In many of our recent case studies, we’ve seen how councils benefit from the Council Climate Action Scorecards — but they are also of use to campaigners and residents who would like to fully understand, or perhaps get involved in, their local authority’s climate action.
We heard from a Cirencester resident about how information on their council’s climate action led them working together. It all began when they used the right that everyone has, to ask a question of their council:
“I used the Scorecard ratings of Cotswold District Council’s climate performance as the basis of a public question, which I put to a full council meeting last February (2024).
“This led to a one-to-one with the council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability, and an initiative to form a residents’ group which would work directly with the council on specific climate issues.
“And so Cotswold Climate Action Network (C-CAN) was formed! There are currently 12 of us (ten residents and two councillors), my fellow residents being recruited by invitation from other Facebook-based climate action groups in the Cirencester area. We meet every eight weeks or so at the council offices and talk on WhatsApp in between.”
Great stuff — so what sort of things is the group achieving together?
“We’ve set up a number of sub-groups. One collaborates directly with the council on retrofit — that is, the adaptation of existing housing to be more efficient — together with the council’s newly appointed Retrofit Officer.
“Another works on Public Transport and Active Travel, then we have a dedicated member area for 16-18s.”
Are there plans to grow?
“Yes! We’ve just launched a Facebook page to promote what we’re doing and recruit more members from across the Cotswolds. The aim is to widen our involvement in more climate and sustainability issues over whose outcome the council has influence.
“It’s really empowering: our group has the opportunity to be involved, and directly influence, Cotswold District Council’s climate actions. And it all began with that question based on the Scorecards.”
We’re so pleased to see the Scorecards inspiring a resident to ask questions, and leading to such constructive collaboration with their council. Scorecards are a joint project between Climate Emergency UK and mySociety.
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Image: Matt Seymour