Zero Chippenham is a voluntary group dedicated to preventing dangerous climate change and the destruction of our natural environment.
Zero Chippenham’s objective is to help our community reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ecological impact to zero by 2030.
We have five key action areas: –
- Community Energy – Generating and consuming energy from renewable sources is key to preventing dangerous climate change. Supporting the uptake of renewable energy (such as solar panels) in our community will help accelerate the transition to a zero carbon future. Supported by the Wessex Community Energy Network and others, we will be introducing a ‘Buying Scheme’ to enable local people to purchase solar panels with confidence and at discount prices, as well as supporting public and private sector organisation to put solar panels on their roof space in as many locations as possible.
- Electric Vehicles – Electric vehicles (EVs) have the potential to make a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions and reduce air pollution. We are working to speed up the inevitable transition to EVs by raising awareness about their benefits and promoting the installation of EV charge points to enable the change to happen. We are planning an Electric Vehicle event to enable people to learn about and test drive EVs, in the early part of next year.
- Air Quality – Air pollution from diesel and petrol vehicles not only causes thousands of premature deaths but it is damaging the long-term health of our children. It is a localised problem for which the first priority is identifying where people (and particularly children) are being most affected. We are therefore investing in equipment to monitor key roads and junctions do that measures can be taken to reduce this pollution. We are also purchasing equipment that will help identify and monitor routes that are safer for walking, running and cycling (‘low emission routes’).
- Re-afforestation – Trees provide a highly efficient way of absorbing and locking up CO2, helping to reduce its impact on our climate. They also create physical barriers that protect against extreme weather and flooding, as well filtering pollutants out of the air. We are therefore promoting tree planting and helping identify opportunities to plant trees in suitable locations in our towns and villages.
- Community Engagement – To raise awareness and help people understand what they can do, we have a programme of community engagement activities, which has begun by teaming up with with local schools and colleges, and exhibiting at events such as school fetes. Having recently been awarded funding by the Chippenham Area Board, we are in the process of purchasing an interactive Climate Change game that helps develop an understanding of the carbon footprint of our activities and purchases, and therefore shape the choices we make.
Interested?
Please get in contact with us if you would like to be part of our network, would like to contribute to any of the above Action Areas or if you have your own ideas about effective ways of combatting climate change that you’d like to share with us.
If you are interested in getting involved and taking practical action in your local community, contact Zero Chippenham via our website www.zerochippenham.org or by emailing zerochippenham@gmail.com.
