Vital Signs North East: Environment

Environmental challenges

We are edging ever nearer to a tipping-point of rapid and irreversible climate change. We are also facing a decline in biodiversity. But there are also everyday environmental issues affecting health and quality of life, like pollution, waste and access to green spaces. Much can be done locally to address the root causes of climate change or protect local ecosystems – and every little bit of philanthropic support for this does something to chip away at the larger problems. And action on local issues – from clearing undergrowth from paths around a green space to educating people on the benefits of recycling – helps to build community resilience and a commitment to environmental issues.

• National challenges: delivery of net zero commitments in current context; extreme weather and climate events; air pollution and contamination of waters; UK one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
• North East England challenges: key contributor to historic carbon production during industrial era; last 10 years have seen hottest day and wettest winter since records began; vulnerability of our places to storms, flooding and rising sea levels; vulnerability of our people because of age, health and levels of disadvantage; relatively complacent about climate change and lower commitment to e.g. recycling.

Providing support to address local environmental issues:

•  activities that increase awareness and action on climate change, loss of biodiversity and other environmental problems
• projects run by environmental charities and other civil society organisations that tackle local issues within communities
• work on social and economic issues and community cohesion that addresses the lack of resilience within disadvantaged communities to climate change
• capacity building for civil society organisations wishing to contract to run environmental and related services

Ensuring communities have a voice on environmental issues

• by enabling charity sector infrastructure organisations, and civil society organisations working in the environmental space, to work with others to enable an independent voice for communities in relation to them, especially at a time of devolution