Low Carbon Swansea Bay (originally Low Carbon Swansea) was set up in 2010/11 by Swansea Environmental Forum to help reduce Swansea's carbon footprint. It's overarching purpose is to develop a co-ordinated, integrated and sustainable approach to reducing carbon emissions across all sectors in Swansea and south-west Wales.
More About Why and How Low Carbon Swansea Bay Began
There is overwhelming evidence and unprecedented political consensus that our climate is changing and that without urgent and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, there will be huge consequences for society, biodiversity and our economy. Strategies, policies and a plethora of initiatives to support carbon reduction continue to emerge from the UK and Welsh governments and beyond, to promote and facilitate change. There are parallel concerns about future fuel security and energy supply and pressure is building to drive organisations and communities to develop greater resilience to such challenges.
Targets have been set by the Welsh Assembly for the reduction of greenhouse gases and large organisations in the public and private sectors now have a legal obligation to measure and reduce their emissions. All organisations, including SMEs and charities, can make significant financial and resource savings and improve their resilience by managing and improving their use of energy and resources.
Whilst it was recognised that positive carbon reduction work going on in Swansea and the south-west Wales region, there was no mechanism for sharing good practice and expanding successful activity across the area. The Low Carbon Swansea Bay Project was developed by Swansea Environmental Forum to address this issue.
Low Carbon Swansea Bay was initially funded by grants through the Convergence European Social Fund and from Environment Agency Wales (now Natural Resources Wales) but is now funded through membership and training programme subscriptions, sponsorship and in-kind contributions from partners. The project has established a broad partnership for change and encourages collaboration across all sectors in Swansea and south-west Wales towards a unified vision, with measureable targets and shared action for carbon and energy management.
There is overwhelming evidence and unprecedented political consensus that our climate is changing and that without urgent and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, there will be huge consequences for society, biodiversity and our economy. Strategies, policies and a plethora of initiatives to support carbon reduction continue to emerge from the UK and Welsh governments and beyond, to promote and facilitate change. There are parallel concerns about future fuel security and energy supply and pressure is building to drive organisations and communities to develop greater resilience to such challenges.
Targets have been set by the Welsh Assembly for the reduction of greenhouse gases and large organisations in the public and private sectors now have a legal obligation to measure and reduce their emissions. All organisations, including SMEs and charities, can make significant financial and resource savings and improve their resilience by managing and improving their use of energy and resources.
Whilst it was recognised that positive carbon reduction work going on in Swansea and the south-west Wales region, there was no mechanism for sharing good practice and expanding successful activity across the area. The Low Carbon Swansea Bay Project was developed by Swansea Environmental Forum to address this issue.
Low Carbon Swansea Bay was initially funded by grants through the Convergence European Social Fund and from Environment Agency Wales (now Natural Resources Wales) but is now funded through membership and training programme subscriptions, sponsorship and in-kind contributions from partners. The project has established a broad partnership for change and encourages collaboration across all sectors in Swansea and south-west Wales towards a unified vision, with measureable targets and shared action for carbon and energy management.