Scottish Climate Week: How communities can take climate action
During Scottish Climate Week, we've published a new resource which explores the community development perspective around the climate crisis - and how communities are taking action on this pressing issue.
Community development is built upon collective action - people coming together to take action on the issues important to them. When it comes to addressing climate change, this collective response has shown to help reduce carbon emissions, lessen climate anxiety and address the inequalities we already see across our society.
This focus on social and economic justice is key, because we know the impacts of climate change are worse for those who have the least wealth and power.
That's why work that supports people in communities to build, skills, knowledge and confidence is key if we're to see these community-led responses across our communities.
While significant systematic changes to our economy and how policy is delivered are required, strong communities empowered to take action is a crucial part of our overall climate response.
Scottish Government publishes Democracy Matters consultation response
The Scottish Government have published their analysis of the Democracy Matters 2 consultation, which explored what new decision-making powers for communities could look like, and how potential new decision-making bodies might work.
The main findings from the consultation are centred around the need for any new community decision-making structures to be flexible and responsive, and able to influence decisions and services in a meaningful way.
Ensuring these new bodies are representative of their community, and that they are accountable and transparent was also considered important. Decisions should be made in ways that are participative and accessible.
Importantly, respondents set out how any new decision-making body should have an independent, sustainable budget - and that community capacity building to develop skills, knowledge and confidence and was vital.
SCDC and others have previously called for new legislation to bring forward these changes, and in a joint statement the Scottish Government and COSLA have outlined that there will be "work towards an implementation phase early in the next Parliament, including the consideration of the need for any essential legislation".
We look forward to hearing more about what concrete changes will result from this consultation – and the new powers communities could be afforded.
What we're reading
SURF Awards shortlist announced
Scotland’s Regeneration Forum have announced the 2024 shortlist for the SURF Award national awards scheme, which showcases success in responding to regeneration challenges in communities across Scotland. 15 projects have been short lived across five categories.
Volunteer Scotland Briefing: Programme for Government 2024 This briefing responds to Scotland's Programme for Government, providing contextual information and recommendations to support the implementation of the priorities around the role and value of volunteering.
Co-created community art exhibit this October in Edinburgh Alternative Futures – Who Decides is an exhibition of co-created art developed as a collaboration of The Binks Hub, University of Edinburgh and The Ripple Project. It is focused on encouraging conversations about how we change the way we view our communities, and what we can do together to make a lasting difference.
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We publish every Wednesday with the top news, events and reading around community development, engagement, community empowerment, co-production, participation, democracy, community-led health and more. Feedback? Get in touch.
