The study was published in leading scientific journal Heliyon
Forest of Dean District Council (FoDDC) in Gloucestershire said it had received £300,000 of funding, allowing it to begin a program this summer to help it reach its climate target of net-zero by 2030.
It is one of only 21 councils to win the funding from the ‘Net Zero Living’ Fast Followers’ programme, through Innovate UK, which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
READ MORE: Forest of Dean based Versarien raises £1.85M
The Forest Fast Followers (F3) programme will begin on July 1 and aims to train council staff and councillors to better engage with the target, increase community action and improve understanding of the program and identify and evaluate process improvements to ‘live’ projects in the districts.
FoDDC will lead a collaborative project with West Oxfordshire and Cotswold District Councils.
FoDDC's cabinet member for climate emergency Chris McFarling said: "We are delighted to announce this vital funding, as a welcome boost to our target of achieving net-zero by 2030. We are one of only 21 councils to gain this funding, and as such, will be at the forefront of creating best practice for UK.
"Tackling the climate emergency is at the heart of what we do as a Council.
"The F3 programme gives us an opportunity to really understand where the barriers are to tackling climate change and how we can start to remove these. Training will help us to embed a culture of climate literacy, understanding and action through our staff and councillors."
He added: "Bringing Forest of Dean communities on this journey is key to making sure that we achieve the outcomes we set out to. Those living and working in the district are a vital part of this journey."
The funding will also be used to recruit a 'NetZero Innovation & Delivery Officer' as part of a national cohort, which will pioneer solutions. The officer will lead in educating around 400 officers and councillors across three District Councils, enabling them to prioritise and deliver net-zero through a range of tailored training and knowledge.
Alongside, the F3 programme will identify and address barriers within the council and the community to net-zero development, renewable energy generation and local smart energy grids.
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