01768 210276|office@cafs.org.uk

News

/News

Celebrating 20 years on the journey to a zero carbon Cumbria!

This year, CAfS has been celebrating our first full 20 years as an independent organisation tackling climate change in Cumbria! It's a fantastic opportunity to look back and remember just how far we've come and all that we've achieved - especially at at time when there's more collective determination than ever to achieve our vision of a zero carbon Cumbria. To mark the occasion, we've produced a new booklet capturing some of our many highlights down through the years - from starting the UK's first Green Build Festival to helping set up several of Cumbria's community energy schemes. There's [...]

By |2019-07-30T09:49:36+01:00July 30th, 2019|Homepage, News|Comments Off on Celebrating 20 years on the journey to a zero carbon Cumbria!
Read More

New project will boost chargepoints across Cumbria & the North

Infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) across northern England is set to power up over the next eighteen months thanks to new government investment announced this month. Cumbria Action for Sustainability is part of a partnership, led by Cybermoor and Charge my Street, which will join forces to deliver the Scaling On-Street Charging Infrastructure (SOSCI) project. It’s one of twelve projects that will share £37 million funding to revolutionise the experience of owning an electric vehicle in the UK. The government aims for these innovations to encourage uptake of electric vehicles – a key aim of its Road to Zero [...]

By |2019-07-30T09:33:20+01:00July 28th, 2019|Electric vehicles, Homepage, News|Comments Off on New project will boost chargepoints across Cumbria & the North
Read More

Green build festival powers up with new headline sponsor

Electricity North West has been named as the headline sponsor for this year’s Cumbria Green Build and Sustainable Living Festival. This annual programme showcasing clever low-energy buildings and home improvements, along with ways to cut carbon footprints, will expand to around fifty events for 2019, thanks to the sponsorship boost from the region’s electricity distribution network operator. Run by Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS), the festival offers open homes, tours, workshops, courses, films, conferences and talks, for householders, communities and professionals. Now in its fourteenth year, the festival was the first of its kind in the country. “We are [...]

By |2019-07-28T15:24:15+01:00July 28th, 2019|Cumbria Green Build Festival, Homepage, News|Comments Off on Green build festival powers up with new headline sponsor
Read More

Take a sneak peak at Green Build 2019

You are the first to get a sneak preview of this year’s Cumbria Green Build & Sustainable Living Festival! We are still busily putting the final touches on our whopping list of 50 or so events, but we’re peeling back the curtain so you can see what’s in store for you when they open for booking later in July. Keep an eye on our website and social media towards the middle of the month to have first choice! Open homes: No Green Build Festival would be complete without the chance to visit real homes with energy-saving design, renewable energy [...]

By |2019-06-28T21:30:24+01:00June 28th, 2019|Cumbria Green Build Festival, Homepage, News|Comments Off on Take a sneak peak at Green Build 2019
Read More

Government announces plan to reach ‘almost’ net zero by 2050

We welcome the Government's announcement today of a new plan to cut UK emissions to 'almost zero' by 2050 - but the climate science calls for much greater urgency. This is a wonderful sign that there is political will to move in the right direction, compared to the Government's previous 80% target by 2050, but the Government must go much further must faster. Particularly in light of the UK's historic contribution to global emissions, CAfS agrees with calls for the UK to reach net zero by 2030. The UN's report by the IPCC last October was very clear - [...]

By |2019-07-28T16:13:41+01:00June 12th, 2019|Climate politics, News|Comments Off on Government announces plan to reach ‘almost’ net zero by 2050
Read More

New coordinator gets Green Build Festival planning under way

We welcomed a new team member in May, with Nigel Jenkins joining us to coordinate our flagship Cumbria Green Build and Sustainable Living Festival, with headline sponsor Electricity North West. Nigel brings an impressive mix of skills, combining engineering, training, event management and film making. He has first-hand experience of eco building, after renovating his old farmhouse in Eden – not to mention winning his region’s Lego competition as a youngster. In short, he’s well placed to build a fantastic festival this year! Already on the cards are courses on using lime, visits to low-energy homesteads, a straw bale [...]

By |2019-05-31T13:57:56+01:00May 31st, 2019|Cumbria Green Build Festival, News|Comments Off on New coordinator gets Green Build Festival planning under way
Read More

Alston residents asked for views on housing

A survey has just gone out on Alston Moor to understand the area’s housing needs, supported by CAfS’ Greenprint programme. The survey asks residents about their homes and how well they meet their different needs, both now and into the future. It explores whether homes are fit to live in, asking about issues like damp and energy efficiency, as well as wider needs like space for food growing. The survey was created by Alston Moor’s community-led housing group, thanks to funding from Eden District Council’s community housing fund. Being bespoke to the area, the survey touches on issues that [...]

By |2019-05-31T11:51:23+01:00May 31st, 2019|Alston Moor Greenprint, Community-led housing, News|Comments Off on Alston residents asked for views on housing
Read More

Elections change Cumbria’s political landscape

The council elections in May have changed the local political landscape in Cumbria, and CAfS is watching with interest to see what this might mean for efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Following the elections, three of the six district-level councils in Cumbria now have no overall control by one party: Carlisle (previously Labour-led), Eden (previously Conservative-led) and Allerdale (previously Labour was the largest party). South Lakeland remains under Liberal Democrat control, while Barrow and Copeland remain Labour-led. Independents and Green Party candidates faired well. Four Green councillors were elected in Cumbria – the first at district level (two [...]

By |2019-05-31T15:00:27+01:00May 30th, 2019|Climate politics, News|Comments Off on Elections change Cumbria’s political landscape
Read More

CAfS to host youth climate question time for 20th anniversary

Children and young people from across Cumbria will have the chance to tell people in positions of power what they think about climate change, and ask them what they are doing to solve it. CAfS is holding a climate question time event in Penrith on Friday 5 July, where a panel of politicians (including MPs), an activist and a climate expert will answer questions submitted in advance by young people from across Cumbria. The questions will be put to them at the event by an interview panel of young people representing the voice of children across the county. The [...]

By |2019-07-28T15:25:29+01:00May 30th, 2019|Climate politics, News, Youth|Comments Off on CAfS to host youth climate question time for 20th anniversary
Read More

Target reached for Alston school solar crowdfund

The solar dreams of Alston schools have come true after a crowdfunding campaign raised the money needed for a 27 kW solar PV array. The campaign was run by Alston Moor Community Energy (AMCE) and marks the group's first successful installation of renewable energy in the area. It raised its full target of £22,300, to install the maximum size of array on the roof of the Alston Primary and Samuel Kings’ schools. Kit England, one of AMCE’s directors, said: “We’re delighted to have hit our target and we’re extremely grateful to all those individuals and businesses who pledged donations [...]

By |2019-06-12T12:30:09+01:00May 30th, 2019|Alston Moor Greenprint, Community energy, News, Renewable energy|Comments Off on Target reached for Alston school solar crowdfund
Read More