Spotlight on Lizzi Testani, CEO of Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership

Occasionally we like to shine the spotlight on our members, and in this case one of the members of the Bristol Initiative. We sat down with Lizzi Testani, CEO of Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership to talk about their work and their relationship with the Bristol Initiative.

Tell us about your role – what do you have responsibility for? What does a typical day look like?

As Chief Executive Officer, I have responsibility for the strategic development and running of Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership – the region’s leading, free membership network for organisations of all sizes that enables positive change around climate, nature and social justice. Place-based climate and nature networks like ours are critical to addressing the climate and nature crises and I spend a lot of time exploring opportunities to expand, fund and develop our work in the city and beyond.

Most days hold something different; I can be working with the team or our many partners on one of our projects or programmes, in meetings with members and stakeholders or attending meetings for the One City Environment Board or Bristol Advisory Committee on Climate Change.

As a Partnership, our work is built on collaborative working and understanding how our network can enable, support and deliver the transition to net zero and nature recovery in a fast and fair way. It can be a complex landscape to navigate and part of my role is understanding that landscape and ensuring we are all working together across projects that deliver impact for local residents and make Bristol a more sustainable, healthier place to live and work.  

What does your organisation do? Why do you like working for them? 

We have over 1,300 members who are all united by our vision of a ‘zero carbon, socially just Bristol where all our communities and nature thrive’. Managing our network enables members to get involved, connect with others, stay informed about what is happening in the city and region as well as learning how their organisations can support the transition through our resources. We deliver a monthly networking event; the Green Mingle and annual larger-scale events and meetings that bring our members together to collaborate and learn from one another. 

We run two major programmes, the Climate Action Programme (CAP) and Community Climate & Nature Action Project (CCNA). CAP supports organisations of any size, sector or starting point to reduce emissions and CCNA is a pioneering bold and fair community-led action that supports communities to lead and design their own responses to the climate crises. 

In addition, we are often invited to join other major strategic projects in the city, enabling our members to participate and learn about what is happening. We have a team of 13 and are small but mighty! It is such a joy and privilege for me, having grown up in Bristol, to be able to see so much local brilliance on a day-to-day basis – and from all parts of our community. 

Why have you joined the Bristol Initiative?

We joined the Bristol Initiative to work with likeminded Initiative members who are interested in working together and playing their part in Bristol’s future. We also want to understand what else is happening so attending the events are good way to engage on broader topics and strategic priorities in the city that may impact or influence our work.

As an engagement organisation, we are all about collaborating to accelerate action on climate, nature and social justice – and we really love catching up with other members at quarterly initiative meetings, exploring how Bristol’s future can be sustainable and prosperous for all. 

What are the key agendas that you’re looking forward to getting involved with? 

We feel we are facing a pivotal moment; the region is experiencing the effects of climate change and nature loss, but we realise there is a delicate balance between climate and nature priorities alongside growth and economic resilience. Inaction is going to be a risky and costly strategy for many regions – but the West of England region has strong climate and nature commitments, and Bristol is seen as a leader in sustainability. This ambition – if progressed fast and fairly - will bring huge opportunities. We would like to continue to build on these great foundations, expand our work to a regional level and support all communities to be part of the transition.  

We would encourage members to join Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership. Our membership and events are free because we want every organisation to have the opportunity to connect, share and learn.  For Initiative members, our Climate Action Programme events and resources could be a great opportunity for those committed to making meaningful, measurable change, and some members may also be eligible to join our Climate Leaders Group, a community of organisations who are leading the way on climate action. 

We love to collaborate and find ways to work together so if you are interested in learning a bit more about us, and how to get involved you can find out here. Please do come along and meet us at our next Green Mingle too. 

Where is your favourite place to visit in Bristol?

One of my favourite places to visit in Bristol is the Chocolate Path - on the banks of the River Avon’s New Cut - so named because its paving looks like a chocolate bar! It overlooks the New Cut, an artificial waterway and diversion of the tidal River Avon, manmade in the early 1800s to support Bristol’s shipping industry and enable the floating harbour to exist – it goes right through the city and today is home to a wide variety of species. 

There are increasing numbers of cormorants calling it home, which is a good sign for the ecosystem, and they can often be seen eating eels (another sign of improving water quality) or dramatically spreading their wings to dry off. Herons are regulars, otter footprints and even a beaver have recently been sighted. 

I coordinate litter picks of the New Cut with Friends of the Avon New Cut (FrANC) throughout the winter (when there is no risk of disrupting nesting birds) and we have found some very odd things! 

It really is one of my all-time favourite places in the city because it’s easy to access, beautiful and always interesting. 

If you'd like to follow Lizzi on social media you can do so on Linkedin here, and you can find out more about Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership on their website, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Also, if you are a member of The Bristol Initiative and would like to be featured in a blog just like this one then you can get in touch with me.