The horse world is dazzling, brilliant, wholesome and innovative – look at the equestrian results at the Olympics, think about how much good horses do for people, consider new technology in tack and how clever the equine influenza vaccination is in identifying forthcoming strains, giving specific protection.

We have science on our side – so – the next thing we need to do is truly step up as an industry and play our part in the climate change emergency.

Today, it has been confirmed that climate campaigner, Greta Thunberg, will attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) during the first two weeks of November, where it is hoped that countries of the world will finalise their national action plans to cut emissions under the Paris Agreement.

This Scottish conference is widely agreed to be THE pivotal moment in the fight against climate change.

This week Vogue launched a new Scandinavia edition, with Greta Thunberg stroking an Icelandic pony fronting the much vaunted debut issue.

We all know ourselves (although Greta would plead with us) that actions big and small from us as individuals, as well as governments, need to start right now. That the talking needs to lead to action and that how we manage our beautiful equines has a huge role to play.

On one level, you can find articles on the internet about equines being a carbon sink like a tree is, producing less methane than cows or sheep by not being a ruminant, and more controversially by being a selective grazer. Which is both good and bad – bad grazers rip grass and let weeds into the sward but by not eating too much tough herbage, the discerning equine palate positively helps reduce gas emissions. We need more research.

Then, there is the mountainous problem of horse pooh to consider. Another online article from the 2013 French Equine Research Day claimed that the average horse can produce nine tonnes of manure annually. So how we handle, dispose, compost and recycle both the dung and the equine corpse at the end of the day matters.

Leading organisations like The Pony Club and The BHS have caring for the environment in their core values and on the whole our industry has greenness (nature, grass, fresh air) at its core too – but as individuals there is so much more we can think about today;

Pasture management matters, how we look after our patch of grass and grazing and use it efficiently without too much soil disturbance, controlling weeds without chemicals and looking at environment grazing systems. Can we produce some of our winter forage locally ourselves by being more efficient? Hay stooks might make a return.

Support biodiversity, create habitats, plant trees and hedges – when out riding avoid poaching and churning ground – simply think of the environment in all things we do on the earth with our ponies.

Could horses and ponies be used as transport instead of being transported constantly, next to man the horse is the animal that moves around most. Yet in society we see them horse logging and ploughing – how can we as an industry return to using simple horsepower from the horse? That’s a big question.

Building design, can we catch and save water, install solar panels or photovoltaics – allow equines to bring themselves in and out, create hard standings in gates and areas that get poached, avoid stagnant water and discourage disease spreading midges? Can we consume less energy, use solar lights or motion sensors so that lights are off when not needed?

Consider how we use chemicals, work with your vet to worm less, use testing – can we all go to the farrier in one place locally?

Repurpose, reuse, recycle, its wonderful to see micro businesses like equiexchange (so well used by the mothers of growing young riders) to recycle equestrian equipment – mend and make do and make discerning consumer decisions like choosing biodegradable packaging.

The time to start is now – the doomsday clock is currently set at 100 seconds to midnight, yet this vulnerability to climate change is something we as an industry can do something about.