Let’s make change happen in Bristol: Community coproduction at the heart of climate action
27th January 2021
Following the launch of our lottery funded Community Climate Action project in October 2020, the project’s six community partners have been busy creating coproduction plans to engage and involve their communities in the development of innovative community-level climate action plans, to support Bristol’s 2030 zero carbon ambition.
From February, active conversations will begin within the six communities to identify community priorities and climate action solutions which address them, which will feed into the emerging community climate action plans. From the creation of community champions and conversation cafes in Lockleaze, to radio shows and pop-up creative events in Easton and Lawrence Hill; from guerrilla gardening events and retrofitting workshops in Lawrence Weston to sustainable fashion shows and lantern parades for families in Hartcliffe, the community partners will use a diverse range of events and methods to creatively inspire, communicate with, and elicit ideas and priorities from members of their communities.
Bristol Green Capital Project Partnership, with project partners Bristol City Council and CSE, have facilitated regular forum meetings to support the community partners in the first few months of the project. So far, community partners have refined coproduction principles, developed a project evaluation framework and shared communications assets and participated in, climate literacy and digital engagement training. Climate sector contacts in the city have also joined the community partners for a digital speed dating event to introduce their work.
The emphasis of the community action plans will be to increase quality of life for people in communities, whilst also taking action on climate change. Each community partner has developed a unique focus and approach, which considers the impacts of the covid pandemic, such as digital poverty/exclusion. The community partners have adapted their coproduction plans to ensure they are accessible as possible under current restrictions, with the ambition to bring people together in person to share their ideas later this year, once COVID-19 restrictions have potentially eased.
Keep an eye out for the project logo and project updates highlighting opportunities to be involved.
To read more about the Community Climate Action project, the community partners involved and the coproduction activities they have planned visit the project page.