Extinction Rebellion activists, ecocide and wildlife corridors - is this town the most environmentally friendly town in Sussex? Whilst Brighton might be the only place in Sussex to have a Green Party MP, is neighbouring Lewes the county’s most eco-friendly town? The picturesque town is home to many Extinction Rebellion activists: 10 were arrested back in 2019 while protesting in London and in July of this year, protestors scaled East Sussex County Council's offices in the town as they demanded an end to investment in fossil fuels. Nicki Myers, project manager at Lewes's renewable energy company Ovesco explains why the town has cultivated such a green reputation. She said: “It’s quite a liberal area, it’s not very conservative and Lewes has always been very artistic.
Out of that type of mentality comes an awareness of nature – people are very engaged in the local area.” The town has its own climate hub which was set up to tackle the "climate emergency" (Image: Annabel Stock) Nicki says Lewes was a “forceful early adopter” of the Transition Town movement, an initiative popularised in the early 2000s, which encouraged communities to increase self-sufficiency and resilience in the face of climate change and economic instability. She said: “The movement is all about growing food locally, local transport and local production so that communities can remove themselves from the international chain.
” As part of this effort, Ovesco has been encouraging people to invi.