New Climate Action Network brings communities together to help tackle climate change across district

Chichester District Council has officially launched the Chichester District Climate Action Network, which aims to bring people together to strengthen the impact of local climate initiatives. The network was launched during a successful Carbon Literacy training event held on Monday 10 November, coinciding with this years Carbon Literacy Action Day.

 Designed to connect individuals and community groups from across the district, the network helps people to share knowledge and ideas. It is open to anyone in the district interested in becoming involved in local climate action.

' Our new Climate Action Network is another step forward in helping to tackle climate change locally,' says Cllr Jonathan Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment at Chichester District Council. 'The network will make it easier for people to work together to support and deliver grassroots climate initiatives — whether that involves planting trees, reducing food waste, promoting home energy efficiency, or repairing and reusing items. The network is focussed on building local partnerships that lead to real change for our communities.

 I was delighted to attend the launch of the network at our free Carbon Literacy training day. It was a privilege to be joined by so many people who are passionate about making a difference in our area, and I'm pleased to say that we received some fantastic feedback about the day. Looking ahead, we're developing an online forum to act as a central link-point for action groups across the district, and we've also created template climate change policies to support community groups'

If you would like to be part of the network, wherever you are on your journey, please email our team at: climatechange@chichester.gov.uk.

 The councils Carbon Literacy Action Day was a big success, with 16 people undergoing Carbon Literacy training, and a further 30 joined for the lunchtime networking session. Delivered by the councils experienced in-house Carbon Literacy Facilitator, the training is based on the globally recognised Carbon Literacy Project and is designed to help people identify practical changes they can make to reduce carbon emissions. The council is planning to organise additional training dates for next year, and anyone who is interested in attending, is advised to sign up to the council's climate change newsletter for updates:www.chichester.gov.uk/climatec...

 The Carbon Literacy Training and the Chichester District Climate Action Network are key actions within the councils Climate Emergency Action Plan. The plan, which runs from 2025 to 2030, includes a range of projects addressing different aspects of the climate emergency — such as home energy efficiency, tree planting, and community action. People can find out more about this work at: www.chichester.gov.uk/climatec....

 To stay informed about climate initiatives in the Chichester District, sign up to our dedicated newsletter:www.chichester.gov.uk/climatec...