The Mission Of CAT: Introduction to the Centre for Alternative Technology

As part of our quarterly charity donation, UX Connections are happy to support an environmental organisation working towards a zero carbon world! The organisation is called Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), and we are excited to champion their cause by making a £1,000 donation to support their work to create a better world for us and future generations.

What is CAT?

CAT is an educational charity, founded in 1973, with a purpose of sharing knowledge, research and solutions to sustainability issues. Their mission is to “inspire, inform and enable humanity to respond to the climate and biodiversity emergency”. Thus, they are passionate about enabling change for all. Facing a climate crisis and governments who are falling behind on action, this kind of organisation is vital to reach the goals we collectively need to reach. CAT takes the responsibility to communicate to everyone, from stakeholders in government to children in school, in order to really make an impact on sustainability.

CAT’s goal

CAT is constantly working against the clock to help humanity reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2007, CAT has focused on the Zero Carbon Britain project. This project provides a model on how Britain can reduce carbon emissions using today’s technology. The goal is to reach net-zero emissions by 2040. For the UK to achieve this, CAT is providing helpful materials for organisations and companies on how they can realistically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

CAT’s offerings

In order to educate and inspire all sections of society (the government, communities, councils, large organisations and individuals) CAT offers a variety of services. They conduct research reports and have a free information service on their website that functions as a guide to everyone wanting to make changes. They give advice and practical tips on various topics such as using wind turbines, natural building materials, energy saving at home, reducing water use, and home composting. CAT also offers webinars, events and innovation lab processes. For those who want to learn more, CAT offers MSc in subjects such as green building and sustainable food and natural resources, as well as short courses. These allow attendees to learn more about a range of topics, such as  sustainability issues, renewable energy and ecology.

Why CAT?

At UX Connections, we encourage our employees to speak up about matters they believe are important, and we’re always here to listen. So, as part of our quarterly charity donation, we asked the team what they wanted to help support. The issue of sustainability echoed around the room, and so we took action. We asked peers and colleagues what organisations were fighting to help tech become more sustainable, and that’s when we found CAT. Their work instantly stood out to us as something we needed to get behind, and so we did! We are proud to support CAT, and their mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The practical guides they provide are a necessity for us to learn how we can join the fight and reach the goal of net-zero emissions by 2040, and we encourage you to visit their website and learn more about their goals.

Click here to learn about donating to CAT!