Share Shed is expanding with a new weekly service to Ivybridge and Kingsbridge, supported by a grant from South Hams District Council’s Climate Infrastructure Fund.

Share Shed is the first travelling library of things in the world. By travelling across parts of Devon and allowing people to borrow a range of useful but rarely used items such as drills, tents, hedge trimmers and more, residents on its route do not have to purchase their own version of the item, saving money, space and waste.

Devon County Council's Green Innovation Fund, which invests in projects and technologies driving green growth in Devon's economy, is helping Algapelago Marine Ltd to create a pilot seaweed farm and processing operation in Bideford Bay.

The company is working with Plymouth Marine Laboratories, Portsmouth University and the Eden Project to research the potential for the seaweed market in capturing carbon and improving coastal habitats.

Adults over 19 who want to advance their skills into higher paid employment can now apply for free Train4Tomorrow Skills Bootcamps, delivered by Devon County Council and Cornwall Council.

The training lasts for 16 weeks and guarantees the learner an interview with a local employer upon completion. Specialisms covered include Devon's fastest-growing sectors such as regenerative farming, digital marketing, electrical vehicle maintenance, data analytics, green construction and software development.

Plymouth City Council has partnered with local charity Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) to form the Future Fit programme, which will see £4 million used to upgrade the energy of up to 300 eligible homes.

Energy upgrades include insulation, getting rid of draughts, replacing off-the-grid gas heating systems and more. Eligible homes include homeowners and households living in privately rented accommodation with a yearly income of less than £30,000.

£12 million of Government funding has been spent by the Environment Agency and East Devon District Council to build new flood defences and improve existing ones in Exmouth.

The tidal defence scheme has 28 flood gates, reducing the chance of flooding every year from 4% to 0.5%. This accounts for rising sea levels resulting from climate change.

The National Garden Scheme are offering grants to fund community groups to create a garden or similar project that benefits the local community.

In 2022, 76 projects - including community allotments, rehabilitation gardens, gardens supporting mental health and more - were funded with grants totalling £187,000.

Submissions close at noon on 31st January 2023 and applicants will be notified of the results by mid-March 2023. For more details and an application form click on the button below.

The Climate Coalition are asking you to celebrate your community's green heart by nominating individuals, communities and organisations for the Green Heart Hero Awards.

A range of categories will highlight people taking action on climate change for a cleaner, greener world. Get your nominations in soon for an awards ceremony held in Spring 2023!

Community Fridges take surplus food from across the supply chain and make it freely available to all so that good food gets eaten and not wasted. From just two Community Fridges in Devon in 2019, there are now more than 15 across the county with new fridges still in the pipeline.

Funding is currently available to set up new Community Fridges from Hubbub, who run the national Community Fridge Network. Find out how to apply by clicking the link below. The deadline for applications is Monday 7th November.

The decarbonisation of transport is a crucial part of DCC’s response to the climate emergency. The transition to zero emission vehicles, as well as a shift to public transport and active travel, are vital to achieving Devon's goal of 50% emission reduction by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050, which is why DCC have developed the Devon Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy. The Devon EV Charging Strategy aims to help all residents and visitors overcome some of the barriers to EV adoption and increase access to suitable infrastructure.

The EV charging strategy will form part of a suite of documents that will feed into the emerging Local Transport Plan 4. The Strategy will also be instrumental in leveraging funding from Government for new electric charging infrastructure.

Devon County Council are holding a public consultation to collect the views of the public, local businesses and wider stakeholders on the Strategy between 9^th November 2022 – 16^th December 2022. Find out more about the EV charging strategy and have your say by completing the consultation questionnaire online at devon.cc/ev-strategy-consultation (live from 9th November).

Alongside the Devon Carbon Plan, which was published in September 2022, Devon Climate Emergency is working on an Adaptation Plan for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The Adaptation Plan is intended to help communities across the Southwest to better understand the risks their area might face in future, as climate change increasingly affects the UK. It will also help them to adapt to these changes, by identifying the parties responsible for ensuring community safety.

RSK ADAS Engineering and Environmental Consultancy has worked with the Climate Impacts Group (CIG) to produce a climate change risk register – a document which identifies the range of climate impacts that the South West is facing, and scores each of them depending on their likelihood and potential impact.

October saw the impacts additionally scored for magnitude and urgency through four themed groups of CIG colleagues who met to discuss each impact in turn. The groups are natural environment, infrastructure, health & built environment, and business, industry & international dimensions.

The CIG is now moving on to consider how the region can adapt to the impacts identified, including priorities for regional collaboration.

The Adaptation Plan is expected to be completed by January 2023. The next step will be to put the Plan to Public and Stakeholder Consultation.

Devon Climate Emergency are acting as one of several challenge-setters for the University of Exeter’s second year Thinktank module.

For the Thinktank module, groups of students are asked to research a challenge set by an external organisation or body. The students are researching the question, “What is required to enable and encourage young people, including university students, to adopt more net-zero habits and lifestyles?” 

So far, Devon Climate Emergency have presented to the students about the launch of the Devon Carbon Plan and how it links to the research question, have attended a virtual Q&A to answer any questions, and will continue to provide guidance as the students make progress on their project.

What might the place you live in look like in this better future? More to the point, what would you want it to look like? The Devon Carbon Plan and the Devon Climate Emergency website are full of resources which show what might be achieved and how. This is a chance to learn about what is possible, as well as let your wildest imaginations off the leash.

If you have a ‘Vision’ for net-zero where you live, please send it on to us. It can take the form of a piece of art, a story, a video, or even a podcast. Submissions are welcome from individuals or groups. Visions will be hosted on the website gallery and plotted on an interactive map. Many Visions will also appear in the Net Zero Book, publication November 2022.

Together we can start to tell a different story about our collective future.

Each month between July-November 2022 two £20 vouchers (under and over 18s) will be awarded to the ‘Star’ Vision of the month. Many Visions will also appear in the Net Zero Book, publication November 2022.

To submit your Visions please click either ‘under 18 ‘or ‘over 18’ below:

Under 18s:

https://plymouth.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/net-zero-public-visions-under-18s-2

Over 18s:

https://plymouth.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/net-zero-visions-public-visions-survey-and-how-to-subm

Every Mouthful Counts: Unlocking a local good food revolution; Online; Thursday 10th November, 10:00am – 11:00am

This webinar by Sustain will reveal how UK councils are performing on food and climate change, with leading councils sharing their lessons for a good food revolution. It will cover key findings from their latest report, recommendations for local and national governments, and the experiences of councils that came out on top.

Winter Waders: a beginner's introduction to our special visiting birds; Online; Thursday 10th November, 6:00pm – 7:00pm

The Devon Local Nature Partnership is hosting a free online webinar featuring a talk from a local bird enthusiast and member of RSPB, Devon Wildlife Trust and more, Grant Sherman.

Grant will discuss the range of wading birds that migrate to Devon in winter, how you can see them for yourself, and some interesting facts about his favourite species.

Low Carbon Devon Showcase; University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA; Friday 11th November, 9:00am – 1:00pm

At this upcoming showcase, you can hear practical stories from Devon enterprises, take part in thought-provoking discussion to inspire action, and join an interactive and engaging conference open-to-all.

Devon Climate Emergency will be leading a workshop to discuss the recently launched Devon Carbon Plan, and to guide attendees in brainstorming how to contribute to creating a net-zero Devon.

SkillShare22: Joining the Dots - community connections for climate action; Hope Church Centre, Swift Road, Dawlish, EX7 0FS; Saturday 12th November, 9:30am – 4:00pm

Climate Lab; Studio 1, Dartington Trust, South Devon; Saturday 12th November, 9:30am – 4:00pm

Running during COP27, this event will highlight the links between the causes and effects of climate change. The day will involve a Climate Fresk workshop, as well as documentaries, presentations and discussions aiming to build awareness and empathy around climate injustices.

Tamar Energy Fest 2022; Butchers' Hall, Market Road, Tavistock, PL19 0BW; Saturday 12th November, 10:00am – 3:00pm

The theme for this year's Energy Fest is 'Retrofitting and Energy Efficiency Matters'. This free, family event will have a mixture of fun activities, short talks, advice stands, displays and exhibitors to help you consider how to reduce your energy bills and carbon impact, as well as how you can generate your own energy.

Local Nature Recovery Strategy Warm-up Webinar; Online; Monday 14th November, 10:30am – 12:00pm

Do you want to learn more about our county's Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)?

The LNRS will identify priorities and opportunities for restoring nature, and the benefits we gain from nature and developing nature-based solutions across Devon. The strategy will also link to themes like climate change and biodiversity net gain.

This free webinar by the Devon Local Nature Partnership invites everyone to attend and become part of this impactful strategy from the outset.

Devon Community Resilience Forum; Online; Monday 14th November – Wednesday 16th November

This selection of Zoom events will provide guidance on how to make your community more resilient, get help with community emergency planning, and learn about the role of local services in community planning. You will also get the latest data on climate change and learn how to adapt to extreme temperatures.

Devon Climate Emergency will deliver a talk on Devon and the climate emergency on Monday 14th November, 12:00pm – 1:00pm.

Bringing our urban landscapes back to life - Green Minds online talk; Online; Wednesday 30th November, 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Harry Barton, Chief Executive of Devon Wildlife Trust, will discuss the threats that face wildlife and how we can take action to help wildlife in urban places like Plymouth.