British Mountaineering Council

‘Weather’ refers to short-term or daily changes, whereas ‘climate’ is the weather patterns or trends over a long period of time. The BMC understand the importance of adapting to climate change and extreme weather events. 

"We represent a sport where the landscape is inevitably going to change; we are going to see and feel it", says Dr Catherine Flitcroft, BMC's senior policy and campaigns manager.  

For hill walkers, climbers, and mountaineers, climate change is a familiar story; the nature of their sport is changing with the climate. Glaciers are disappearing, winter conditions can’t be relied upon and climbing routes are falling with extreme weather events.  

In recent years, the UK has seen wetter, warmer winters, which means poorer (more dangerous) climbing conditions. Wetter weather also means that windows of time for climbing at seasonal areas are narrower.

In addition, there has been a rise in the number of wildfires during hot, dry summers, particularly in the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales where large areas of moorland have been closed off to the public when the fire severity index is level 4 or 5. 

As BMC members see and feel the direct impacts of a changing climate on their sport, they look to the BMC for leadership and action. This pressure from members provides purpose and drive for the organisation.

The BMC sell tailored adventure sport travel insurance to their members. This income funds many of the BMC’s activities.

Appreciating the importance of this revenue stream, the BMC have considered how to provide this service in the most environmentally responsible way; for example, through travel insurance bookings, encouraging low-carbon behaviours, such as promoting train journey options. 

The BMC Climate Project was born out of the travel insurance and membership offering. The BMC team provide nature-based, local carbon removal projects for members to support in line with their travel emissions.

The BMC appreciate that we cannot ‘offset’ our way out of the climate crisis, but also that participation in sport currently requires fossil fuel-powered transport. The focus is therefore placed on ‘supporting’ these projects, rather than ‘offsetting your travel emissions’. 

‘Nature-based solutions’ are often used for climate change mitigation projects, because natural systems often provide both carbon storage (mitigation) and resilience to extreme weather events (adaptation). Therefore, nature-based projects help restore and protect nature, enhance habitats for local wildlife, and address the climate and biodiversity crises.

The BMC have selected two nature-based, carbon removal projects that are backed by credible science. These projects are focused on restoring natural systems and landscapes that are local and relevant to their sport.  

1. Peat moorlands restoration in the Peak District  
   The BMC Climate Project supports the work of the Moors for the Future organisation to restore peat moorlands in the Peak District. Peat moorlands cover 15% of the UK, but many have been dug up, drained, or destroyed.

   In peat moorlands, a plant called sphagnum moss grows. When growing healthily, sphagnum moss takes as much carbon out of the atmosphere as a tropical rainforest.
    

2. Seagrass planting on the North Wales coast  
   The BMC Climate Project partners with the Seagrass Ocean Rescue project and the North Wales Wildlife Trust to plant seagrass off the coast of North Wales.

   The UK has lost over 90% of its seagrass meadows in the past century, mainly through disease and human-made poor water quality. Seagrasses capture carbon dissolved in our seas at a greater rate than tropical rainforests.

   Carbon is taken from the water and used to build the seagrass’ leaves and roots. Seagrasses are also a vital source of water filtration, sediment stabilisation, and coastal erosion reduction. 

The BMC provide resources for their members online, including: 

• Sustainable Steps – highlighting opportunities for environmental sustainability in daily lives.  
• BMC Community Liftshare site – to reduce the number of cars on the road, reduce carbon emissions, and ease car park capacities at popular venues.
• BMC Recycling Centre – list of retailers and organisations who can help re-use, repair, or recycle old or unwanted clothing and outdoor kit.

This enables BMC to practise what they preach and lead the way for their members and clubs.

The BMC will update their Climate and Sustainability Plan every two years. Each department within the BMC has a climate lead and will host organisation-wide workshop sessions to best understand the opportunities across the organisation.  

“The workshops tend to be really enjoyable, and an important part of the process – to show that it’s not just one person working in a silo, this needs to be a team effort, " says Dr Flitcroft.

The BMC have taken the following sustainability actions: 

• Became a United Nations Sports for Climate Action signatory.  
• Switched to a renewable electricity supplier.
• Begun to measure and manage waste generated.
• Removed single-use plastics in their office and at BMC events.
• Educating employees on climate change.
• Created sustainable event checklists for staff and members alike.

The volunteering opportunities associated with the projects have also been very popular, allowing members to physically engage with a climate change solution.

The Climate Project has been great reputationally for the BMC, with the projects helping market the BMC to prospective members by showing that they are out there, working to restore the landscapes they love.