Oxfordshire recruits 100th community action group to help tackle climate crisis
Oxfordshire has reached a landmark in the fight against climate change when the South Stoke Wildlife and Conservation Group became the county’s 100th community action group (CAG).
It is the largest network of its kind in the UK, with groups working on transport, energy, biodiversity, social justice, food and waste. Projects range from running repair cafes and community fridges to developing community-owned solar farms.
Oxfordshire County Council has been supporting CAGs for 20 years, organisationally and financially, and the expansion of these projects forms a cornerstone of the county’s climate strategy – for both cutting carbon emissions and for increasing community climate resilience.
Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “It is wonderful news that we are celebrating our 100th community action group in Oxfordshire. Every CAG is a piece of the jigsaw we need to put together when it comes to tackling climate change. They prove that the appetite is out there for meaningful change in the way we live our lives to combat this urgent threat.
“As a council, we want to make it as easy as possible for people to do the things that they know will make a difference and community action groups play a really important role in this.”
Henry Owen, Lead Coordinator at CAG Oxfordshire, said: “The CAG network has almost doubled in size in the last three years. This growth in people taking action locally shows the increased awareness of the issues around climate and the environment.
“Supporting grassroots groups and activity not only feeds into the global impact on the climate crisis but also benefits individuals and communities through increased wellbeing, finding new connections to people and the natural environment and offers a collective a sense of purpose.”
More details about CAG Oxfordshire are available on cagoxfordshire.org.uk
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