community action for climate change: pathfinder programme eurgain powell ymgynghorydd cynaliadweydd...

Community Action for Climate Change: Pathfinder

Programme

Eurgain PowellYmgynghorydd Cynaliadweydd / Sustainability

AdviserCyngor Sir Caerfyrddin / Carmarthenshire County

Council

The Council’s approach

Three distinct components:

1Setting corporate framework to embed sustainable development / climate change in all services and activities

2 Leading by example in getting own house in order

3 Community Leadership & ‘seeing is believing’ – working with partners and communities to translate sustainable development into reality

Local Service Board (LSB) Pledge - 2007:

Make Carmarthenshire a sustainable county

5 themes:1. Save energy2. Save resources3. Travel wisely4. Shop locally and ethically5. Care for your area / biodiversity

…. Getting our own ‘houses’ in order

Engaging communities• Carmarthenshire Energy Agency –

European funding to install renewable energy technologies on community facilities in the county.

• Byw Sir Gâr – Living Carmarthenshire pilot project to explore how the Council and LSB partners can best encourage individuals and communities to live more sustainably.

Carmarthenshire Energy Agency

www.ynnisirgar.org.uk• Developed community based renewable energy

projects and promoted renewables and energy

efficiency in Carmarthenshire (2004 – 2011) • 29 community buildings – solar hot water (2007)• Zero Carbon Communities: 13 community

buildings – PV (2010)• Studies on Grid connections, Hydro (GV) and

Planning

Byw Sir Gâr Living Carmarthenshire

• Pilot – Ferryside (coastal village, 300 households)

• Month-long campaign (Nov 2009)

• 2 levels: – supporting 20 individual

households– community wide

activities• Ecological Footprint

(school)

• Successful in terms of raising awareness, creating debate

• Working groups formed to take forward projects eg energy, Allotments ongoing.

• Gave them confidence – eg BIG Lottery bid for Community Asset Transfer (Education centre)

• Independent evaluation (WAG)

Lessons / legacy?

Carmarthenshire Community ChallengeLaunched at START Festival – Botanic Gardens, September 2010

Pembrokeshire• Minimal links with PCC & PCNPA

• PLANED (Pembrokeshire Local Action Network for

Enterprise and Development) – Sustainable Communities

– Visioning workshops and Action Plans

– SD Toolkit

– Towards One Planet Living (TOPL)

– External funding (europe, lottery, CCW)

• Community Energy Network, Community Allotment

Network, Valuing the Environment Group

• Pembrokeshire South East Energy group

• Pembrokeshire Sustainable Agriculture Network (PSAN)

• The Environmental Network for Pembrokeshire (TENP)

Low Carbon Communities Challenge (DECC)

• Lammas Low Impact Initiatives Ltd, Pembrokeshire, WalesBuilding a “community hub” for the village, and a centre for education on low impact living for the wider world. The project will be delivered using a combination of green technologies, permaculture cultivation methods and natural building techniques.

• Cwm Arian: Glogue, Hermon and Llanfyrnach, nr Preselli Hills, Pembrokeshire:The LCCC money will be used to fund two wind turbines which are calculated to generate around £300,000 per year to be ploughed back into further energy saving projects.

• Awel Aman Tawe Community Wind Farm in Upper Amman and Swansea Valley, South Wales (Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Powys): Planning consent has been secured to put two wind turbines with a capacity of 4MW on the Mynydd y Gwrhyd mountain - LCCC money will help towards the costs. This will generate enough electricity to supply the annual needs of about 2000 homes and generate an income for the community - plans include zero carbon cafe, allotments and a biodiesel pump.

Eurgain Powellehpowell@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

sustainability@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

01267 224902

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