Equity
Taking an Equitable Approach to Climate Resilience
In our Biodiversity Strategy, we recognise that climate change adversely impacts some communities more than others. Targeted support for the elderly, disabled, minority groups, low-income households and other groups identified as vulnerable to climate risk must be positively accounted for in all climate resilience planning and implementation. Improving access to high-quality green spaces has proven health benefits1 and correlations between climate risk-prone areas and vulnerable communities mean targeting nature-based solutions in these locations can create the highest positive impact for people and nature.
Why does this sit in our Biodiversity Strategy, rather than our Climate Change Strategy? Our Climate Change Strategy focuses on 1) Decarbonisation and 2) Local Sustainability (also referred to as the Circular Economy). Our Biodiversity Strategy focuses on 1) Nature Recovery and 2) Climate Resilience, prioritising nature-based solutions. There is, however, much overlap between Biodiversity and Climate Change action.
In our Biodiversity Action Plan, we have committed to the following actions:
- E6. Improve engagement with carbon reduction initiatives and funding opportunities, particularly for community projects and with vulnerable or under-represented groups, through the delivery of an annual communication plan with identified targeted interventions;
- E10. Explore partnerships with third sector organisations to deliver sustainability projects
For more information on these recurring annual activities, please see our annual events calendar.
To see more about our new fully-funded climate resilience intervention for Maidstones' most vulnerable, please see:
> Climate Vulnerable Retrofit Scheme
We presented at the Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) forum and followed this up with a poll to VCS staff. We asked for their input and feedback on how we could better connect the most vulnerable communities with sustainability campaigns, such as home fuel efficiency measures that support cost of living.
The main findings of this poll were feedback on increasing simplified educational content and increasing representation in this content. We have since started a new video series to break down the benefits of simple actions at home to help support cost of living, alongside providing free giveaways of these items through our distribution partners.
#1. Wool Drier Balls