Dame Ellen MacArthur traded in her sailboat for a hydrogen-fuelled canal barge in Birmingham to mark World Environment Day.

The 31-year-old record-breaker from Derbyshire made her way through Birmingham’s waterways, beginning at Edgbaston Reservoir and with a stop in Brindleyplace, where she encouraged the city to reduce its carbon footprint.

Her visit came during the city’s nine-day Climate Change Festival in celebration of the value of the environment and Birmingham City Council’s target of reducing CO2 emissions by 60 per cent by 2026.

In addition to her canal trip, Dame Ellen, who achieved the record in 2005 for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe, presented representatives from some local schools with certificates for their help in raising awareness of energy issues to Birmingham’s citizens.

She said: “I’m very excited that, through my partnership with E.on, I’m able to be involved with The Birmingham Climate Change Festival.
“It’s great to see so many young people across Birmingham embracing the issues of sustainability.”

During her trip on the Birmingham University carbon neutral barge, Dame Ellen was joined by pupils from some of the city’s schools as part of Birmingham City Council’s Housing Education Initiative.

The youngsters, aged nine to 11, from The News Team (TNT) project are working in partnership with the Family Housing Association to produce two documentaries linked to the Summerfield Eco Village Project.

The first follows the refurbishment and transformation of the Summerfield Eco Office and the second will follow the refurbishment of five Victorian properties in the eco neighbourhood into large family eco show homes.

Councillor John Lines, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Children have learned about the possible causes of climate change, how to save energy and at the same time reduce carbon emissions at home, school and in the workplace. They are a shining example of young people showing a passion for their environment and the world.”

To mark the day, Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock also visited Birmingham’s International Convention Centre, where she congratulated the city on its new low carbon city strategy and toured the Climate Change Festival.

During her visit, she announced that one million users had visited Defra’s Act on CO2 carbon calculator to find out their carbon footprint and get personalised action plans to reduce their household emissions.

The calculator, which was launched last Summer, enables people to reliably calculate their carbon footprint from home energy, appliances and transport. It then develops a personalised action plan for users, with practical steps they can take to cut their emissions.

“I am always impressed at the imaginative and intelligent ways that people engage with the reality of climate change, as evidenced by some of the wonderful work we can see at this festival in Birmingham, where people of all ages and backgrounds are thinking about the future of their homes and their city and how they can work together as a community,” Ms Ruddock said.

“Cities like Birmingham that are taking action now to reduce their carbon emissions and are starting to adapt to a changing climate are already becoming better places in which to live and work. Cities with a clear vision can inspire and motivate individuals and businesses to reduce their own carbon emissions.”