Inform to Transform | Libraries and Positive Climate Action

This event, originally titled 'Libraries and Positive Climate Action Webinar Series 2025-26: Inform to Transform?', took place on 30 October 2025. The information below is correct as of the publication date.

This webinar explores how libraries are embracing climate literacy to empower staff, users and communities.

The British Library is hosting a series of webinars focused on libraries and the climate crisis. The aim of the series is to bring together international library leaders to share their different responses to the climate emergency.

This session explores global examples of how libraries are building their capacity in climate literacy and engagement with a wide range of communities. Providing information is a vital part of libraries’ climate change work – being able to point to the latest science and the most relevant local sources of information. The ways in which libraries do this is varied and often innovative. They include workshops, discussions or practical materials to encourage recycling, reduction of energy consumption or improvements in our natural environment. This also means that librarians need new types of training and resources to help them take up these new activities.

Discover more of our climate webinar series at our playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcM3hEgp2RYA

To understand more about the British Library's work on sustainability and climate change, visit our website: https://www.bl.uk/about/sustainability

The speakers for this event include:

Susanna Eklund has chaired the National Library of Finland (NLF) Sustainability Working Group since 2020. She has worked at the library since 2015 in several roles: as a service designer for the Finna.fi service, responsible for museums as data providers, and currently as an information specialist and project manager for the Images in Dialogue-project. Alongside her work, Susanna has developed her skills in leadership for sustainability and is particularly interested in the challenges and opportunities of sustainability related organisational change in cultural heritage institutions. Her background is in archaeology, building conservation, digital communication and the Finnish cultural heritage field.

Laragh Quinney is Programme Lead for the National Library of Scotland’s Climate Action Plan. In this role she helps co-ordinate sustainable action across the Library and engagement with sector partners. She was recognised as Scotland’s Library and Information Professional of the Year 2025 for her work developing the Carbon Literacy for Libraries Shareable Course. This introduces key concepts of climate literacy and shares case studies of good practice across the library sector. It celebrates the sustainable model of libraries and how they can support others to cut carbon emissions. Laragh is a member of the Green Libraries Campaign Board, working to secure funding and promote environmental action by libraries.

Ania Rok is Programme Manager Europe Challenge at the European Cultural Foundation. The Europe Challenge (Home — The Europe Challenge) is an annual programme that brings together teams from libraries and communities across Europe to address today’s most pressing social, digital, and climate challenges, this year's edition brings together 60 project teams. As a sociologist, Ania has 20 years of experience working on the intersection of social and climate justice, working for organizations such as UNDP, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, URBACT and the Open Society Foundations. Since 2012 she runs the Olga Rok Fund supporting personal development of female librarians in Poland, dedicated to the memory of her grandmother.

The session is chaired by Maja Maricevic, Director of Science and Innovation at the British Library and responsible for the Library’s strategy, partnership and programme development related to research, science and innovation. Maja is particularly interested in the big challenges of our time, such as the continuing digital transformation and climate change. Maja chairs the UK Green Libraries Campaign, a partnership of UK libraries working towards a better climate future for planet and people. She is also an interim Chair of London’s Knowledge Quarter. She has previously worked in universities, government departments and as a professional consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers.