Calderdale Climate Emergency Fund, Round 3

A. Introduction

As the Calderdale Climate Action Plan says, “Climate change is a global issue, but we all have a role to play in protecting our planet”.

Through this fund the partnership between Calderdale Council and the Community Foundation for Calderdale have been investing in projects run by Calderdale voluntary and community, that will have an impact on reducing the carbon footprint of their activities and which will help the borough towards our Carbon Zero target of 2030.

In our transport, buildings, food, how we use land and the things we buy. Achieving Net Zero needs transformation. We must build climate resilience to protect ourselves and each other from the changing climate.

B. Progress to date

There have been two rounds of funding so far which have funded 22 projects, with grants of in total £463,899.01.

There have been 12 projects concerned with reducing energy costs and energy efficiency in buildings; 4 projects concerned with the replacement of petrol/diesel vehicles with electric vehicles; 4 feasibility studies, and 2 projects concerned with educational and awareness raising of Climate Change and Carbon Zero.

C. The District Climate Change Action Plan

For the Third Round of the fund we want to ensure alignment with the Climate Change Action Plan, see Here

There are 6 themes in the Action Plan

Use our shared voice for climate action:
Support community climate action:
Create warm and resilient buildings:
Grow a Green Economy:
Transform transport and getting around:
Work with land and nature to protect us in the long term:

In previous rounds we have focussed on Transport, Buildings and Raising Awareness/Shared Voice.

For this round of the Calderdale Climate Emergency Fund, we will be focusing on two of these themes:

Community Climate Action and Land and Nature.

D. Round 3 Priorities, Opportunities, Projects, Outcomes

Community Climate Action

The Opportunity

There are lots of solutions that can be implemented right now in Calderdale. Working with existing community groups and developing new ones is essential. We will create a Net Zero world that is fair for everyone and that we can all feel part of. Many community groups in Calderdale are already leading the way on climate action. They are creating a sense of belonging, showing what is possible and supporting each other to help ideas to grow.

We want to provide the right advice and support that will enable community groups and individual people to take climate action. This will allow everyone to live happy, healthy, and sustainable lives.

Key Actions

Launch Low-Carbon Community Advice Hubs
Spread the word about building a better, brighter, Zero Carbon Calderdale
Help people build sustainable lives across the things we buy and the food that we eat
Support communities taking action
Help places develop Neighbourhood Climate Action Plans

This is the Action Plan from the Calderdale Climate Action Plan:

What types of Projects this could fund? Here are some ideas, but what do you think?

Neighbourhood Climate Action Plans: How can you work in your community to identify how your community can prepare for and meet Carbon Zero, what are the barriers to this, how could you remove them?
Community Food production: Helping develop sustainable and healthy food locally and encouraging growing, development of wasteland, and development of community allotments etc
Set up local community action groups for Carbon Zero
Set up local community advice hubs for helping people with energy efficiency, sustainable lifestyles, achieving carbon zero
Developing local education and awareness raising projects

Types of outcomes for this theme:

Reduction of emissions from local food production
Increase in numbers of neighbourhood climate action plans
New Community Carbon Advice Hubs
Increase in the number of people actively involved in community climate projects
Hectares of land brought back into use for sustainable community environment projects
Tonnes of organic food produced by local food projects.

2. Work with land and nature to protect us in the long term

The Opportunity

Calderdale’s distinctive countryside is something that can always lift our spirits. With its lush, wooded valleys, windswept heather moorlands and breath-taking views from the tops.

This beautiful countryside is crucial to producing clean air, water, and food. It needs our help to recover and requires new ways to be managed sustainably in the long run.

By 2038, we will see a Calderdale where:

Vulnerable species are thriving.
peatland and moorland are healthy and regenerated.
natural flood management reduces flood risk.
and there are more wild places that protect our precious animals, birds, insects and plant species.

Key Actions

Create an Ecological Emergency Action Plan by 2023
Restore peatlands to absorb carbon
Support Slow the Flow to expand to reduce flooding in our towns
Develop farming for the future advice with landowners and farmers
Play our part in absorbing carbon by creating a woodland that stretches from Liverpool to the Yorkshire Coast

Climate change can feel like another issue to add to the list of things to worry about. Recovering from the pandemic, dealing with the cost-of-living crisis and the demands of modern life are big priorities too. However, many of the solutions that reduce emissions will help us with these other problems.

What types of Projects this could fund? Here are some ideas, but what do you think?

Develop community led land and farming management advice informed by ecological survey work and the local area energy plan, groups taking over underused, badly used, waste land etc and developing as community food resources, restoration projects’ etc
Developing community woodlands and forests, restoration and education projects associated with these.
Community based flood management projects
Community conservation, transformation, wildlife, and nature projects
Community led ecological surveys work

Types of outcomes for this theme:

Hectares of land brought back into use/restored for sustainable community environment projects
Hectares of woodland brought back into use/restored for sustainable community environment projects
Numbers of local neighbourhood ecological surveys conducted
Increasing number of community flood management projects
New community led conservation and transformation projects

E. Deploying the available Funds

For this round we will have small grants for small scale projects, pilot schemes (e.g. for small equipment planters etc small garden projects), £500 to £3,000
There will be larger grants for multi-impact projects and those that aim to be transformational, up to £10,000 with an expectation that projects of this size will also be able to match the funding with either other grants, their own income or the value of land, equipment, volunteer time brought or levered into the project.

F. Round 3 timescales

Fund launched 15.05.23
Deadline for Completed Applications 12.06.23
Panel Decisions 07.07.23
Grants out to awardees 17.07.23

There may be further rounds of funding for climate change projects in the near future.

G. The application form is available by clicking this link

For further information, advice and guidance about the fund please contact Rob Billson, rob@cffc.co.uk

Telephone 01274 349700