About Community Climate Coaches
What is the (CCAP) Community Climate Coach Project?
The Community Climate Coaches (CCAP) project is led by Cultivate, the Sustainable Ireland Cooperative in partnership with the Tipperary Public Participation Network, South Tipperary Development Company, and North Tipperary Development Company.
The initiative is supported by the Community Climate Action Programme (CCAP): Climate Education, Capacity Building and Learning by Doing (Strand 2) funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Environment Climate and Communications.
This CCAP Community Climate Coaches project was an opportunity for individuals to build their skills and knowledge to facilitate local climate action, community-led development, and local sustainability.
This project builds on the community engagement work of the Tipperary PPN presented in the report, ‘Our Vision for Community Wellbeing in Co. Tipperary.’
Facilitating Community Wellbeing and Climate Resilience
The pilot was held from January 2023 to June 2024 in County Tipperary. The outcome of this project is a Community Climate Coach Training and Toolbox of Resources. The process included …
- Forming a Community of Practice (CoP) of local activists and community advocates
- Building capacity of the CoP through in-person and on-line sessions
- Facilitation and Community Engagement Training
- Forming four Community Climate Hubs (Municipal Districts)
- Hubs supported to host 3 Community Engagement Sessions
- Nature and Place Connection
- Identifying Community Strengths
- Community Conversations
- Creation of a Community Wellbeing and Climate Resilience Map and Pathway
What is Community Wellbeing?
Our personal wellbeing is when our basic needs are met, we have a sense of purpose, feel able to participate in society and live a good life.
Community wellbeing involves strong social connections, a healthy environment, and a thriving local economy.
- People: Feeling physically and mentally well, with access to nature for relaxation, rejuvenation, and fostering a sense of community.
- Places: Clean air, fresh water, and green spaces that are protected and restored, providing opportunities for recreation and connection with nature.
- Community: People feel connected, supported, and empowered to work together for a better future.
- Jobs: A thriving local economy that supports sustainable practices, respects the natural world, and creates livelihood opportunities for everyone.
What is Climate Resilience?
Climate resilience refers to our capacity to anticipate, address, and adapt to challenges and disruptions caused by a changing climate.
By identifying and supporting community-led actions and local initiatives, we can help facilitate the transition to a sustainable county and thrive in the face of adversity.
History of CCC – Erasmus +
This project is informed by the outputs of an ERASMUS+ Community Climate Coaches project, which was also led by Cultivate. This project developed training and support to enable community facilitators and catalysts across Europe to coach communities in local climate action and resilience.
The aim of this project was to cultivate a deeper connection with nature, build on the strengths of communities, and facilitate participative processes to encourage the adoption of more regenerative, circular, and restorative approaches.
The consortium has continued to develop the Community Climate Coaches in 5 different European countries: Ireland, Spain, Luxembourg and Croatia.
ECOLISE is also embedding CCC training into its community-led climate action programmes.
https://ecolise.eu/projects/community-climate-coaches/
The CCC Resilience Pathway: Two Waves and Six Phases
The Two Wave framework, which has been adapted from the Berkana Institute’s ‘Two Loop Model of Change’ and also encapsulate Joanna Macy’s concepts of “The Great Unravelling” and “The Great Turning”, is a valuable tool for comprehending the changes occurring as well as our position in the transformation process.
The Two Wave framework and six phases on the pathway can be seen as a map that relates to:
- a coach or facilitator’s personal journey,
- the process the community climate coaches lead the community through
- the overall CCC process of building community / bioregional resilience