A new report by Carbon Copy, conducted by consultancy Eunomia, has suggested that ‘place-based’ initiatives in local communities can be a meaningful driver of climate action.
The report, entitled From Footprint to Changeprint, explored how and why several local communities in the UK have made notable progress in tackling climate and nature crises – often with minimal funding – at a tine when progress is faltering at a national level.
As the UK’s Climate Change Committee recently noted, several national priority recommendations have seen either ‘no progress’ or ‘some but insufficient progress’, resulting in shortfalls in the policy landscape. At the same time, many local communities are playing a crucial, and often under-appreciated, role in driving positive change.
Success factors
The study identified 12 success factors, grouped into three core characteristics: a mindset of ‘Abundance’, a strong sense of ‘Belonging’, and the need for a ‘Purposeful’ approach.
It adopted both a qualitative and quantitative approach, including interviews and surveys with 15 participating projects, and the identifying of six ‘action areas’ covering Buildings & Places, Circular Economy, Food & Agriculture, Nature, Renewable Energy and Transport.
“What makes the research findings so exciting is their relevance to so many people and different organisations,” commented Ric Casale, Carbon Copy co-founder. “High-impact collective action appears possible within the resources of a wide range of local communities and the success factors can be readily copied.
“From Footprint to Changeprint can be used as an action guide, providing practical advice for councils, communities, and organisations. As such, the research is designed to support the implementation of local climate action plans and biodiversity plans in a way that achieves real results.”
‘Wide range of benefits’
Elsewhere, Daniel Stunell, managing consultant at Eunomia, added that the research shows that community actions can deliver a “wide range of benefits” beyond carbon reduction.
“The Changeprint idea, and the principles underpinning it, offer an innovative way to think about net zero and climate action,” he said. “Emissions reductions matter deeply, but community climate action can deliver so much more. Where a carbon footprint measures what we remove, a Changeprint shows what can be built when communities come together to deliver collective change. It shows how the power of many can grow into something bigger.” Read more here.
