UCLG Position Paper v_2 (eng)
22/12/09
18:13
Página 49
A Compilation of Case Studies
8 Carbon Compensation Scheme with locally designed, owned and managed projects
Councils have maintained their involvement as major partners via representation on their respective charity, and continue to play a key role by offering financial support, expertise, advice and facilitation. This case study explores the results of the four partners’ project Climate Change Compensation & Resilience allied to Community Reconstruction. The Gulu Carbon Compensation Scheme is the latest, and one of the most successful “Link” collaborations, where the Links' role is to foster and support collaboration between groups on mutuallybeneficial actions that will further advance sustainable development in Gulu and Lancashire. To encourage this, both Links engage with local people and organizations, raise resources, offer advice, provide training, and organize exchange visits that will facilitate small-scale projects, selfhelp, the exchange of ideas, the sharing of experiences, and the raising of awareness about the common interest we all have in working together for a more sustainable future. Previous collaborations have included projects between schools, groups of disadvantaged youths, elderly people, technical experts and community artists.
Prepared by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Lancashire County Council, September 2009
Local and regional governments face increasing risks, brought about by the effects of climate change. Disaster risk management, energy efficiency incentives and urban adaptation measures feature among the responses that cities big and small, from the North and the South, will need to plan for. There is increasing evidence that welldesigned and well-governed cities can lead the way in the implementation of climate strategies, including mitigation and adaptation efforts. Climate change strategies will need to take into account development needs and turn developing country mitigation actions into something that both serves and boosts their long-term economic development goals. Local action will be instrumental to achieving concrete results.
Project Aims: the Gulu Carbon Compensation Scheme The Climate Compensation Scheme (CCS) was set up in 2008 as a four-way partnership between the two Links and the two Councils. At its core is the premise that Lancastrians can compensate for some of their carbon emissions by helping those most affected to deal better with the consequences of climate change. Lancashire does this by supporting practical, small-scale, locallydetermined and managed projects in Gulu, Uganda that will make it easier for local residents to deal with climate change. Added value accrues from designing projects that bring wider social, economic and environmental benefits.
This case study illustrates how decentralized cooperation is producing positive and concrete sustainable development results. A partnership between two municipalities has brought local governments and their communities together to simultaneously bolster local economic development, improve municipal service delivery and deal with local challenges associated with climate change.
Background Climate change is having a big impact on Northern Uganda. The CCS comprises a set of projects drawn up through a consultative and participatory process, and designed to assist people in Gulu district adapt to and mitigate the future impacts of climate change. These projects also bring considerable added value and benefits in terms of improving the environment, boosting the economy and increasing opportunities for social cohesion at a time when Gulu district is emerging from two decades of armed conflicts.
Connections were established between the Lancashire County Council, UK and Gulu Municipal Council, Uganda fifteen years ago, when they began cooperating on Local Agenda 2136 issues. In 1997, the Councils devolved responsibility to two community-based charities (the Lancashire-Gulu LA21 Link, and the Gulu Link Association), which represent a wide range of community interests. Both 36 Agenda 21 is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact on the environment.
Funding To get the Scheme started, Lancashire County Council has 49