Against the backdrop of soaring summer temperatures and growing concern over the climate crisis, the House of Commons became the setting for a timely conversation on sustainability as Asian Voice and the Royal Air Force (RAF) hosted the latest Be The Change panel discussion at the Terrace Pavilion on 20 July. Taking centre stage was RAF’s ambition to reshape its operations in pursuit of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
The afternoon began with a welcome from Asian Voice Managing Editor Rupanjana Dutta before handing over to the event's host, Navendu Mishra, Labour MP for Stockport. Opening on a light-hearted note, Navendu Mishra quipped about the transfer of power at No. 10 unfolding that very day. He reminded the audience why conversations such as these could not be more urgent. "There's so much more to be done in terms of climate change and educating people, because we do have people—without trying to make political points—who don't believe in the science," he said.
Taking the podium next, Corporal Charliy Spark, an instructor responsible for training new recruits at RAF Cosford, explained that one of the service's key objectives is to decarbonise the military estate by 2030. She pointed to the Army's achievements at Nesscliff Barracks, where more than 50 carbon-zero buildings have been constructed.
She also pointed to the different but equally practical approach RAF has adopted. Rather than replacing existing facilities, the RAF has focused on refurbishing buildings that are structurally sound but no longer energy efficient. "Some of our buildings that were no longer fit for use have been refurbished instead, with cladding added to the exterior, solar panels installed on the roofs, and rainwater harvesting systems incorporated," she said. The aim, she added, is to reduce dependence on the grid while improving the sustainability of RAF bases.
Beyond infrastructure, Corporal Spark said the RAF is also tackling emissions through better waste management and more sustainable food practices. “Anything that keeps waste out of landfill is a positive step," he said.
Call for a fundamental rethink of climate action
Alpesh Patel OBE, a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University, CEO, and International best-selling Financial Times Author, was the moderator for the panel which had the expert voices of Saabira Chaudhuri, a London-based journalist and the author of “Consumed - How Big Brands Got Us Hooked on Plastic”; Ronita Bardhan, Professor Sustainable Built Environment & Health and lead of the Cambridge Sustainable Design Group (CSDG); and Dr Reshma Rao, Assistant Professor and Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow in the Department of Materials and the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, and head of the Sustainable Electrochemical Technolo-gies Group.
The panel painted a compelling picture of a climate crisis that cannot be solved by technology alone. From the plastics clogging our oceans to the buildings trapping deadly heat, the speakers argued that achieving a sustainable future demands nothing less than a transformation in the way societies consume, industries operate, governments regulate and communities live.
Tracing the origins of the plastic age, Saabira explained how the Second World War transformed plastics from a niche material into the backbone of modern consumerism. What began as a wartime necessity evolved into a throwaway culture built on convenience. The real battle, she argued, is not finding a substitute for plastic but breaking society's addiction to overconsumption through stronger regulation, corporate responsibility and a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour.
Dr Reshma turned the spotlight on the technologies powering the net-zero transition, championing green hydrogen as a game-changer for hard-to-decarbonise sectors including aviation, shipping, steel and chemicals, where batteries simply cannot deliver. She called for a more diverse clean-energy ecosystem, greater standardisation of packaging to unlock effective recycling, and urged the UK to bridge the gap between world-class scientific breakthroughs and commercial success.
For Ronita, the climate challenge begins at home. She argued that buildings must be viewed not merely as structures but as frontline public health interventions capable of shielding people from increasingly dangerous heatwaves. Warning that climate change disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities, particularly women who spend more time indoors undertaking caregiving responsibilities, she called for healthier housing standards, smarter ventilation, climate-responsive urban planning and enforceable maximum indoor temperature standards.
Throughout the discussion, Alpesh kept the conversation firmly rooted in solutions, challenging the panellists to move beyond theory and demonstrate how science, innovation, policy and design can be translated into practical action capable of delivering meaningful climate progress.
Audience questions shift climate debate from global policy to everyday action
The audience Q&A brought the climate debate down from global policy to the realities of everyday life, tackling everything from the water bottles people carry to the daunting challenge of making Britain's centuries-old buildings fit for a warming world. While questions ranged from sustainable habits to the health risks of microplastics, a common message emerged: meaningful climate action will be driven by practical choices, scientific evidence and smarter policy, not fear or empty slogans.
Saabira urged people to embrace one of the simplest climate solutions: drinking tap water from a reusable bottle. Reflecting on South Asian traditions where reusing everyday items was second nature, she argued that sustainability begins with changing habits rather than chasing the latest eco-friendly product. But she warned that reusable bottles only reduce emissions if they are actually reused, highlighting the need for robust recycling infrastructure, including the UK's forthcoming deposit return scheme.
Dr Reshma challenged the audience to recognise that every purchase is a climate decision. Acknowledging that sustainable choices often come with what she described as an "inconvenience tax," she argued that optimism, not alarmism, is the most powerful catalyst for change. Fear-driven rhetoric, she warned, risks deepening political divisions and fuelling corporate greenwashing. Addressing growing anxieties over microplastics, she drew a clear distinction between plastics themselves and hazardous chemicals such as PFAS and BPA, while pointing to the promise of the circular economy, where today's waste could become tomorrow's valuable resource.
Turning to the built environment, Ronita highlighted one of Britain's toughest climate dilemmas: decarbonising its treasured heritage buildings without compromising their historic character. She argued that the country's most energy-inefficient buildings must be prioritised for retrofitting, while future housing standards must strike a careful balance between energy efficiency, ventilation and protection from rising indoor temperatures. As heatwaves become more frequent, she warned, healthier buildings will be as vital to public health as they are to achieving net zero.
Chairman of ABPL, CB Patel, concluded the discussion by thanking the panellists, Navendu Mishra, RAF personnel and guests for their presence and valuable contributions to what he described as an important and urgent conversation on climate change. He closed with a powerful remark, saying, “The RAF doesn't just look after the skies; they look after the Earth, too. Thank you all.”
