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Place-based perspectives on Covid-19 and climate change

Whether it's reclaiming the streets by more walking and cycling, investing in green projects, innovative finance schemes with local authorities or increasing local participation in decision making, place-based climate action is key to the recovery from coronavirus.

These are the messages from a suite of special Commentaries published by PCAN tackling the subject of Covid-19 and climate change.

PCAN Fund reopens for place-based climate action projects and new Fellowships

Round 2 of the popular PCAN Fund is now open for place-based propject proposals that develop ideas and approaches with wider relevance to the delivery of local climate action plans. It takes the form of small grants worth £5,000 – £35,000 each. This round sees the introduction of a new element to the Fund: the PCAN Fellowships, for early career researchers.

Surrey County Council launches climate change strategy

Members of PCAN's expert team at the University of Leeds have produced a carbon roadmap for Surrey as part of the county's climate change strategy, released today (29 April 2020).

The report, Surrey's Greener Future, presents a collective approach for how the county can achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Fairer future 'imperative' says Chair of Edinburgh Climate Commission

The Chair of the newly formed Edinburgh Climate Commission has called creating "a resilient, fairer future" to respond to climate change "an imperative that must guide us as we emerge from Covid-19".

Dr Sam Gardner, who was appointed to chair the Edinburgh Commission in February 2020, made his remarks in an article for the Edinburgh Evening News on 22 April - the 50th anniversary of World Earth Day.

Citizens' assemblies help build social mandate for climate policy

Should citizens’ juries and assemblies be a “one off” – or should deliberation be included at every stage of climate policy design and implementation? The question was one of the broader issues discussed at an event co-hosted by PCAN and the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation (CAST) to address the role of citizens’ juries and assemblies in engaging the public on climate change.

Croydon community comes together to launch Climate Crisis Commission

A new climate commission has launched in Croydon, extending the  PCAN (Place-Based Climate Action Network) wider network of UK climate commissions to five.

The Croydon Climate Crisis Commission joins climate commissions in Leeds, Belfast, Edinburgh and Surrey and will kick-start the borough's move to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Climate commissions report stresses importance of diverse networks

Climate Commissions need to have representative and meaningful engagement with existing groups and organisations, be financially independent, have a clear governance structure and share a means of networked communication.

These are the recommendations of a report authored by a team from the University of Edinburgh, which has studied emergent climate commission platforms for driving place-based climate action.

Chair of Edinburgh Climate Commission announced

The independent Chair of the Edinburgh Climate Commission, Dr Sam Gardner, has been announced today [19 February] in conjunction with an update on Edinburgh's progress towards its ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Co-sponsored by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) and Edinburgh City Council, with funding support from the Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN), the Commission will provide leadership, expertise, challenge and encouragement to the city of Edinburgh as it works to deliver its carbon neutral ambition by 2030.

Belfast Climate Commission explores how finance can support a just transition in Northern Ireland

The Belfast Climate Commission has held a first meeting to identify the role of the finance sector in ensuring a just transition in Northern Ireland. Hosted at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) on Friday 24 January, the workshop was organised as part of the UK-wide Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN) and was delivered together with the London School of Economics and UK Finance, the main financial sector association.