Our Story
Genesis
Like most things, MovingBeyond began with a conversation amongst friends back on January 5th 2019 – originating around one question:
How can we do more to remedy the human and climate emergencies that we are facing?
Since that breakfast, the emerging science and societal signposts tell us daily that the decade to 2030 will be pivotal in shaping the future.
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow, more commonly referred to as COP26, was an impetus for this group to create something that could help catalyse the UK response to Net Zero ambitions.
MovingBeyond COP
What unfolded was ‘MovingBeyondCOP’ – seeking to bring together those who understand the scale of the crisis, and who recognise the same north star: accelerating the energy transition and building a sustainable and inclusive future for all.
Co-founded by Simon Milton and Jamie Anley and co-led with Maria O’Connor, the aim was to break down the silos and barriers between business, government and civic society, by creating a safe place for leaders to speak honestly about the challenges they face and find exciting collaborators to help them move forward.
A growing community
For the last few years, our efforts have been centred around an annual immersive three-day event convening different parts of society. Here, we attempt to address key issues, work together to find solutions and connect back to nature and ourselves.
Each year our community grows, and our team gains deeper insights into what is needed and how we can meet the emerging challenges.
On the final day of our first event, we were spontaneously renamed by Jamie as simply ‘MovingBeyond’. By harnessing the power of a diverse collective of change-makers, we exist to help society ‘Move Beyond’ blind spots, biases, and stagnant paradigms, and work towards a better world. Together.
But MovingBeyond really is what every participant makes of it. This might lead to a new initiative or important new friendships. What unifies us is a feeling of now being part of and together shaping what MovingBeyond’s legacy will be.
Our journey
Reawakening our sense of belonging
Our first event was held in Scotland in September 2021 at the Findhorn Ecovillage and in collaboration with the charitable trust of the same location, The Findhorn Foundation (est. 1972)
The Findhorn Foundation is also an NGO associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information, holder of UN Habitat Best Practice designation and is co-founder of the Global Ecovillage Network and Holistic Centres Network.
Here we learned the power of true community and we strengthened our sense of humanity. After so much isolation due to the pandemic, previously disparate voices came together and it was powerful.
We created a safe space for senior business leaders and community activists to talk not only about professional concerns with regards to climate change, but to also open up about their personal challenges too. We realised that so much of what has gone wrong has been because we don’t get enough opportunities to lay down our job titles, and strategise from the heart whilst being inspired by nature’s wisdom, hopes and dreams.
Re-named spontaneously on the third day of the gathering to simply ‘MovingBeyond…’ the event revealed that the road to Net Zero UK by 2035 could not be focused simply on the COP event or even on topics such as de-carbonisation. Rather, there is a whole ecosystem of methods that need to be attended to. More than this, MovingBeyond revealed to us all that there is critical work to do on a personal level, for us as human beings to fully engage in the mission before us.
National ambition, regional inspiration
Whilst we loved our time in Findhorn, with the clue being in the name we decided to keep moving. We were inspired by attendee Jane Davidson, amongst others, and decided to take MovingBeyond to Wales.
Now Chair of Wales Net Zero 2035, Jane is a former politician who served as Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in Wales. Jane is known globally for proposing what became the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 – the first piece of legislation in history to place regenerative and sustainable practice at the heart of government.
We made a temporary home in Fforest and connected with nature as our event was nestled in 200 acres of farmland flanked by the panoramic Teifi Marshes to one side, Cilgerran gorge to the other, with the Teifi river flowing serenely through. We learned about the local challenges and the innovative ways that communities in Wales were moving forward with sustainable action and Net Zero ambitions.
We also learned that the MovingBeyond community was ready to hone in and put theory into practice. We now needed to focus the galvanised energy and find a place where our beliefs around radical collaboration at the intersection of business, government and community sector could really be tested.
Test the theories, focus the energy
Given our interest in the potent intersection of business, government and civil society, in 2023 MovingBeyond decided to head to the North East with the ambition to step more deeply into local communities. Identified by the UK Government in its industrial decarbonisation strategy, the Tees Valley seeks to be a global leader in clean energy, low carbon and hydrogen, providing good jobs with long-term prospects that local people can access.
Here, we had representation from the Tees Valley Combined Authority alongside local borough councils, businesses, charities, and voluntary groups. We visited local colleges, innovation centres and community projects. We connected to the long and rich industrial history here. We swam in the Tees Valley river.
Whilst we were made aware of the very real social, economic and environmental issues still alive here, we left overwhelmingly inspired by the commitment and tenacity of the local people. Through the work already done and the plans for the years ahead, it seemed clear to us that there is a real commitment by this region to be at the forefront of the U.K. Net Zero effort.
