DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref
:64/09) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 23 March 2009
A new taskforce
launched today will help the government and the not-for-profit
sector to tackle climate change and environmental issues.
The group will be jointly chaired by Defra, Department of Energy
and Climate Change and Cabinet Office ministers and third sector
representatives and aims to identify specific actions that
Government and the third sector can take together to tackle
climate change, environmental problems and sustainable development
more broadly. The Department for Communities and Local Government
will also be represented on the taskforce. Third sector co-chairs
will be nominated at the first meeting.
The taskforce was announced as part of Defra's Third Sector
Strategy in November 2008. It is a unique opportunity for third
sector leaders to come together to develop an action plan to raise
the awareness and profile of climate change in the sector and to
influence third sector and government action. The partnership will
seek to increase the volume of activity in the sector on climate
change, sustainability and environmental issues and will use the
third sector network and contacts with communities to raise
awareness and encourage action - such as helping people to be more
energy efficient in their homes, creating low carbon
neighbourhoods or towns or encouraging participation in
environmental volunteering programmes. It will also look at how
Government and the third sector can do more to connect with
specific sectors of the community and how Government can best
support the work of third sector organisations on these issues.
A diverse membership representing the full spectrum of third
sector organisations - from all interest areas, not just the
environment, and of all sizes - is crucial to the success of the
taskforce. Applications for membership of the taskforce are now
invited from third sector organisations. Specialist contributors
will also be invited to participate on an ad hoc basis as
required. The recruitment process is being coordinated by Green
Alliance and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations
(NCVO) who will provide the secretariat for the taskforce.
Defra minister Huw Irranca-Davies said:
"The taskforce will play a key role in helping us to reach
communities through a medium that is easily accessible and that
they trust. The third sector has unique access to a vast range of
people and is ideally situated to help Government educate people
about climate change and environmental matters."
DECC Minister Joan Ruddock said:
"Climate change is the most important challenge facing our
society. Unchecked, it will have major impacts on individuals and
communities, and on the interests of third sector organisations.
We can tackle it, but only if all parts of society are mobilised
to act. This new task force is part of making that happen."
Kevin Brennan, Minister for the Third Sector, said
"The third sector has proven time after time its ability to
engage with communities in a way that governments simply
can't. It is vital to solving some of the biggest problems
this country faces, and I look forward to seeing the
taskforce's ideas on how we can tackle climate change together."
Stephen Hale, Green Alliance director, said:
"I warmly welcome the creation of this taskforce. There is
already a wide array of creative and effective initiatives within
the third sector on climate change and other pressing challenges.
But we need a dramatic surge in the scale and impact of this
activity to secure the action we need to avert catastrophic
climate change and secure our futures."
Stuart Etherington, NCVO CEO, said: "The formation of this
Task Force presents a real opportunity for organisations from
across the sector to come together to harness our potential to
tackle climate change and build sustainability."
Notes to editors
1. The secretariat for the taskforce will be provided by NCVO and
Green Alliance, who will support Government in administering the
work of the group. They will be the main point of contact for the
taskforce and are coordinating the recruitment process.
2. Green Alliance is an environmental charity that works with
senior people in government, parliament, business and NGOs to make
environmental solutions a priority in British politics. It
recently published The new politics of climate change: why we are
failing and how we will succeed by Stephen Hale, which sets out
our vision for the how the third sector can mobilise on climate
change. For more information please see http://www.green-alliance.org.uk.
3. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is the
umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England, with sister
councils in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. NCVO has over
6,500 members, ranging from large national bodies to community
groups, volunteer centres and development agencies working at a
local level. With over 280,000 staff and over 13 million
volunteers working for its members, it represents and supports
almost half the voluntary sector workforce. For more information
visit: http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk
4. Anyone wishing to apply to be a member of the taskforce should
contact: NCVO contact - Belinda Pratten, 020 7520 2558 ,
belinda.pratten@ncvo-vol.org.uk or Green Alliance contact - Faye
Scott, 020 7630 4524, fscott@green-alliance.org.uk. For details of
how to apply please contact either organisation. The deadline is
Tuesday April 14th.
5. Defra's Third Sector Strategy was launched in November
2008. The package included the intention to create a new Third
Sector Taskforce, a £6m Greener Living Fund, a new Third Sector
Advisory Board and a new campaign to promote environmental volunteering.
6. Defra has appointed its non-executive Third Sector Advisory
Board. Members can be found on the Defra website.
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