Dundee’s golden Gate – our ‘outstanding’ seventh Gold Award 🥇
Today’s newsletter shares the exciting news of our seventh Gold Award recipient and encourages volunteers to register for the Climate Challenge Fund annual gathering and film night discussion. Great photo courtesy of Gate Church International of solar panels on the community centre immediately behind the church building.
Climate Challenge Fund Gathering and film event
Thursday 26th November 2020
9.00am – 4.00pm Gathering 2020 Programme
7.00pm – 9.00pm Evening Film and Discussion
https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/ccfgathering
The Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) Gathering provides opportunities to learn, network and share experience on tackling climate change. The annual event brings together more than 200 attendees representing CCF Grant recipients, local community-led groups including churches and faith projects, national organisations and the Scottish Government. Keep Scotland Beautiful organise the Gathering as part of their management of the CCF on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Having time to network, come together and share experience is particularly important in a year that has presented major challenges to communities across Scotland with COVID-19. The event will feature topical keynote sessions:
There will also be contributions from CCF Grant Recipients and the wider CCF Community through:
On the evening of the Gathering there will be a separately ticketed online film and discussion. The event will explore how community film nights can get people thinking about climate change, followed by the opportunity to watch and discuss a challenging film.
Tickets to both events are free and open to CCF Grant Recipients, and representatives of other organisations with an interest in community-led action on climate change. Find out more and book Gathering and film tickets here.
Eco-Congregation Scotland is encouraging churches to consider local transformation addressing the climate crisis, supported by the new Community Climate Asset Fund – and global engagement by our volunteers as we build towards next year’s COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, supporting action by all faiths, wider civil society and governments.
Community Climate Asset Fund
Tuesday 3rd November 2020
11.00am – 12.00noon
https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/events/keep-scotland-beautiful/community-climate-asset-fund-webinar-3-november/
Please join Eco-Congregation volunteers at the third and final Keep Scotland Beautiful webinar on the Community Climate Asset Fund (CCAF), providing £3.5 million Scottish Government funding for local churches and other community-based organisations to tackle climate change.
The aim is to reduce usage of petrol and diesel cars, cut waste, grow local food and decrease emissions from community buildings. Fundable items include electric vehicles, bikes, energy efficiency measures in community buildings, polytunnels and raised beds, community fridges, tools or repair equipment and wood fuel equipment.
Grants range between a minimum of £1,000 and maximum of £100,000. Match funding is required for grants over £10,000. The application deadline is Monday 9th November 2020 at noon, but early submission is encouraged as funding will be allocated to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Find out more at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/ccaf
COP26 – Ramp up ambition!
Tuesday 3rd November 2020
4.00pm – 6.00pm
Register here
Join the second of three global sessions organised by the Interfaith Liaison Committee to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) – organisers of COP26 – bringing together representatives from the scientific, policy and faith communities engaged in climate change. This open discussion on the agenda for COP26 and what this means for climate action now includes panelists:
Bonn-based Lindsey Fielder Cook, Quaker United Nations Office Representative for Climate Change, is moderator for the meeting which is hosted by the Lutheran World Federation.
This webinar will discuss what needs to be on the agenda of COP26 and what does it mean for climate action now. The postponement of COP26 creates a challenge to keeping up the tempo on climate action. States’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are not even close to ensuring global temperature rise remains below 2°C, let alone the necessary 1.5°C.
Inaction from governments is no longer an option. 2020 is the year when the greenhouse gas emissions curve must begin to fall in order to have a chance of attaining the Paris Agreement goals. Climate actions undertaken by states must contain a mechanism to compensate for loss and damage. Finance, technology transfer and capacity building for adaptation must be made available to least developed and climate vulnerable countries. COVID-19 has shown the world that there is finance available to respond to an emergency. The climate emergency needs to be met with the same determination. There is no real alternative – continuing to stall action will eventually lead to catastrophic loss and damage.
Thoughts for Sunday 1st November for Crown Church Inverness from Rev David Coleman on harvest and the work of Eco-Congregation Scotland: https://fb.watch/1tmUFLRwXQ/
We are again encouraging Christians across the country to join Church leaders in ecumenical prayer at 7pm this Sunday.
Our Eco-Chaplain also has his own take on Halloween!
Eco-Congregation Scotland is pleased to share news of funding opportunities opening this week and encourages local churches, faith groups and other community organisations to consider applying.
The Community Climate Asset Fund (CCAF) is a £3.5 million Scottish Government fund, administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful, and provides capital funding for community-based organisations to tackle climate change. The fund is designed to support communities to reduce usage of petrol and diesel cars, cut waste, grow local food and reduce emissions from community buildings.
The CCAF is being introduced to:
CCAF applicants need to demonstrate the climate impact and community benefit of the items they are requesting. They must also show that their proposal is deliverable and how they will maintain CCAF funded items. All applicants should demonstrate that they can complete the project and spend their grant by 31 March 2021.
The main types of asset that the CCAF can fund can be split under seven main headings:
Further information on the above and the types of asset that are fundable and not fundable, plus an outline of ineligible costs, is available on the CCAF website and in the CCAF Guidance Notes.
Grants range between a minimum of £1,000 and maximum of £100,000. Match funding is a requirement for grants over £10,000. Match funding cannot be an ‘in-kind’ contribution in the form of volunteer or staff time. It must be funds going directly towards purchasing the asset(s) being requested and cannot be from any other Scottish Government source.
To be eligible to apply for any funding from the CCAF an organisation must be Scottish-based, community focused, operating on a not-for-profit basis and legally constituted.
The application deadline is 9 November 2020 at 12 noon, but early application is encouraged as funding will be allocated to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
Keep Scotland Beautiful is running Zoom webinars to support potential applicants on 22 October, 28 October and 3 November which we encourage you to join for further information.
Eco-Congregation Scotland will continue to share and encourage interest in this and further opportunities for local churches, faith groups and other community organisations over coming months.
Please get in touch if you have any queries or would like support from our own team.
