How can UK local authorities best work with rural communities on their Net Zero journey?
CCRI’s Damian Maye, Philippa Simmonds and Aimee Morse put this question to researchers, rural policy leads, local government officers, and community members from across Gloucestershire at an event in November last year.
You can now read their recommendations in a new Zine from the CCRI team: Community engagement for net zero governance.
The participants’ top tips for working with rural communities include:
- build trust between local authorities and community organisations through collaborations that achieve shared goals
- listen effectively to rural communities’ needs and language around climate to enhance climate-related communication
- focus on the non-climate benefits of climate action for greater community support
The zine covers themes from youth transport to nature recovery and was created in a hands‑on workshop led by Philippa Simmonds. Participants worked collaboratively with magazines, photos and craft materials.
Dr Simmonds says: “The zine demonstrates how creative methods can unlock new conversations, perspectives and connections.”
The workshop took place as part of a one-day event on community engagement for Net Zero governance organised by CCRI, the British Academy and local government partners. It gave participants the chance to reflect across scales of governance, from national governance frameworks to the lived realities of rural climate action in Gloucestershire.
Learn more about the event in this CCRI blog:
Further information
Download the zine:
https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/15777
For more information, please contact the CCRI Rural Climathon team: ruralclimathon@glos.ac.uk
The CCRI team
