There is a great deal of climate action already happening at parish, town and community council level, and by community groups, but the good practice needs to be shared more widely.
Three things can help us with this:
- Framework – an easily-searched data base of actions that can happen at the local level (sometimes referred to as “making the climate jungle more navigable”!)
- Network – exchanging good practice and requests for guidance amongst and between local councils and their local action groups.
- Joined-up work – effective partnership working not just horizontally at local level but also vertically from local places up through higher-tier local authorities to Government.
Our starting point is the Great Collaboration website www.greatcollaboration.uk that allows people to choose from 60 climate actions and register by postcode their involvement or intentions. The website also allows local councils to gather information based on those postcodes to have an idea of what is or isn’t happening in their council area.
This process has been piloted successfully for over two years by the Herefordshire Green Network who have developed the website and have been supporting a network officer to give talks to Herefordshire parishes. The Place-Based Initiative Ltd has taken over the website and we are extending its use nationally while adding in the collective actions open to councils and community groups. There will also be a digital map of what is already happening by parish area.
Communication is the key to the next steps, and our aim is to:
- gather information from local councils and groups as to their information requirements.
- develop a county-based network for sharing good practice locally and nationally.
- incorporate these elements in a web-based portal that enables two-way exchanges.
- contact national bodies and funders to advise and support the initiative going forwards.
We have started this process by organising free weekly sessions with speakers on special topics followed by a wider discussion, and everyone is welcome! You can join these sessions via this link: Join via Zoom.
Please contact us via
- help us to develop new guidance and case studies, maybe sharing your own good practice.
- offer to be a point of contact for a particular type of action or expertise - whether climate or environmental action, nature recovery or supporting biodiversity
- support regular communication between ourselves and local communities.
Dealing with climate change to improve the future of our families and communities is now more important than ever. Let us work on this together – we look forward to hearing from you!
