Local support for community action on climate change: lessons from the Communities Cutting Carbon project.

Action by local communities on climate change has been recognised by researchers and policymakers as having great potential to support a transition towards a low-carbon UK economy. Support for such action from community development workers can assist projects and groups to develop, act, and achieve positive results.

This paper explores the work of the Communities Cutting Carbon project to provide support to community groups acting on climate change in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland sub-region. The project is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), which involves collaboration between the RCC (Leicestershire & Rutland) and De Montfort University, and is actively supported by all the local authorities in the sub-region.

The current picture in the UK with regard to community action on climate change is introduced, along with a summary of the support available and strategies used by the Communities Cutting Carbon project. Initial outcomes from the project‟s first year are reported, alongside some early evaluation of its impact to date.

The findings indicate the high demand for the support offered and point towards effective strategies that can be used to support the burgeoning “Communities and Climate” sector to grow and have a positive impact in future years.