Nicky: Green Tea Tribute
Photo Sarah Couch
It is with great sadness that we mark the death of Nicky Chambers on 19th February, far too soon at the age of only 57. She was a pioneering entrepreneur, known for founding in 1996 award winning Best Foot Forward, which became one of Europe’s leading sustainability consultancies, at the forefront of carbon and ecological footprinting. Her mission was ‘showing business, government and society how to create a better quality of life without trashing the planet’. She inspired so many in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises.
In Eynsham she encouraged us to campaign for new development to be the best it could be, by sitting lightly on the planet. She said ‘if you can’t do it in Oxfordshire where can you?’ She instigated the revival of EPIC and used her extensive contacts to put together an ‘inspiration panel’ to demand the innovative kind of development we need. She was a constant support as we worked through the many years of planning a zero carbon energy system. It was so fitting that the success of the Salt Cross net zero legal action came within hours of her death. She was also instrumental in setting up the wonderful Eynsham Nature Recovery Network and you can read their tribute to their ‘brilliant, bold and charismatic mentor’ and donate in her memory here.
She carried her expertise lightly, was endlessly encouraging and as Barbara Hammond CEO of the Low Carbon Hub said, ‘she was a total bundle of positive energy and touched so many, many people for good.’ We have lost ‘one of the genuinely cheerful agitators of a better world’. This positive and joyful attitude never left her and she would often exclaim with a smile ‘how lucky are we?’
Thank you for the inspiration Nicky.
- Sarah Couch for Green Tea