This Bristol Community Strategy for Energy has been developed through the Bristol Energy Network by local community groups and the organisations that they work with. The Strategy sets out aims and steps for community level action on energy and seeks to enable local community groups to work in collaboration with local authorities, the private sector and third sector organisations on sustainable energy issues.
It is driven by international and national targets for reducing carbon emissions, concern over climate change impacts, the growing cost (and reduced availability) of cheap fossil fuel, dependence on imported gas, and by fuel poverty highlighting economic disparities across Bristol.
This strategy focuses on reducing energy use in domestic and non-domestic buildings through increased energy efficiency and energy conscious behaviours, an increase in community-led 'green' electricity generation, and hence to address fuel poverty and increase the community's resilience to rising energy costs. The community energy sector has potential to play a key role in addressing these issues.
The themes and broad goals are these:
- Familiarising and reflecting
- Planning
- Kick-starting
- Local institution
- Social movement, social organisation
- Network