Strong Roots Climate Change Perception Report-Views of Community Councillors in Wales

There are 736 community and town councils in Wales, representing the tier of government closest to the people. They cover approximately 94% of the land area and 70% of the population . When considering climate change, it is at this level of local government where multiple global and local issues converge. The fact that little research has been devoted to community councils suggests that their potential has been overlooked and that opportunities may abound to exploit community council expertise for action on climate change. Community councils represent communities varying in size from villages with a few hundred residents to large towns with several thousand residents. They also vary in terms of level of authority, activity range and type and effectiveness of delivery (Pearce & Ellwood 2002, Edwards & Woods 2004). The role of community councils is now being seen by some policymakers as playing a potentially critical role, especially with the devolution of greater responsibilities to local government. The purpose of this report is to summarise the findings of a “Strong Roots” research project into local governance at community council level, particularly relating to climate change and sustainability initiatives in Wales. Strong Roots is a project that aims to increase the capacity of community and town councils to both lead and support sustainable development and to partner the Welsh Government in its commitment to the development of sustainable, resilient, low-carbon communities...