In 2023 we experienced the hottest summer since we started keeping records of global temperatures in 1880 according to NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies and Copernicus European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). This is part of a trend driven mainly by human-related greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing global warming and climate change with increasingly severe consequences on our planet and society: in 2023 alone, extreme weather events linked to climate change included unprecedented heatwaves across Europe, America and Asia, deadly wildfires in Canada, Hawaii and Greece, devasting rainfall and flooding in India, Italy and Libya, to name a few.
There is an urgent need for action to combat climate change and its impacts. As the UN often reminds us: “Every fraction of a degree matters: to vulnerable communities, to ecosystems, and to every one of us.” At Renantis we believe that our contribution should go beyond the production of renewable energy. For this reason, we have set up the Renantis Community Climate Action Fund to support the communities around our UK wind farms to address the wider challenges associated with climate change.
Do you or a group in your community have an idea for an initiative that could help address climate change or mitigate its impact? Tell us about it for the chance to receive up to £10,000 to deliver community-led climate actions that can have a positive impact for the planet and future generations.
We’re looking for innovative projects from a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
- Decarbonisation projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable energy sources or optimising energy consumption (please let us know if they will be delivered in deprived areas where they can also support with the cost of living crisis and energy costs)
- Community energy
- Climate change mitigation projects and risk management of extreme weather events
- Social activities related to climate change that can increase climate change awareness and contribute to the community’s social life
- Digitisation projects that can support the community taking climate action or in case of extreme climate events
- Community networking and/or events allowing communities to share best practices on climate change actions – either internally within the community or amongst different communities
The winning ideas have to be practical, demonstrate positive impact and be up and running in 2024. Tell us about your idea in the application form here, and send it to us with any supporting information by Friday 15 December.
The successful winners will be announced in January 2024.
How to apply
- Each local community associated to our renewable energy plants can enter up to two different projects using the form below. The projects can be run by other organisations in your area, please feel free to share the details with anyone you think might be interested.
2. Successful projects should be:
- located within the geographical area hosting one of our operational renewable energy plants (or a plant that is going to be operational soon)
- up and running in 2024
- supported by the local community
- able to demonstrate positive impact in tackling climate change or mitigating its impact
- be able to be evaluated to demonstrate they have achieved their objectives
3. Up to 80% of the total cost of successful projects (i.e. up to £10,000) will be covered by Renantis. Please outline in your application how you intend to provide the 20% of matched funding.
If you need any more information on how to enter your project, please contact
Please note that the successful applicants will be asked to provide information on a regular basis that will allow us to demonstrate the importance of providing extra support for the local communities:
- An overview of the actions taken
- Case studies and pictures showing how the funding is helping your community taking climate action
- Any results achieved by the project