Case Study:

Community Climate Action Training Pilot

Background

It was recognised by the Eastern and Midlands CARO that in order to encourage behavioural change in communities, climate-related training for those active in the community would be essential. This training would educate them about the impacts of climate change and on how to climate proof/build resilience/build environmental sustainability into their activities both as an individual and community member. Small-scale training has been carried out in the past, focused either on specific groups (e.g., Tidy Towns), or specific topics only, and such training can be costly for groups to undertake.

Solution

The Eastern and Midlands CARO worked with the Coordinator of the Rural Environment Pillar of County Kildare LEADER Partnership to develop a tender for the preparation and delivery of a 100% LEADER-funded pilot training programme entitled “Communities 4 Climate Action” open to individuals in community groups and clubs in the county.

The successful bidder, ESD Training, will be required to tailor the course so content is relevant to the types of individuals that take part in the training programme and their activities in the community. Three modules on ‘Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation’, ‘Teamwork & Engagement’ and ‘Green Procurement’ will be provided to all participants. Other modules available, based on the participants’ activities in the community, will include ‘Growing & Groundskeeping’, ‘Waste & the Circular Economy’, ‘Energy Use & Renewable Energy’, ‘Water & Climate Change’, and ‘Transport’. The 10-week course will be free to participants and includes two field trips, as well as a competition to win €1,000 for a new climate action project in a community group or club. The pilot course commenced on 28th September 2019.

Benefits of solution

Social
There are two main objectives:
1. To build awareness and capacity within communities by equipping individuals and representatives from voluntary organisations and/or clubs in County Kildare with knowledge and skills which they can apply to their activities in order to make their communities more climate resilient and environmentally sustainable.
2. To encourage groups and small-medium enterprises to apply for LEADER funding under the Rural Environment theme in order to undertake new climate action-related projects that may emerge from their training in the 2019-2020 period.

Project Details:

Timeframe
This is a 10-week training programme.
Further information
The first pilot course commenced on 28th September 2019; the tender awarded includes provision for outcome reporting and feedback, which will be reviewed

Local authority project contact
Claire Moran
Eastern and Midlands CARO
Maeve Howe
Rural Environment Pillar Coordinator, CKLP