Rural climathons: Transitioning to Net Zero

Overview

A climathon brings people living in rural communities together to discuss and deliberate topics that can sometimes be contentious and polarising. Our events in Gloucestershire and Northumberland are creating spaces for dialogue on Net Zero in the context of agri-food, farming, energy, and land use. Developed in collaboration with local actors, each climathon consists of two phases: an introductory webinar and an in-person workshop, which includes an outdoor activity and time for the development of locally relevant Net Zero solutions. We continue to work with our partners to explore how certain solutions from each event may be implemented.

This research builds on climathons in livestock farming communities in Cumbria and Cornwall, organised by the CCRI and supported by the British Academy.

Coastal streams climathon

How might we enhance the water quality and climate resilience of Northumberland’s coastal streams?

This took place in partnership with Northumberland Rivers Trust, and brought together more than 40 stakeholders to explore solutions for local coastal streams, addressing challenges relating to climate change and land use pressures. The programme included an introductory webinar, followed by an in-person workshop held at Ellingham Village Hall. During the workshop, participants collaborated in teams to identify and design actionable solutions.

Go to their page to watch the video for an overview of the event, view the accompanying illustration, and see its related article 'Solutions put forward to help safeguard future of coastal streams'.

Forest of Dean transport climathon

How might we make transport in the Forest of Dean more climate-friendly and inclusive?

This event was held in collaboration with the Forest of Dean District Council, uniting local stakeholders and industry experts to create tailored solutions for supporting the district's decarbonisation efforts. The event included an introductory webinar followed by an in-person workshop in Coleford, where participants collaborated in teams to identify and design actionable solutions.

Go to their page to explore their report on the event and view the details of its accompanying illustration.

Forest of Dean energy climathon

How might we decarbonise electricity and heat at scale in the district?

This took place in partnership with the Forest of Dean District Council, and brought together more than 40 local stakeholders and industry experts to develop locally relevant solutions to support the district to decarbonise. It consisted of an introductory webinar and an in-person event in Coleford, where participants worked in teams to identify and design solutions.

Go to their page to find out more in their report and view the accompanying illustration. Also watch the video to hear from those involved in the event and see the council's news release 'Residents and businesses come together to discuss tackling the climate emergency'.

Farm of the future climathon

What might a climate-resilient farm look like?

This took place in collaboration with partner Strutt and Parker, and brought together farmers, residents, local non-governmental organisations, and other key stakeholders to develop locally relevant solutions for climate-resilient farms. It used a farm on the Gloucestershire-Warwickshire border as an example. It consisted of an introductory webinar on day one and an in-person workshop on day two at Blackwell Village Hall.

Go to their page to find out more in their report, see their blog post 'Empowering rural communities on climate action', and view the details of the accompanying illustration. Also have a read through Strutt and Parker's piece 'Climathon event can unlock new ideas for farms and estates'.

Cotswold climathon

How can food, farming, and land use help achieve Net Zero?

This saw local councillors and employees of non-governmental organisations and universities in Gloucestershire come together for two days of collaboration, deliberation, and creative thinking. Project ideas for tackling the climate crisis through food, farming, and land use in the Cotswolds were developed.

Go to their page to read their report which summarises the outputs, watch the video, and view the accompanying illustration.