Overview

'Going Carbon Neutral' is a grassroots project that aims to turn Ashton Hayes into England's first carbon neutral village, and to share the experience with other like-minded communities.

Initially the brainchild of local resident Garry Charnock, the project was adopted by the Parish Council in November 2005, and officially launched at a public meeting held in Ashton Hayes Primary School on 26th January 2006. The launch meeting was a huge success attended by 400 people – representing 75% of the adult population of the village – and generating considerable media attention (including regional television and the BBC World Service).

Awareness raising with residents has cut the carbon footprint of the village's households by 20% in 12 months. Tree planting is helping to offset remaining emissions. The project initially aimed to plant 16,000 new trees as a carbon sink with coppicing of woodlands to provide fuel for those with wood burning fires. A renewables micro grid (where energy generated by one resident can be used by others) is now planned.

Information and guidance is also being disseminated to other communities in the UK and abroad.

» Background

Background

Intial steps

Ashton Hayes is a relatively affluent village with 1,000 residents and 370 households. A small number of local residents understood that the community's carbon footprint was unsustainable and wanted to 'do their bit' on climate change, so they decided to start a project to reduce and ultimately eliminate the village's carbon impacts.

A strong brand image helped publicise the campaign

In its first year the project focused on raising awareness of climate change, and on spreading information on how to act and effect change in each household. A website, local newsletters and projects with the local primary school have helped to disseminate information to residents.

How household surveys made a difference

In May and June 2006, a team of five undergraduate researchers from the University of Chester carried out house-by-house survey work on home energy and travel patterns to calculate the village's baseline carbon emissions. 167 households participated (45% of the total), each of which was provided with a personal profile on their carbon emissions and recommendations on how to reduce their carbon footprint.

The study calculated that the carbon footprint of the village was 4,766 tonnes. A second survey, carried out in 2007 to assess the extent to which actions had been implemented, suggested that the village's domestic footprint had been reduced by 20% in the first year. Key to achieving these reductions has been the advice and recommendations provided through the baseline survey.

Project ownership and support

The project is officially owned by the Parish Council, which provides it with a democratic mandate and broad legitimacy, as well as access to insurance, legal and financial systems. In practice it is being delivered by a group of 30 volunteers organised into five relatively autonomous teams, who give technical and practical advice to residents, examine the carbon sink and offset schemes, run conferences and exhibitions, and manage press and media.

As well as the University of Chester (which has made a five-year commitment), a number of local businesses have contributed including:

• The environmental consulting firm RSK - sustainability advice and funding

• Technical Editing Services - communications advice

• Euro Tree Services - advice on tree sourcing and planting

• M&M Communications - newsletter design and printing

• EA Technology - renewables advice

» The Impact

Overview «

The Impact

Measures of success

The project has delivered a wide range of successes including:

• An estimated 20% reduction in household carbon emissions in the project's first year.

• Installation of a small wind turbine and solar thermal system at the Primary School, and of solar thermal panels at ten houses.

• 100 talks (now at a rate of approximately three talks a week) delivered to communities around the UK.

A survey in 2007 found that 99.4% of households are now engaged in 'environmentally-friendly behaviour', and 35% have become more actively involved in village life through the project.

In 2007 £26,500 was awarded from Defra's Climate Challenge Fund to pay for information dissemination and awareness-raising activities around the UK over two years. This included:

• an award-winning video to explain the project

• a 'Carbon Neutral Toolkit' developed to provide guidance to other communities

• a national 'Climate Friendly Communities Conference' held at the University of Chester in April 2007.

Aerial view of Ashton Hayes

In the summer of 2007 Ashton Hayes is promoted at Live Earth Rock Concert, Wembley. The special film 'a village greened' was shown to over a billion people across the world.

In September 2007, the project won the IVCA Clarion Award for Climate Change Communications for its film 'Our Footprint, Our Journey', and in November it won the 'Community Initiative' prize from the Energy Institute.

The pace of progress continued into 2008. The project secured an £86,500 award with EA Technology and University of Chester to develop a community microgrid model. The community also began to install renewables - mainly solar water and wind. Cheshire County Council builds £75,000 footpath to connect Ashton Hayes to nearby Mouldsworth railway station - to support the project.

Meanwhile, the FT Magazine carried a five page feature on the project and front cover photo and three more educational films on Ashton Hayes were made and copies sent to 1,200 communities.

In 2009, the fourth footprint survey revealed a further increase in energy use reduction to 23%. The microgrid study was complete and plans drawn up to build community owned CHP system, at the school, and other renewables.

In July 2009 the BBC broadcast live from Ashton Hayes on day of climate change bill. By autumn 120 talks about the achievements in Ashton Hayes had been given across UK, while the BITC 'seeing is believing' visit is hosted with 15 FTSE Directors. 

Momentously three members of the team were invited to visit Nøtterøy, Norway in late 2009. The like-minded Nøtterøy Municipal Council passed the following unanimous resolution on 20 January 2010."Nøtterøy enters into a collaboration with the village of Ashton Hayes on combating climate change. The aim is to exchange ideas and experiences on how to combat climate change through grass roots involvement."

In early 2010, the Department of Energy and Climate Change selected Ashton Hayes to be one of the Low Carbon Community Challenge (LCCC) fund recipients. Ashton Hayes is one of 12 communities from across the UK chosen to receive £500,000 to help install new green technologies such as solar panels, hydro turbines and energy saving insulation.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock said: “The huge enthusiasm for the Low Carbon Communities Challenge demonstrates that local people are passionate about building a low carbon future in the UK. Today’s winners will act as a test bed for green action, and show us all what a greener future looks like.

In March 2010, Ashton Hayes project volunteers spoke at the GovNet Sustainable Development Conference in London.

What is special about this project?

The project has made great use of 'community genius' – the considerable supplies of enthusiasm, creativity, skills and experience of local people. A key principle of the project is that it should be non-confrontational and apolitical in its approach. People have been encouraged to contribute in their own time and in their own way, rather than being directed by the project's leadership.

Students from the University of Chester helped to run surveys on travel and energy patterns

The project relies on informal relationships with residents, with much communication and awareness raising through the Primary School and village notice boards.

A high media profile has forged links with more than 70 communities in the UK, and has influenced projects as far afield as Canada, Mauritius and Australia.

» Good Practice

Background «

Good Practice

What can be learned from this project?

Ashton Hayes has been very strategic in its handling of the project, and can offer the following advice to similar enterprises:

• Maximise media coverage to generate local interest, and spread knowledge to other communities. The presence of TV and radio before and at the launch event proved an excellent way of getting local people interested and participating in the project.

The launch event was attended by 400 people (75% of the adult population)

• Use different types of media – newsletters, newspapers, the internet, radio and TV – to reach the entire community.

• Engage with local organisations and businesses from the start. Primary schools are a centre of rural village life, and an excellent way of spreading knowledge and good practice to local households through pupils' enthusiasm. Local businesses are often willing to sponsor activities in cash or kind. Running the project through the Parish Council can increase its profile and legitimacy, and enable the project to engage with the widest range of people.

• Work co-operatively and collaboratively, rather than being confrontational. Do not become a pressure group or get 'political'. Be open, inclusive and non-judgemental to maximise participation, and motivate people through having fun rather than spreading fear. Make use of 'converted skeptics' and the persuasive power of friends and families.

» Reference

The Impact «

Reference

External links

Official website
'Our Footprint Our Journey' video
Detailed case study
Going Carbon Neutral Toolkit - download pdf
ASC: Demystifying Climate Change
Sustainable Cheshire Forum
Bedford Borough Council
FT.com - 'Village Greened'
Guardian.co.uk - 'Spreading the green gospel'
Guardian.co.uk - 'Village that's saving the world'
Guardian.co.uk - 'My village is going carbon neutral'
BBC.co.uk World Service - 'Could your village go carbon neutral?'
IVCA Clarion Award for Climate Change Communications 2007
Energy Institute Community Initiative Prize 2007

Good Practice «