Climate Action: A community led response

Keith Ashcroft, Environment Agency

Bernadette Elder – New Deal for Communities

Salford 1946

Salford Flood Storage Basin - Jan 08Salford Flood Storage Basin - Jan 08

a better place for people …Engage with partners and

local communities • shared understanding

of environmental issues relevant and how to address them

• Progress key environmental issues

• Influence behaviour

How can we worktogether to protectour environment?

Why Salford?

• Strategic commitment

• Track record in community engagement

• Vision for ‘Green neighbourhoods’

Climate Action Vision

Climate Action, Lower Kersal and Spike Island aims to bring local people and organisations together to prepare for flooding, adapt to

climate change and reduce their own carbon footprint.

The idea

• Community led, climate change action plan

• Deliver real projects to encourage community engagement

• Share lessons learnt

The partners

• Environment Agency• Salford City Council• Red Rose Forest• Salix Homes• Groundwork Trust• Salford University• New Deal for Communities• People’s Voice Media

WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR

HOW WILL WE MEASURE THE DIFFERENCE

Climate Action project

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT

EA and Wider stakeholders

Local residents

Project Partners

share learning

define good practice

Deliver services and projects

‘mainstream’ / embed climate action into

service planning, strategy and policy

makingAchieve partnership working efficiencies

Change behaviour

Change perception of climate change

build capacity (knowledge, understanding and skills)

Engagement, information giving, involvement, consultation and empowerment

Embed in community

infrastructure

Fig 2

Influence strategy, policy making and commissioning

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT SO FAR•Patience and persistence is required

•Explain links between projects and Climate Action

•Promote success stories

•Use the right community engagement methods

•Co-Ordinate outreach and marketing

•Concepts are alien to and difficult for many people

WHAT NEXT

•Build on work already done particularly around working with a wider group of agency stakeholders

•Share knowledge and experiences

•Build where possible from existing community and agency infrastructure

•Work on embedding into community structures

•Tell the story