So you like the idea of setting up a local planet-friendly purchasing group but are unsure where to start? Here is some advice based on experiences from recent workshops in Sweden:

1. Find a partner with a network (If you don’t have one yourself): You will need to get that partner to invite you, preferably using their premises. You’ll need to attract 12-30 people, the more the merrier.
2. Remember that people will want to engage based on what motivates them and it’s often very different. Keep it open enough on the one hand and specific enough to attract them: spend some time of the title: using our common purchasing power to accelerate climate adaptation is one idea.
3. Here is an overview of a standard “workshop”

• Welcoming, introductions, reminding of purpose and how you are going to do it.
• Explanation that we can use our purchasing power.
• Ask what irks them, and ask them to match the irk to a product or service that could help.
• Identify a few products and get them to regroup into product groups.
• Offer the method of dealmaking using the idea what if we were to try to make a product of this?
• Offer the steps to deal making as a workshop exercise.
• Close and get next steps

Once you have a deal idea you will need to get buy-in from enough of the network. Read more here.