Sustainable Development
Among the most critical challenges faced by rural communities are those of climate change, the decline in local services and risk to global oil supplies. Creating sustainable rural communities requires a fresh look at how local people and community groups can jointly tackle the future, maintain the viability of their services and help deliver quality of life for all.
For decades ACRE and the Rural Community Action Network have been developing local and national initiatives to support strong rural communities. Using shared knowledge and experience and our links with grass roots community action, ACRE and RCAN can provide guidance and support to meet the challenges ahead. Click on the relevant web pages below to see how the Rural Community Action Network is tackling the future for rural communities.
ACRE participated in the delivery of Every Action Counts, a three year government sponsored programme aimed at stimulating action by communities and community groups to take a lead in addressing climate change.
Since 2006, the Rural Community Action Network delivered a project on the 21st Century Village, which specifically addressed the twin challenges of climate change and Peak Oil. Our members took that challenge to the grass roots to explore the future for rural communities and how actions, small and large, could contribute to delivering a sustainable vision.
Our network has a strong mutual commitment to sustainable development. 75% of our members have signed the Third Declaration on Climate Change. We also have an environmental focus inside our organisations. See how internal practices within our member networks have been improved to meet environmental needs and opportunities.
Adapting to climate change; a guide for local councils
Action for Communities in Rural England (ACRE) and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have worked collaboratively to produce a new guide for local parish and town councils entitled: Adapting to climate change; a guide for local councils.
The Earth’s climate is changing. Climate change constitutes one of the greatest social, environmental and economic threats to society. Issues such as health, housing, transport, waste, food production and equality are completely linked with environmental conditions. We need to understand how our climate might change so that we can prepare. The impacts of climate change, including flooding and drought, will vary from place to place meaning that action at local and regional level is vitally important to help reduce future risk.
View Adaptation guide press release
View Adapting to climate change: A guide for local councils
News Release: New spur to community action in securing a sustainable future for all
After almost a year of work, representatives of the 3rd Sector and four government departments have completed their exploration of how charities and not for profit organisations can contribute to addressing future global and local challenges.
The Ministerial Task Force on the Role of the Third Sector in addressing Climate Change, the Environment and Sustainable Development have produced a report on how this can be achieved.
The report covers the role of the sector in providing leadership and support and in developing green jobs and more sustainable procurement practices within public service delivery. It recognises that, although climate change has dominated the work of many environmental groups, large numbers of organisations involved in supporting social and community action are not yet fully engaged.
The full report can be found by clicking on the following link. Ministerial Taskforce Report
The Ministerial Task Force on the role of the Third Sector in addressing Climate Change, the Environment and Sustainable Development was convened in April 2009. A joint secretariat from NCVO and Green Alliance provided support for the Task Force, whose members included representatives of:
- Department for Communities and Local Government
- Department for Energy and Climate Change
- Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Office of the Third Sector.
View ACRE News Release
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan Announced
The Government published The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan on 15th July 2009. The Transition Plan is the most systematic response to climate change of any major developed economy, and sets standards for others in the run up to crucial talks in Copenhagen in December.
This ambitious plan sets out a national strategy for climate and energy and details how the UK will meet reduced carbon emissions targets up to the year 2020. The aim is to transform the country into a cleaner, greener and more prosperous place to live by tackling the causes of climate change. By 2020:
- More than 1.2 million people will be in green jobs
- 7 million homes will have benefited from whole house makeovers, and more than 1.5 million households will be supported to produce their own clean energy
- Around 40% of electricity will be from low carbon sources, from renewables, nuclear and clean coal
- We will be importing half the amount of gas that we otherwise would
- The average new car will emit 40% less carbon than now.
The Transition Plan is the most systematic response to climate change of any major developed economy, and sets the standard for others in the run up to crucial global climate talks in Copenhagen in December. There are opportunities for all sections of the community to tackle climate change and the document lists a 5 point plan;
- Protecting the public from immediate risk
- Preparing for the future
- Limiting the severity of future climate change through a new international climate agreement
- Building a low carbon UK
- Supporting individuals, communities and business to play their part.
There will be opportunities for RCAN members and rural communities to engage in the process for example the government will be announcing a £10m challenge for green villages, towns and cities, there will be opportunities for communities to work together to plan for a low carbon future, there will be incentives to set up community heating schemes and all new homes will be zero carbon by 2016,
Alongside the Plan, the Government has also published:
The Low Carbon Industrial Strategy, which sets out active interventions to support industries critical to tackling climate change.
The Renewable Energy Strategy, which maps out how we will deliver the UK's renewable energy target by 2020
The Low Carbon Transport Plan, which sets out how to reduce carbon emissions from domestic transport over the next decade.
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