Kent Community Foundation has embarked on a new environmental strategy, recognising that many social issues are intertwined with environmental impact.
Understanding the potential future impacts of warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers is crucial for the future prosperity, environmental quality, and health and well-being of our local communities.
As one of the largest grant-makers in Kent and Medway we have an important part to play in combating these challenges. We believe that local community action can be at the heart of delivering solutions that not only minimise the impact on the environment, but also offer additional benefits that people and local communities can reap.
As place-based grant-makers, Community Foundations are pioneers of the statement ‘think global, act local’ and in partnership with donors and the local voluntary and community sector we can facilitate dynamic change in our own ‘back yard’.
We believe it is right and proper that our broader charitable values responds to the national objective of net zero carbon by 2050 set by HM Government (and monitored by the UK Committee on Climate Change), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which now constitute best practice as defined by our umbrella body, UK Community Foundations.
There are four phases within our environmental strategy. These are:
- Philanthropic – providing a sustainable source of income for our new environmental grant making plans.
- Ethical investment policy – continuing the move to an ethical investment portfolio in line with our charitable objects.
- Grant making strategy – launching our new Environment Priority Areas Route
- Organisational change – our operations and our policies.