globally.
Whilst Norwood is clearly not under threat from coastal flooding, it includes areas at high risk of flooding, particularly locations near to the subterranean river Effra. Each degree of increased heat allows 7% more moisture to be held in the atmosphere, making flooding much more likely and storms more severe. Local at-risk areas include Gipsy Hill and West Dulwich, with the most at-risk locations to the south and east of West Norwood Station, the area south of Tulse Hill Gyratory, parts of West Dulwich between the South Circular and the Cemetery and locations around Norwood Park. Full story here