Partnership celebrates success of community-led climate projects

“The first rule of climate change engagement – don’t talk about climate change!”

So said Mark Leach of Bristol City Council’s climate change team, at a celebratory gathering of the Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership held at the Seat Unique cricket stadium in Ashley Down on Wednesday.

He was referring to the approach the city has taken of putting community needs first in climate action projects which prioritise social benefits.

Over the last three years, 17 Community Climate Action projects have been supported by the Partnership to establish residents’ priorities and co-develop plans of action grounded in issues such as high energy prices, waste disposal, lack of green space and accessibility of healthy, sustainable options for food and transport.

This June gathering celebrated the launch of the latest six action plans, developed by Shirehampton Action, Rising Arts Agency, Hotwells and Cliftonwood Community Association, One Green Kitchen and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club working with the Next Test.

Project representatives like Euella Jackson of Rising Arts described how the projects had improved people’s quality of life: “We had the resource to tackle social inequality with this plan which was very liberating,” she said.

“Being sustainable can be really expensive and exclusive, which is an issue for our community. It’s been exciting to have the money to be able to think about how we can tackle that.”

Donna Sealey of Ambition Lawrence Weston explained their project had served to strengthen the community:

“We’re generating income which comes back to make Lawrence Weston stronger,” she said of the revenue received from their community-owned wind turbine. “Residents decide what they want to spend the money on to make Lawrence Weston a better place.

“It’s bringing people together with that common thread – regardless of age or background – which creates cohesion across the community.”

A panel consisting of Nick Gardner (Environmental Funders Network), Donna Sealey (Ambition Lawrence Weston), Mark Leach (Bristol City Council) and Euella Jackson (Rising Arts Agency) discussed how the climate action projects have improved health and wellbeing, and helped communities to overcome challenges

Nick Gardner, representing the national Environmental Funders Network, agreed: “People are the greatest asset, they’re best able to respond to local context and challenges.

“Bringing communities together around the shared wonder or concern of ‘how do I deal with something as big as climate change’ and giving them practical actions improves social cohesion and helps them deal with other problems too.”

Sado Jirde of the Black South West Network also concurred: “We can see what’s possible when we invest directly in communities – if the approach and intentionality is there, we see success,” she said. “We will not have environmental justice without social justice.”

But, she suggested, there is room for improvement: “Making climate action relevant to folks – I don’t think we’re there,” she said, in the sole critical comment offered up over the afternoon.

“We need to be honest about that. There is a disconnect between formation of policy and the impact on people’s lives.

“Are we genuinely consulting and listening? I don’t see that. I think decisions are being made, and then we end up with a consultation.

“The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood for example. It was a really good initiative that had huge potential but maybe the community wasn’t ready at that particular time. Sitting around the policy making tables, sometimes the human perspective is lost.”

 

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Speakers were largely full of praise for the work which has earned Bristol a glowing reputation in environment spheres.

“Outside of Bristol the perception of Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership is that it’s one of the very best there is,” said Tim Temple of Locality, an organisation supplying tools and resources to help communities take action on climate change.

And Gardner said: “Bristol really has forged the way and is the one we refer to when we talk about community climate action.

“We’re talking carbon reduction, reducing waste, environmental impacts – but there are a huge number of social impacts, skills development, improved health and wellbeing as well.”

Attendees of the packed-out event had good reason to be positive, said speakers.

“It’s never hard to engage people – they want to talk about the issues and what they can do,” said Gardner, citing Guardian newspaper research which found over 80 per cent of people are concerned and keen to act on climate issues.

He suggested community projects increase the visibility both of ways people can act and others that are taking action, which can have mental health benefits that counter eco-anxiety.

The gathering for the most part celebrated the successes of Bristol’s community-led approach to climate action, but there was some acknowledgement that mistakes have been made and there is learning to be done

Leach also stressed there is awareness across the board: “There’s no big class divide in climate concern and action,” he said. “It’s not a middle class woke thing, that’s a myth bolstered by the media. These projects and the wider research have proved that, resoundingly.”

It’s vital that everyone is included, said Gardner: “Social justice is climate justice. The most vulnerable communities are mapped very accurately along the areas already being impacted by, for example, flooding and the urban heat island effect.

“We’re seeing the absolute stark realities of people living in deprived areas with no access to green space or shade. The projects are helping communities be more resilient and look out for each other.”

To continue this work will undoubtedly require more finance. Environment funding has tripled in the last three years in the UK, to 8.5 per cent of all philanthropic funding.

But while this rise is significant, it’s still not enough. Bristol’s transition to net zero is calculated at £7.8bn and, said Gardner, it’s a tentative time with pressure on government resources and two UK political parties now intent on promoting the negatives of net zero.

At the heart of the Community Climate Action Plan project, community consultations in places like Knowle (pictured), Easton and Southmead, and with refugees and Disabled people, establish the environmental and social challenges these communities face and help them to come up with creative solutions – photo: Knowle West Media Centre

“The Climate Change Committee says we need significant improvements in individual behaviours and actions to meet UK net zero targets,” he said. “It will be down to community groups to step up, and that in turn will build the political mandate in Bristol, when more people start talking about climate on the doorstep.

”And we need to shout about the social benefits of these projects to keep that money pouring in.”

What comes next was summed up best by Sealey of Ambition Lawrence Weston.

“The children are the future,” she said, simply. “We need to be working with the next generation. Inspiring young people, giving them green skills.”

Collaboration is the key to success, she said, thanking partners including Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, the National Lottery and community ecologist Eric Swithinbank.

“You need that partnership to make anything successful – no one can deliver this on their own,” she said. “Working together makes things happen, particularly in deprived areas where there’s a lack of infrastructure and community resources.

“We need to work together to make our communities better which ultimately will make Bristol a better place to be.”

All images: Sham Phat Photography

Read next:

• South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood details expected soon
• Festival of Nature and UWE explore river health and human efforts
• ‘The single-use system is failing us all – and the people of Bristol know it’
• ‘We can’t afford to leave anyone behind in the race to net zero’
• ‘We need to challenge the car-dependent transport system we live in’

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