Ilke Pedersen-Beyst
Ilke Pedersen-Beyst, 41, is founder and president of Sunbeams, a project to help expats achieve a greener lifestyle
I’ve always been a nature lover, but I started to think more about the environment and my own ecological footprint when I became a parent. I saw clearly that we are just borrowing this planet from future generations and that we must give it back in good shape. I thought, how will I answer my children when they ask, “Mother, why didn’t you do something? How did it get this bad?”
When I started to research how my family could live more ecologically, I realised that all the information was in Dutch or French and wasn’t easily accessible to expats. I had friends who had been living eco-friendly lives in their home countries, but were unable to do so as expats in Belgium because they couldn’t find out how to organise it. I’m Belgian, but my husband Jørgen is a Danish diplomat and we spent eight years living in Denmark and Italy. That experiencetaught me how difficult it is to live abroad, so I understand the frustration of expats living here.
My first step towards a greener lifestyle was to change our electricity supplier. Then, for the benefit of my expat friends, I wrote down in English the five easy steps to switch to green energy. That was the start of Sunbeams.
The Sunbeams message is all about thinking positively. When we hear about terrible problems like the melting ice caps, it’s easy to feel so overwhelmed that we just give up and do nothing. Instead, Sunbeams gives practical information about what can be achieved, and helps you to start today with small steps.
I don’t expect people to make huge changes in their lifestyle, but if enough people make their lives just 20 percent more ecological, that will make a big difference overall. And they can choose what they feel able to do, whether it’s using public transport, buying seasonal food, or insulating the house.
Sunbeams received a great kick-start when it was awarded a start-up grant from the King Baudouin Foundation. That allowed us to buy office equipment and print pamphlets. Now our website is thriving and our monthly e-newsletter is sent to more than 450 individual subscribers plus embassies, schools and other institutions.
We organise workshops on subjects such as composting and protecting local wildlife. We also work with the international schools, giving presentations to parents and Ilke Pedersen-Beyst, 41, is founder and president of Sunbeams, a project to help expats achieve a greener lifestyle getting the children involved. Working with children is so rewarding because they have fresh ideas and can’t wait to get started. It’s inspiring to think of them taking those ideas home to their families and carrying them forward into the future.
We’ve begun working with communes in and around Brussels, advising them on how to share environmental information with expats. We’re also forging links with international organisations such as the Earth Policy Institute and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Sunbeams has become a full-time job for me, though I continue to work unpaid. It’s my passion and it’s been beautiful seeing it grow from a tiny project to a team of 18 volunteers in just over a year. It’s grown organically so far, but we’re reaching a crossroads where we will have to decide on the form it should take in the future. One possibility is for Sunbeams to become a non-profit organisation which might be able to employ someone. I would like to set up a permanent structure to ensure its continuity, even if I’m not always there to run it.
It’s impossible to live a modern life without some negative impact on the environment, but we can all do something to help – and it needn’t be too stressful. This is a never-ending project because there’s always room for improvement. As president of Sunbeams, I’m not living a perfect life; I’m just taking small steps like everyone else, both for the sake of my children, Ena, 6, and Emil, 9, and for future generations.
To volunteer, contact Ilke at info@sunbeams.eu. For info, see www.sunbeams.eu
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Hi Ilse,
Nice to read about what you are doing as President of Sunbeams and the impact on the environment. I will probably see you tomorrow at the Hints Class at the AWCB.
Regards,
Esmee Mos
NOVA Relocation