What a great way to start the week yesterday at The Royal Society for the PCAN Conference to discuss Place-Based Climate Action in the UK.
The latest PCAN report finds that:
📈 Place-based climate action continues to grow in the UK,
🤝 Local partnerships lead to better outcomes and are vital to deliver net zero,
🕴 Political leadership is essential and currently lacking,
⚖ New governance models are emerging, bringing both benefits and challenges.
The report suggests an integrated approach involving local authorities, communities, businesses, and the national government, to effectively combat climate change.
🏘 Local Authorities should move beyond climate emergency declarations to executing action plans that are evidence-backed and locally-supported. It stresses the need for partnership-based approaches, mobilising resources from the private, public, and third sectors. Climate action should be embedded in all local decision-making and strategies, not limited to but including planning, economic development, and health. Financing climate mitigation and adaptation projects should involve local communities and private sectors.
👨👩👧👧 Local communities and stakeholders should broaden their climate action scope to include measures that address societal challenges. The report recommends the establishment of climate commissions to formalise zero-carbon communities and promote local collaboration. Collaboration with local universities is also seen as crucial to improving the climate action knowledge base. Lastly, local communities and stakeholders should engage in networks for shared experiences and transparent communication.
🏪 Local businesses must actively participate in emission reduction programs and understand and reduce their own operational climate impact. Recognising necessary changes in operations can lead to potential efficiency opportunities. The report encourages businesses to collaborate with local partners on sustainable projects.
🗳️ The government should develop a comprehensive framework with adequate resources to support local climate action. Tackling institutional and policy barriers obstructing local climate action is crucial. Acknowledging and leveraging the role of local communities in climate policies is also seen as pivotal. Lastly, the government should support platforms for local climate action groups to share experiences and resources.
🧑🤝🧑 The essence of these recommendations is collaboration - a cross-sectional approach that harnesses the power and potential of every facet of our society. From the local grocer to the national government, everyone has a part to play in the transition to a more sustainable future for all.
Collaboration is key to what we do at Ganddee. Ping us anytime to explore synergies, see how our data can help you, and chat about how we can join forces to mitigate the climate crisis.