It’s hard to explore new ideas and socialise – to discover how to lead low-carbon and low-impact lifestyles and enjoy living together sustainably – without a physical community space that can bring together the interests of people, places and prosperity. These hubs are wonderful social spaces and a great way of nurturing more low carbon communities.
If you want to read or listen to a couple of inspiring examples of climate community hubs in the UK, look below. If you want to do something bigger regarding climate action in your community, jump ahead.
Inspiration read
Filling spaces with hope
Climate Emergency Centres (CECs) project
The project enables different communities across the UK to replicate a self-funding Eco Centre model in their area. Using vacant buildings to create centres, people come together to build solutions, relationships and stronger communities, in the face of the climate emergency and multiple social crises. The project self-funds by using a business model where owners of vacant premises – either councils or private developers – reduce their Business Rates payments by up to 100% (through meanwhile leasing the property to the CEC) and the project acquires the vacant property to serve the local community and generate some income. Over 30 centres have already been established and another 40 climate groups are seeking a space to set up their own Climate Emergency Centre.
Fostering community
Although individual CECs can vary widely in their physical space and services, they share the same three characteristics. They focus on solutions to the climate and nature crises, and on greater fairness; they are local and inclusive in their goal of meeting the community needs; and they play an active part in a much a broader network of centres across the UK that support each other, sharing skills, resources and knowledge. The offerings vary by centre and may include a zero-waste shop, co-working space for start-ups, repair café, swap shop, roof garden, library of things, event space and more. The model itself also fosters a broader sense of community, as the property owner has the opportunity of building good relationships with local groups through supporting a positive, sustainability initiative.
Replicating CECs
The intelligent reuse of vacant infrastructure in our towns and cities is an exciting opportunity to revitalise declining high streets with something other than retail shops, and the Climate Emergency Centre Network lists over 70 hubs which are either established or in the process of setting up. If you’re interested in volunteering, check the map for your local CEC and offer your services. If you find there isn’t a CEC in your area, and you have a useful council or property connection, talk to CEC HQ about setting one up where you live. Everyone can also benefit from the knowledge of many communities, projects, centres and groups, that is collated into an evolving CEC handbook – “How to set up a Climate Emergency Centre in 10 steps”
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Inspiration listen
Do Something Bigger
In this, the first episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast series, Do Something Bigger, we introduce our year-long campaign: 25 Big Local Actions in 2025.
Do something bigger
There are many different ways of creating a hub that reflects what matters most to you and to your local community – from setting up working groups in various kinds of underused venues, to wider community projects, to bricks-and-mortar cohousing ventures.
Sharing Spaces
Ashden joined forces with community organisation Camden Think & Do to replicate their ‘sharing space’ venues, helping community groups share information and practical tips about living in a low-cost, low-impact way. A London-wide project, Sharing Spaces, has enabled eight community organisations to set up their own centres at underused spaces such as libraries, cinemas, churches and tenants’ and residence halls – serving thousands of residents – often working hand-in-hand with their local council to co-create climate action. Not limited to London, Sharing Spaces is a model for other communities to replicate around the country and create their own hub.
Community action is climate action
In the ever-widening conversation about climate action, people are recognising that tackling other social issues also helps us address the bigger ecological crisis, because the two are interconnected. Individual action alone won’t get us there and communities provide the resilience to weather great storms, literally and metaphorically. In much the same way as community assemblies, the process of gathering together is as important as the intended outcome. Supporting a community hub – whether it addresses climate change specifically or other social issues – helps to normalise inclusivity, mutual support and shared purpose, which are essential for tackling both.
Cohousing
Cohousing is another approach where people come together to build a neighbourhood. While cohousing has a big focus on living communally, it’s not a commune! Cohousing residents have their own homes which surround shared spaces where people can meet, eat together and share resources when they choose. For example, Lancaster Cohousing was originally a modest UK cohousing community idea shared by school-friends, which blossomed into an £8 million development of 41 ‘Passivhaus’ eco-homes and communal facilities. BedZED in Sutton was the UK’s first large-scale, mixed-use, sustainable eco community, made up of 100 homes with shared facilities. Through the experience of developing this eco-village, the One Planet Living framework was created to guide other community hubs and organisations towards achieving their sustainability ambitions.
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