RURAL communities are at the frontline of feeling the effects of climate change, says a new countryside network aiming to ensure their voice is heard in future debates.

The Countryside Climate Network is calling for rural areas to be more heavily involved in future discussions on tackling climate change and has warned there are"unfair barriers" to decarbonisation.

Established by UK100, a network of local leaders that campaigns on climate change, it involves 21 local authorities, including Durham County Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

In a letter published today, it said: "Our rural communities are at the frontline of feeling the effects of climate change.

"The driest of springs follows a winter of floods. Damaging our food production, bringing hardship to our villages and towns. But we can also be at the forefront of climate action too.

"The countryside offers far more than a place to plant millions of trees to offset carbon emissions from elsewhere. Rural communities have always been a great source of national progress and innovation."

Among the initiatives by the authorities to tackle climate change is Durham's Business Energy Efficiency Project (BEEP), helping companies save money on energy bills and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,700 tonnes and investment in LED lights in North Yorkshire. reducing carbon emissions by 4,000 tonnes.

But rural areas can also face added challenges, including difficulties in switching to more sustainable transport, renewable heating and funding gaps between rural and urban areas.

Cllr John Clare, Durham County Council's "climate change champion" said: “The opportunity to come together to share learning and experiences with other rural local authorities will enable us to tackle challenges and support each other as we work towards a common cause.

"Our Climate Emergency Response Plan, adopted in February 2020, sets out more than 100 projects to deliver on our carbon reduction ambitions.”

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council said: “We are lucky to call North Yorkshire home and the work we have begun will help us understand where we are and what more we can do to deliver a robust structure to protect our environment in a more formal way.

“We have committed to strive towards an ambitious target for carbon neutrality. We are committed to actions, not just words.”

Chairman Steve Count, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, has warned rural areas face unfair barriers to decarbonise, including lower budgets and funding rules which favour urban concentrations but may have less overall carbon reduction.

Cllr Count said: “From Cornwall to County Durham we have decided to take a stand. We’re frustrated that climate solutions and green recovery packages haven’t found the right balance, largely missing the rural voice.

“It can be hard to meet our sustainable ambitions when urban areas have no need to fund essential bus services to remote communities or invest in broadband because the market doesn’t reach isolated areas.

"These examples of typical rural disadvantages add up, combined with a funding gap in rural areas twice that of our urban counterparts, means our stretched resources are diminished making the challenge of funding sustainable solutions even harder.

“We need a green recovery that works for the two thirds that live outside the most urban cities and towns.

“However, rural communities face unfair barriers in trying to decarbonise – it is harder to attract funding for projects which don’t fit traditional cost benefit analyses, which favour urban concentrations yet may have less overall carbon reduction impact.”

The letter in full

Sir,

Our rural communities are at the frontline of feeling the effects of climate change. The driest of springs follows a winter of floods. Damaging our food production, bringing hardship to our villages and towns. But we can also be at the forefront of climate action too.

The countryside offers far more than a place to plant millions of trees to offset carbon emissions from elsewhere. Rural communities have always been a great source of national progress and innovation. This is why we have joined forces with UK100 to launch the Countryside Climate Network.

We are a new group of ambitious Council Leaders from predominantly rural parts of the country, collectively representing over 40% of England’s land area.

Our goal is to ensure that the voice of rural knowledge and experience on climate action is listened to in Westminster. We need to be an active participant in transforming our national economy into one that saves, rather than harms, our environment. We stand ready to do our bit in the national interest of securing a net zero future for the UK.

Signatories:

- Cambridgeshire County Council

Cllr Steve Count, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council and Chair of the Countryside Climate Network

- Adur District Council

Cllr Neil Parkin, Leader of Adur District Council

- Central Bedfordshire Council

Cllr Steven Dixon, Executive Member for Transformation and External Bodies, Central Bedfordshire Council.

- Cornwall Council

Cllr Edwina Hannaford, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Neighbourhoods, Cornwall Council

- Cotswold District Council

Cllr Joe Harris, Leader of Cotswold District Council

Cllr Rachel Coxcoon, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Forward Planning, Cotswold District Council

- Durham County Council

Cllr Simon Henig, Leader of Durham County Council

Cllr Carl Marshall, Cabinet member, Economic Regeneration, Durham County Council

Cllr John D Clare, Climate Change Champion, Durham County Council

- Derbyshire County Council

Cllr Tony King, Cabinet Member for Clean Growth & Regeneration, Derbyshire County Council

- Essex County Council

Cllr Simon Walsh, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Action, Essex County Council

- Gloucestershire County Council

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member Environment & Planning, Gloucestershire County Council

- Hampshire County Council

Cllr Keith Mans, Leader of Hampshire County Council

- Herefordshire Unitary Authority

Cllr Ellie Chowns, Cabinet Member for Environment, Economy and Skills, Herefordshire Council

- Leicestershire County Council

Cllr Blake Pain, Lead Member for Environment and Action on Climate Change, Leicestershire County Council

- North Yorkshire County Council

Cllr Carl Les, Leader of North Yorkshire County Council

- Shropshire Unitary Authority

Cllr Dean Carroll, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Climate Change, Shropshire Council

- Somerset County Council

Cllr David Fothergill, Leader of Somerset County Council

- South Gloucestershire Unitary Authority

Cllr Toby Savage, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council

- South Lakeland District Council

Cllr Giles Archibald, Leader of South Lakeland District Council

Cllr Dyan Jones, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Localism, South Lakeland District Council

- Suffolk County Council

Cllr Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council

Cllr Richard Rout, Cabinet Member for Environment & Public Protection, Suffolk County Council

- Wiltshire Unitary Authority

Cllr Philip Whitehead, Leader of Wiltshire Council

- Worthing Borough Council

Cllr Daniel Humphreys, Leader of Worthing Borough Council