A small English village near the Welsh border has pledged to become the UK's first carbon neutral village, demonstrating the power of community in the fight against emissions.
There is a small village, located not far from the Welsh border and about 50 kilometers from Liverpool, that has tenaciously set itself the goal of becoming the first carbon neutral village in the United Kingdom . It is home to around 1,000 people - roughly the same number as Palanzano or Compiano in the province of Parma - who since 2006 have set themselves the ambitious goal of drastically reducing carbon emissions through the adoption of sustainable practices and active community involvement.
Over the years, Ashton Hayes has managed to reduce its emissions by 40% thanks to a combination of simple but effective measures, demonstrating that even small communities can make a big difference in the fight against climate change. Residents have focused in particular on encouraging and promoting conscious and responsible behaviors such as using clotheslines instead of electric dryers, or improving the insulation of homes and the use of energy-efficient light bulbs. In addition, many homes and the local primary school have been equipped with solar panels and the use of shared electric cars helps reduce the circulation of private vehicles.
The real strength of this sustainability story is the sense of community that a group of residents motivated to make a difference have managed to create around a common goal and without any government intervention. When a member of parliament showed up at one of the first public meetings in the village in 2006 to discuss the initiative, he was told that he had no right to speak. He was free to listen, but the local residents had their say. Since then, the initiative has continued to maintain its independence from the party system to prevent political divisions.
Even though Ashton Hayes is a small community, it has had and continues to have a great influence: representatives from different countries such as Norway and Taiwan have visited the village in search of solutions that they can replicate .
Despite the successes, the road to carbon neutrality has not been without its obstacles. One of the main challenges has been the lack of initial government funding. However, in 2010, Ashton Hayes received a £400,000 (just over €500,000) grant from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, which has enabled the construction of a low-carbon sports pavilion, complete with a photovoltaic solar array.
But perhaps the biggest challenge of all has been to maintain the enthusiasm and commitment of residents towards the objectives set to reduce emissions. This is why Ashton Hayes holds regular meetings to discuss progress and plan new initiatives . This has certainly helped to maintain high motivation and involve more and more people in the project.
Another important element was the collaboration with the University of Chester , which monitored and evaluated the impact of the project. The university students calculated the total annual carbon dioxide emissions of the village, providing essential data to measure the progress and effectiveness of the initiatives adopted.
Ashton Hayes' model has inspired over 100 other communities to pursue carbon neutrality goals based on small but meaningful actions, demonstrating the power of local action in addressing global challenges .
Learn more
Download the small operational guide (in English) that the villagers have prepared for those who want to implement actions to reduce emissions.
Inside you'll find tips on how to:
- start the project democratically and get support at various levels:
- launch the project in the community, involving volunteers and making the initiative visible;
- develop the website;
- measure the carbon footprint of a small community, conduct baseline surveys, and report the results;
- keep the project active in the long term, engage the media, and raise funding.
Further information is available on the initiative's website:
https://www.goingcarbonneutral.co.uk/
Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels.com
