‘I’d love to do it again’: Founder of Hackney Wick climate festival looks to the future after three days of lively debate

A new environmental festival took over Hackney Wick’s White Building last weekend.

Organised by the founder of Field7, an environmental newsletter designed to demystify climate activism, FieldFest comprised three days of talks and panels attended by writers, entrepreneurs and environmentalists.

On Saturday, there were also family-friendly events, a pottery workshop, and a music set by drum and bass DJ and producer, Fabio.

Over the course of the weekend, visitors were invited to enjoy pizza by Acme Fire Cult and beer from Crate Brewery. They could also browse a pop-up bookshop by Libreria between talks, before climbing the stairs to zero-waste restaurant Silo, where the panels took place.

Among the issues discussed was sustainable investment, in a discussion entitled ‘How your savings can save the planet’, attended by Alice Ross from the Financial Times, MakeMyMoneyMatter’s Tony Burdon and Clim8’s Duncan Grierson.

The celebrated chef behind Silo, Doug McMaster, also gave a talk on making a no-waste restaurant, in which he shared his experience of developing his concept.

There was no shortage of debate, with the festival encouraging dialogue on a number of subjects, not least on the topic of travel.

Condé Nast‘s sustainability editor Juliet Kinsman spoke with Cat Jones and Charlie Cotton, founders of no-flight travel company Byway and environmental consultancy Ecollective respectively, about not only the impact of travel on the climate, but its socioeconomic effects globally.

Other speakers included author and podcast creator Azeem Azhar and Greenpeace’s John Sauven.

Field7 and FieldFest founder Soheb Panja told the Citizen he was happy with how the event had gone, drawing in curious crowds from across the borough and beyond.

Panja wants to host smaller events on a more frequent basis, and hopes they can take place in the same iconic Hackney Wick venue.

“I’d love to do it in that space,” he said. “It’s a really great part of the world. Hackney Wick and the White Building are really special places, right by the water, and it gives you a really special feeling.

“I’d love to do it again, I’d love to keep it happening.”

For more information, head to field7.co