How to tackle climate change through community action

17 Sep 2020 12:17 PM

The National Lottery Community Fund has today [17 September] published a new report sharing learning and insights from recent environmental projects made possible thanks to National Lottery players, with a focus on practical tips on how to spark, mobilise and sustain local community environmental action.

The report, Community action for the environment: Small enough to care, big enough to make a difference, looks at how taking action at an individual and community level can be both empowering and impactful in making a difference to the environment. It also highlights how community climate action can deliver real environmental impact, including cutting CO2 emissions reducing waste and redistributing food, furniture and other materials, as well as generating important wider co-benefits, such as improved health and wellbeing, increasing community pride and supporting skills, training and jobs.

The report – authored by of the Fund’s award-winning Knowledge and Learning team – is being launched at an online event today. It will see more than a hundred people from across the UK with an interest in civil society and community action, including charities, local councils and non-environmental groups looking for inspiration on how to reduce their carbon footprint, hear from National Lottery funded environmental projects such as Bristol Green Capital Partnership and Dref Werdd, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, who feature in the report, talking about the environmental action they are taking in their communities.

What can community action do for the environment?
The report highlights the 7 practical ways that community action can help the environment. Through the work of local community and charity organisations, climate action can be sparked and sustained through small and tangible steps including: making small changes to behaviour, harnessing people’s desire to connect with their communities, using good examples to demonstrate what’s possible, measuring and showing the difference you are making, creating a network of advocates and enthusiasts, taking active steps to be diverse and inclusive and to be honest about what is and isn’t effective.

What can funders do to support community climate action?
The report also highlights five ways National Lottery funding has helped communities address environmental change. This includes helping people to save money and lower their carbon emissions, reducing food, clothing and furniture waste, nurturing knowledge and skills, building belonging and community pride and supporting individual and community wellbeing.

Click here for the full press release