Press information for immediate release June 12th 2009

Gradual, incremental action which gathers pace and power over a period of years is not the stuff of banner headlines.  Or at least, not until it hits a critical tipping point, and suddenly old assumptions, and old ways of working and behaving are completely binned in favour of a new world view.

In the field of climate change, a key piece of incremental action over the past few years has been the slow embedding of environmental thinking into the structures of Third Sector organisations – voluntary and community groups which fight on the frontline to combat poverty, exclusion and disadvantage.

In June 2007, the Every Action Counts consortium launched the THIRD SECTOR DECLARATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, an initiative led by Capacity Global.  The Declaration identified Third Sector organisations as primary influencers in people’s lives, and called on them to rally round and to pledge themselves to implementing real, measurable change in their own environmental practice.  EVERY ACTION COUNTS (the programme devoted to promoting green thinking amongst third sector organisations) provided practical tools, information and online and real-time support to initiate, achieve and monitor green goals.

On MONDAY JUNE 15TH at the Royal Society of the Arts in London, EVERY ACTION COUNTS and CAPACITY GLOBAL will re-launch the Declaration and release a review report on the THIRD SECTOR DECLARATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE’S success so far. 

The event coincides with the first meeting of a cross-departmental Ministerial Task Force which brings together ministers and policy officials from the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Office for the Third Sector and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Ministers will speak at the launch and then attend the Task Force meeting afterwards. 

They’ll be joining with representatives from Third Sector organisations including the British Red Cross, Green Alliance, bassac, Capacity Global, ACRE, and the National Children’s Bureau.  Together, they’ll be building on critical understandings emerging from early take up on the Declaration and on the work of EVERY ACTION COUNTS to expand and develop opportunities and practice in this crucial area.

The report into the success of the THIRD SECTOR DECLARATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (based on a survey of almost a quarter of the 200 organisations so far signed up) provides encouraging results.

Most were small to medium sized groups, the majority unfunded, and most did not identify themselves as environmental groups.  The opportunity to take organisational action to protect the environment and to tackle climate change and social justice were the main reasons for their participation in the initiative.  Over half those surveyed had already undertaken practical action and made that action public, and 42% had plans in place to generate annual reviews of their actions.  83% intended to carry through on all or some of their Declaration commitments, with funding and resourcing seen as primary barriers which needed to be addressed.

The report provides useful food for thought for the Ministerial Task Force.  Early steps are being taken to act on the survey’s findings, with information, and practical advice on how to plan and implement change (developed by EVERY ACTION COUNTS) being gathered into a new web resource.  As for longer term funding to support further progress – well, it’s a recurrent problem in the sector, but as the need for action on climate change grows ever more pressing, lobbying for proper funding will doubtless grow more intense, and will no doubt be a key issue for the  Task Force to address.

Mark Walton of the Community Development Foundation says: “TheThird Sector Declaration on Climate Change is a significant legacy from the Every Action Counts programme and I welcome the renewed commitment of Ministers to support its use a tool to raise awareness and support action by Third Sector organisations on this critical issue”.

Maria Adebowale, Director of Capacity Global and co author of the report says: Climate change is not only a ‘green issue’. It has massive social and economic impacts for the most vulnerable in society.  The Declaration and report show that Third Sector organisations recognise they are crucial to creating a social movement to tackle climate change and ensure the poorest don’t pay the price. Most importantly there is an appetite, from unfunded community group to large funded charities to take action on climate change

Ultimately, the lesson from this whole initiative is clear.  Never underestimate the power and influence of the Third Sector, and never underestimate how small changes can make a big impact.  It’s a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin thing:
EVERY ACTION COUNTS.

For further information contact Jo Pearce on 07775 678545

Notes for editors:

Advance copies of the report are available under strict embargo until Monday 15th June at 12.45pm.

The new Declaration website will be live from November 2009 but details of the Third Sector Declaration on Climate Change can be found here. www.everyactioncounts.org.uk/declaration

Capacity Global
Capacity Global is the only UK-based non-governmental organisation and social enterprise working solely on environmental justice. Capacity Global believes that living in a clean and healthy environment is everyone’s right. It works specifically with individuals and communities in urban areas who suffer from social, environmental and economic deprivation to ensure their voices get heard. The organisation does this in collaboration with its partners and networks. Capacity Global also lead the Every Action Counts ‘good practice’ work stream and drafted the Climate Change Declaration (England). Its five main areas of work are:
• advocacy • community outreach • policy •research • jobs and training.
w: www.capacity.org.uk e: info@capacity.org.uk

Every Action Counts
Every Action Counts (EAC), funded by Defra, was established to inspire community and third sector action on sustainable development and climate change. Established in 2006 as a three-year programme EAC has inspired thousands of people across England and Wales to take action to save the planet.
Two thousand community organisations have signed up and eight hundred community champions have been trained. EAC has also supported research on diversity and sustainable development action. It prepared and launched the first Third Sector Climate Change Declaration. The EAC finished in March 2009 but has established a number of legacy projects including the support of the Declaration.
EAC focused on five key themes