It takes a village
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Inspired by CAT’s Zero Carbon Britain project, the village of Wedmore in Somerset has been exploring how to live more sustainably. Paul Allen revisits this community showing that practical climate and nature action starts at home.
Wedmore in Somerset may be known for its connections to King Alfred the Great but it has its sights set firmly on the future. This community of 3,000 people is working towards becoming a zero carbon village. Green Wedmore was established in 2006 in response to the climate and nature emergency. It aims to explore, develop and implement initiatives to encourage and facilitate sustainable living in the village and surrounding areas.
Zero Carbon by 2030
In 2018, after hearing about CAT’s Zero Carbon Britain project, members of Green Wedmore fundraised locally to produce a detailed zero carbon report for the village. I was delighted to attend the launch of the report a year later in the local church and hear about the plans the community had to rethink daily life to reduce its emissions. Green Wedmore’s zero carbon ambition is focused on six areas – energy, food, transport, wellbeing, housing, and carbon and nature – with a working group dedicated to each area and regular meetings to update on progress.
Small actions equal big change
Green Wedmore understands that when it comes to taking action in the climate and nature emergency, everyone needs to play their part. Even small changes, when made by many people and acted on every day, can make a substantial difference. By engaging people of all ages and joining up local groups, this inspiring community is sharing the challenges and the benefits of climate and nature action, and showing that a zero carbon future is possible.
If you would like to set up a similar initiative to Green Wedmore in your community, you’ll find links to a wide range of useful resources and inspiring case studies in our Zero Carbon Britain Resource Hub.
Energy
Wedmore Solar Farm has been generating clean energy for the village since 2013, and many of the community buildings have solar panels, including the village hall and sports clubs. Green Wedmore has also negotiated discounts on domestic solar PV for residents.
The group is on hand to advise locals on energy efficiency measures they can take, greener energy suppliers, and sources of financial support for people living in fuel poverty or looking to make home improvements.
Food
Supported by the parish council, Green Wedmore has published the Close to Home Cookbook, promoting local food producers, food shops, pubs and restaurants and encouraging the use of local vegetable gardens, hedgerows and allotments. The intention is to inspire people to think about how their food is grown, where it comes from and how it is packaged, and make more sustainable choices.
Housing
Green Wedmore offers local people advice and support with new builds and refurbishing and retrofitting existing buildings. With a wealth of knowledge and experience in construction and housing, the group is helping people to make their homes more energy efficient, cheaper to maintain and run, and healthier and more comfortable to live in.
Wellbeing
The wellbeing group is concerned with changes that can improve people’s physical and mental health and happiness. These areas overlap all of the other focus areas, with action towards a zero carbon village having many co-benefits beyond a reduction in carbon emissions. More affordable energy bills, more comfortable homes, healthier diets, more active travel, more interaction with natural spaces like the local woods, and a better sense of community all make people feel good.
Transport
As transport is responsible for a big proportion of the village’s carbon emissions, the group is providing advice on greener options for getting around, including walking, cycling and public transport. Residents are signposted to local services including e-bike hire and bicycle repairs.
Carbon and nature
For decades, the natural environment and wildlife within it have been in decline in Wedmore, Somerset and across the UK. Green Wedmore knows that to reach a zero carbon future, it must preserve the carbon safely locked up in peat, soils, woodlands and pasture and absorb more through peat restoration, tree planting and improving soil health. Protecting and enhancing local ecosystems also improves biodiversity and is good for pollinators, birds and small mammals.
Green Wedmore’s carbon and nature group has two aims: to measure the carbon sequestration amount for the parish and work towards increasing it to help achieve its zero carbon targets; and to restore nature locally.
Last year, the group organised the Wilder Wedmore three-day festival of nature, featuring talks, workshops and stands all about nature in Wedmore and what local people can do to nurture it.
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