Totnes Hosts Screening of Landmark People’s Emergency Briefing film
Over 250 attendees gather for powerful community response to climate crisis
On May 15th, local groups welcomed more than 250 people to a packed screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing for an evening focused on the climate crisis and building national responses.
The National Emergency Briefing is a rapidly-growing UK public information initiative working to ensure that both Parliament and the public are clearly and honestly briefed on the climate and nature crisis – and on what an effective national response requires.
In November 2025, more than 1,200 MPs, peers and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media gathered at Westminster Central Hall for a landmark national briefing delivered by leading UK climate experts, to generate clear public understanding of the risks facing the UK. Experts addressed the implications of climate and nature breakdown for food security, health, national security, infrastructure and the economy, alongside practical evidence on how risks can still be reduced. That briefing has now been adapted into a film, The People’s Emergency Briefing; a film designed for community screenings across the UK, and launched nationally in April.
Chris Packham said: “I’d encourage people everywhere to attend a screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing. It creates exactly the kind of honest local conversation we now urgently need, both about what these changes mean where we live, and about what we can do together to address them.”
The Totnes screening welcomed members of the National Emergency Briefing team alongside environmental writer and campaigner George Monbiot and MP for South Devon, Caroline Voaden. Caroline highlighted her current efforts to bring the NEB to the national table, and the threats of not seizing this moment, while George promoted the call for building momentum, knowing that as a country, massive collective efforts have been achieved before, but only once their need becomes impossible to ignore.
Guy from TTT shared: “This is about getting honest and organised. The data within the film tells a bleak and frightening story about the living systems we depend on, but it is not the only story. We are proud to be one of the 1000+ screenings happening around the country, building a connected voice to turn the heads of those in power towards the crisis (and opportunity) of our time.”
The success of the Totnes event comes as further screenings are planned across Devon and the UK at this very moment. Some of those upcoming screenings include:
Wed 3 June 8pm, Totnes Cinema, Totnes. More info
Sun 5 July 5pm, Village Hall, South Brent. More info
More can be found out about the film and more upcoming screenings on the National Emergency Briefing website.
The National Emergency Briefing team is encouraging individuals and organisations to host their own screenings — whether in public venues, community halls, schools, workplaces, faith spaces, or simply among neighbours and friends at home. Small local gatherings can be just as important as large public events. If each screening leads to another, potentially multiple, the snowball effect will quickly reach a massive scale.
Organisers of the event included Transition Town Totnes, Bioregional Learning Centre, Totnes Climate Hub and South Devon Lifehouse Network. They want to thank everyone who attended, volunteered, and contributed to making the event such a significant success.
Understandably, the film brings up many thoughts and feelings as we face into our planetary predicament more directly. TTT’s Inner Transition Group and the South Devon Lifehouse Group are offering a number of climate listening circles which offer a facilitated space to share together and be heard, and to tending to our emotional responses opens up pathways to resilience and empowerment. The next Listening Circle is on Thursday 18th June, 7-9pm at Totnes Climate Hub.