Tackling climate change through environmentally sustainable initiatives
The Growing impact of a growing movement!
Community businesses bring together diverse networks of people who encourage community action and tackle a wide range of issues, putting the interest of their community first.
Plunkett UK has championed the community ownership model for over a century, delivering better business for people, communities, the economy, and the environment. As part of our vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities across the UK, we encourage community-owned businesses to be impactful in 5 distinct areas. One of these is a dedication to combat climate change through sustainable environmental initiatives.
It is no surprise that a network of businesses that have been established to protect and sustain local assets and services are equally committed to environmental action.
Statistics from Plunkett UK’s ‘Community Ownership: A Better Form of Business’ 2023
As businesses that are owned and run by local people, community businesses have ethical practice and local accountability at their core. With there being a greater societal awareness of the climate crisis, we are seeing more and more grassroots action taking place at a local level.
For community businesses, this means reducing the carbon footprint of products and services, managing waste responsibly, helping local people to live more sustainably, and setting up new initiatives to directly benefit the environment. Community-owned businesses, as locally rooted operations, make sustainable living more affordable and accessible to all.
Community businesses tackling climate change!
Cleve Archers, a community business with 260 members and based in South Gloucestershire, has embarked on a project to develop an energy efficient and environmentally friendly sports venue.
The group were a winner at the Plunkett rural Community Business Awards last year because of their demonstrable commitment to not only promote educational awareness of renewable energy, working with local schools, but also how they have considered and utilised green space surrounding the asset, in terms of achieveing their ambition to be carbon neutral.
Cleve Archers club house
Alongside the installation of solar panel on the clubhouse, a major part of the projects was to plant and maintain a variety of British trees, shrubs and meadowland which will encourage wildlife back into this beautiful area of the country.
They also introduced a wildlife meadow on the North West side of the facility and have identified other parts of the sites to extend the meadows further. The project will ensure Cleve Archers can utilise low-cost energy supply and provide a viable sports venue giving young people, parents and adults the chance to develop a healthy lifestyle in a sustainable sports environment.
Meadowland at Cleve Archers
Another great insight!
Applecross Community Company is the community development trust for the remote Applecross peninsula in the northwest Highlands. They have a successful track record since 2008 of developing and managing assets for community benefit and delivering projects.
One of these projects is the ambition to grow 9000 native broadleaf and Scots pine trees to be planted on site. By doing this, the creation of habitat and expansion of wetland areas and wildlife meadows encourages the return of biodiversity to the site. Ultimately each stage of their project development creates the opportunity for community engagement with green skills and conservation activities.
In 2019, they launched the Active Applecross Project, aimed at encouraging active transportation throughout the peninsula by overseeing ten electric bikes provided for the community with the backing of Cycling Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust. These bikes are available for rent to locals who have enthusiastically shared how the initiative has boosted their daily exercise, enhanced their mood, and saved them money on fuel.
The Active Applecross Project in action!
Hear from Megan MacInnes from the Applecross Community Company to find out more about the project, and how they were recognised by winning the Rural Vision Environment Award at the 2023 Rural Community Business Awards.
Rural Community Business Awards 2024
At this year’s awards, we will be celebrating how community-owned businesses are striving to lessen their impact on the environment.
This will be through the ‘Going Green Award’, which is kindly sponsored by Suma Wholefoods. Like AppleCross Community Company we want to see how your local business is going green!
Join the movement: Become a member today
If you want to learn more about how your community business can lessen its impact on the environment, or you share our vision for a vibrant rural economy with community business at heart, why not join Plunkett UK as a member?
Your membership, which for individuals’ costs just £22.50 per year, will support our ambition to grow the community ownership movement across the nation.
