In 2012, we commissioned Emergent Research & Consulting to review action being taken by communities in the face of climate change and to suggest approaches that funders like BIG might support in this area. But the findings and conclusions of the report are likely to be of interest and value to a much wider audience.
Main messages
- Climate change is becoming less of a political priority despite the inadequacy of efforts to date. There is a need for wider and deeper community-led responses.
- Funders might focus more on approaches to improve community resilience and sustainability rather than on ‘climate change’ in general. Adaptation to the effects of climate change should be a priority. The most effective approaches will link the theme to people’s everyday concerns – jobs, skills, food, injustice or well-being. Supporting coping strategies for the consequences of climate change, particularly for vulnerable groups, will be more useful than focusing on responding to emergencies.
- Organisations work to ensure a balance between activist and wider community concerns, but achieving and maintaining a wider sense of community ownership is difficult.
- Disadvantaged groups and areas are more likely to be affected by climate change. They are also harder to engage in community-led response as they are both likely to have more pressing concerns and to have fewer resources to take action. So thinking about ‘here and now’ issues (like money, food, fuel or employment) or ‘our future’ (how people want to live, work and bring up children) are two effective approaches.
Read the report
Please contact us if you have any comments or questions.