If the UK is to hit its Net Zero goals then everybody needs to pitch in. The focus is often on large centralised solutions, enacted at the national level (which will be discussed at COP26 this week), but it is vital too that we enable grassroots communities to make changes at the local level.
Many local authorities are already doing exactly that.
- Jamie Driscoll, the Mayor of the North of Tyne is supporting local people to make change happen in local communities through a Zero Carbon crowdfunding campaign.
- The Malvern Hills Destination Zero Fund includes a dedicated £100,000 crowdfunding pot to support environmental, community-led projects.
- Cheshire West and Cheshire Council have put forward £50k for crowdfunded ideas that tackle the climate emergency.
They are being supported by business too. Veolia’s Sustainability Fund has pledged alongside councils to support projects that transform local environments.
What these initiatives do is recognise that citizen power makes a real difference and can start important conversations in key areas. For evidence, look at how local authority recycling schemes are only possible through the individual decision of millions of people or how conversations around meat free diets have influenced recent changes to restaurant menus.
Crowdfunding is a great way to channel this energy into local initiatives. A crisis that affects everyone needs to include everyone. And although not everyone will be a climate activist, via Spacehive taking local climate action is as simple as pledging £2 to a nearby campaign.
And these campaigns constantly amaze us through the innovation, imagination and commitment of local people who step forward to improve their local area. We’ve seen the amount of green projects on our platform double in that last year and we expect that to continue increasing. They include bicycle buses, repair cafes, edible community spaces, benches that remove CO2 from the air, neighbours who have come together to rewild their back lanes, and community centres which now run on solar power.
All of these projects have been supported by local authority funding campaigns. The reality is that nearly all local projects can be green projects: most people want to make a contribution to the climate emergency but don’t always have the resources to make it their focus . Through specific green or net zero funds councils are encouraging citizens to get creative and ensuring that environmental impact is a real priority.
What’s more, as with every project on Spacehive, all these projects make their areas more liveable and loveable whether that is through new green spaces, cleaner air or making it easier to get around. So it is a win-win for councils and their communities.
We all know the time to act is now. The pandemic response showed us the power of communities to respond to crises. There is a great opportunity to harness that power again as we make the journey towards net zero.
Michael Havard
Head of Business Development