Posted on 27th March 2009
A new taskforce to raise awareness of climate change in the third sector has been launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The taskforce will aim to increase activity on sustainability and environmental issues in the third sector and use its network to raise awareness within communities on these issues.
It will also look at how government and the third sector can do more to connect with specific sectors of the community and how government can best support the work of third sector organisations on these issues. This will include encouraging individual action, such as participation in environmental volunteering programmes.
“The third sector has proven time after time its ability to engage with communities in a way that governments simply can’t,” said Kevin Brennan, Minister for the Third Sector. “I look forward to seeing the taskforce’s ideas on how we can tackle climate change together.”
Representatives from Defra, the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Cabinet Office will jointly chair the taskforce with third sector co-chairs, who will be nominated at the first meeting.
Applications for membership are now invited from third sector organisations. The deadline is 14th April.
Anyone wishing to apply to be a member of the taskforce should contact Belinda Pratten at NCVO, 020 7520 2558, Belinda.pratten@ncvo-vol.org.uk or Faye Scott at Green Alliance, 020 7630 4524, fscott@green-alliance.org.uk.
