Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Defra launches £6 million greener living fund
A new £6 million fund to help charitable and voluntary organisations support and develop environmental projects throughout England is being announced by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today.
The Greener Living Fund will help voluntary organisations promote positive environmental changes to individuals and communities, helping them reduce their carbon footprints, make greener lifestyle choices and find new ways to rely less on our natural resources.
Announcing the fund and launching Defra's Third Sector Strategy, which sets out how the department will improve the way it works with third sector groups, Hilary Benn said:
"Defra is committed to working closely with voluntary and charitable organisations to tackle climate change and help everyone make positive environmental changes in their lifestyle - no matter how big or small. I hope that this fund will make a real difference to individuals, communities and projects across the country and I look forward to seeing the results.
"I appreciate and admire the significant time and effort that these organisations undertake and believe that Defra's Third Sector Strategy will play an important part in achieving the goal of a healthy natural environment for this and future generations to prosper."
Kevin Brennan, Minister for the Third Sector said:
"Many third sector organisations are already leading the way on ensuring that the vital work they do is sustainable. This launch with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a great example of how we, as a Government, can work across departments to take action to meet the challenge of climate change and reduce our impact on the planet.
"I am also delighted that today's joint event takes place during Compact Week, celebrating ten years of Government working closely with the third sector to recognise its vital role in public service delivery. We must celebrate the third sector's commitment to sustainability and support it to do even more."
Energy and Climate Change Minister, Joan Ruddock said:
"If we want to achieve our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing a low-carbon Britain, then the involvement of the third sector is absolutely vital. With around 40 per cent of emissions caused by individual choices and actions, behaviour change is crucial, and this is where third sector groups such as charities, NGOs, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and faith groups play an important role."
Defra's Third Sector Strategy is part of the Government's wider commitment to working with voluntary and charitable organisations and demonstrates the department's commitment to helping these organisations promote environmental sustainability .
The report includes:
* A variety of new opportunities for Defra to work more closely with the third sector with independent advice from a new board, practical good housekeeping actions and a new social enterprise partnership.
* A new task group to look at ways of helping national level third sector programmes promote environmental sustainability. This group will be jointly chaired by ministers from Defra, Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Cabinet office and include third sector stakeholders.
* Promoting a new campaign to encourage environmental
volunteering to help
biodiversity locally.
Notes to Editors
1. The new greener living fund is targeted at national third sector organisations. It will offer funding for two years, starting with a bidding phase in 2008 and a main delivery phase running between April 2009 to March 2011.
2. The fund is aimed at third sector organisations that can implement programmes and projects on a national scale, and this will include partnerships with other third sector organisations, business and public sector organisations - including smaller regional bodies. It will support environmental programmes and projects that help individuals and communities in England live more sustainably.
3. The Energy Saving Trust has been asked to facilitate collaboration between the "delivery partners" and other networks, in particular, their own network of advice centres and community organisations.
4. Defra's Third Sector Strategy includes:
* A host of opportunities for involving the third sector in the development and implementation of policies on the environment, food and rural affairs;
* A range of new commitments for Defra about how improve its way of working with the sector and embed Compact principles - from staff awareness to communications, and from consultation to procurement procedures;
* A commitment to set up a new high level Advisory Board to provide advice to senior officials and ministers about the ways in which Defra and the third sector can work together. Defra is recruiting members to this Board and application forms are available on the Defra website;
* The creation of a new social enterprise strategic partnership with five national social enterprise organisations. This will help promote the contribution which social enterprises can make to Defra's agenda;
* A commitment to working in partnership with our delivery bodies such as WRAP, the Environment Agency, Envirowise, Natural England, and the Forestry Commission. They will publish their own third sector policy statement in November 2009; and
* Commitment to work with Government Offices in the regions, third sector stakeholders and delivery bodies to explore how the Strategy can enable better links at a regional and local level which contribute to Defra's objectives.
5. Compact Week is an annual campaign to promote the Compact and engage government departments, regional bodies, local authorities and other public sector partners who have Local and Regional Compacts. Compact Week provides opportunities to raise awareness of best practice, new developments, and debate across the third sector and all levels of government.
6. This year's Compact Week takes place from Saturday 1 to Saturday 8 November 2008 and this year it coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Compact.
7. Established in 1998, the Compact is an agreement between Government and the voluntary and community sector in England. It recognises shared values, principles and commitments and sets out guidelines for how both parties should work together.
8. Although the Compact is not legally binding and is built on trust and mutual goodwill, its authority is derived from its endorsement by government and by the voluntary and community sector itself through its consultation process.
9. Ministers attending the Third Strategy launch are:
* Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State, Defra
* Huw Irrance-Davies MP, Minister for the Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs, and Defra's Third Sector Minister
* Joan Ruddock MP, Department for Energy and Climate Change
* Kevin Brennan MP, Minister for the Third Sector, Cabinet Office.
10.The Third Sector Strategy will be available on the Defra
website coinciding with the launch event today:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/how-do-we-work/third-sector/
Public enquiries 08459 335577;
Press notices are available on
our website
http://www.defra.gov.uk
Defra's aim is sustainable development
End
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