Local solutions for climate change

This page provides access to all the resources you need to make local climate solutions happen.  We have tried to make it accessible and empowering.  If you think there is something missing please tell us.

So where do you start?

How to support renewable projects in your area
Do you need help supporting a local renewable energy project? Here are our campaigning tools, some essential advice on planning, key online resources and other information.

Back to Basics
What is climate change? How does the English planning system work? Is this website relevant to Northern Ireland and Wales? Why it is important to link climate change and planning? What is a climate solution?

Campaigning across different levels
Friends of the Earth is campaigning at all levels of Government to try and ensure that planning policy plays its part in tackling climate change.

Existing Climate Solutions
What is already being done?

What can I do?
How can I work with my local authority? What can I do as an individual? How can I work with schools, businesses and institutions?

Reading List
There is a lot of information out there to help you find out more. We have put together a list of some of the key documents.

Supporting you all the way
How do I contact you if I need support? Think something is missing from this website? Have you done some work with your local authority? We want to know!

Back to Basics      

This section provides you with some quick answers and links so that you feel up to scratch with what planning for climate change is all about.

What is climate change?

To find out more about climate change please visit our Climate Change page.

How does the English planning system work?

Friends of the Earth is campaigning at all levels of Government to try and ensure that planning policy plays its part in tackling climate change. For a brief overview, see Local, regional and national planning campaigns.

A Local Campaigners Guide to the New English Planning System This guide provides advice on the new planning system. It aims to inform campaigners on how best to engage with the new structure. It also provides a summary of Friends of the Earth’s key local planning policy.

Is this website relevant to Northern Ireland and Wales?

Not yet.  We have tried to keep the content of this page as generic as possible but the terminology applies to the English planning system.  There are a few briefings about planning for Wales here. Please visit the Friends of the Earth Wales or Northern Ireland sites for more information.

Why is it important to link climate change and planning?

The planning system is one of the key ways we can implement our vision for sustainable development and help deliver environmental justice.  Friends of the Earth is campaigning at all levels of Government to try and ensure that planning policy plays its part in tackling climate change.

At present only a handful of councils have policies in their planning documents that require new developments to have high energy efficiency standards and embedded renewable energy production. And yet the potential is enormous. Does your council have progressive policies? Now is the time to ask.

What is a climate solution?

A climate solution tackles the problem of climate change.  This ranges from research on climate change to campaigning for energy efficiency policies in Local Development Plans to installing energy-efficient light bulbs in your home. 

The information on this page concentrates on working with local authorities to implement local climate solutions.