Third Sector

1. Context

The Energy Saving Trust's vision is that by 2050 every home will be a low carbon home: this includes not only the buildings, but the people who live in them, their appliances and the transport and purchasing choices that they make. It also includes the way that people use energy at work and in their communities. Over 40% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions come from the things that individuals do every day.

The Third Sector is a diverse, active and pasisonate sector. Its characteristics are non government and value driven. Third Sector organisations reinvest financial surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives. The sector includes voluntary and community organisations, charities, Non-Governmental Organisations, Co-operatives and Social Enterprises. In 2006/07 there were 137,000 Charities and 61,800 Social Enterprises in England with 600,000 informal community organisations across the UK employing a total of 540,000 people. 73% of adults surveyed in 2007/08 said they had volunteered at least onece in the past 12 months.

This sector engages across segments of the population and reaches large numbers in society. Through its work the sector can help individuals and communities choose greener lifestyles, ensuring emissions of climate change gases are reduced. A research paper carried out by the Centre for Sustainable Energy articulates the benefit of THird Sector invovlement on tackling climate change. The Energy Saving Trust have historically worked with the Third Sector and the networks they touch. It must ensure it continues to do so in a positive way, supoprting Defra's Third Sector Strategy and following the principles laid out in the ompact.

This statement is in response to wider Government aspirations for involving the Third Sector and Defra's Third Sector Strategy, which calls for its delivery bodies to electronically publish their Third Sector position statement. This response draws on Defra's strategy and the principles of the ompact. The Compact is the agreement between Government and the Voluntary and Community sector to improve their relationship for the benefit of each other and the communities they serve. Our aim, current interactions and offer to the sector are laid out in this statement.

2. Our Aim

The Energy Saving Trust recognises the reach and diversity of Third Sector organisations and understands that it can add value and more rapidly deliver carbon reduction on behalf of the UK by effectively engaging this sector. Thus the Energy Saving Trust aims to work in a catalytic manner with multiple Third Sector organisations, in order to maximise the impact of its carbon reduction programmes.

3. Our Relationship with the Sector

3.1 Greener Living Fund: At the launch of Defra’s Third Sector Strategy a two-year, £6million Greener Living Fund was announced with the aim to help individuals and communities in England live more sustainably, reducing their carbon footprint and reducing pressure on natural resources. Grants were awarded to a small number of national Third Sector organisations, enabling them to deliver programmes that help people to change their behaviour. Defra are managing the grants but have commissioned the Energy Saving Trust to act as a facilitator, providing support to the winning schemes.

What we currently do:

• We are providing hand holding support to the successful Delivery Partners and facilitating links between the proejcts themselves and Energy Saving Trust services. All information on the proejcts can be found on the Greener Living Fund website.

3.2 Energy Saving Trust Advice Centres: The Energy Saving Trust's network of advice centres help people to save energy at a local level. Funded by government the advice centres provide free, impartial, expert advice to encourage people to take up sustainable energy products and services, and to adopt low carbon lifestyles. The advice centres give people advice over the phone, by email and in person. They provide information on local grants and subsidies, and can refer people to local professional installers. They also carry out targeted campaigns and run events to promote sustainable energy use. The advice centres also provide signposting and tips on water wastage and household waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

What we currently do:

• A significant %s of Energy Saving Trust’s annual expenditure is spent on the network of 21 Energy Saving Trust advice centres across the UK. Of the 25 contractors and sub contractors who run the advice centres, 15 are registered charities or social enterprises.

3.3 Green Communities: Green Communities is a programme from the Energy Saving Trust that aims to support, facilitate and promote community based energy projects. It offers free training, advice focused on project planning and funding, technical support and a website with online resources.

What we currently do:

• Through the local support provided by advice centres, community groups are engaged and worked with on a 1-2-1 basis, many of these community groups are made up of networks of volunteers.

3.4 Green Ambassadors: Green Ambassadors are a network of volunteers who appear as real life case studies in media and press opportunities for the Energy Saving Trust as people who are taking action to reduce their own carbon footprint.

What we currently do:

• People with a passion for climate change and who have taken some level of action already are invited to join our voluntary Green Ambassadors network, in return we support them by providing a 6 monthly newsletter, annual meeting and media opportunities to make themselves heard about what they’ve done to reduce their carbon footprint.

3.5 Local Authorities: Research has shown that advice and leadership from councils increases the impact of climate change messages. Importantly, messages from councils about climate change helps to communicate that action at a local level is required to impact on a global problem. In addition, local authorities are in an excellent position to work with other public and private agencies, voluntary groups and the wider community to encourage such action. We currently have a major Local Authority 1-2-1 programme engaging with over 100 Local Authorities across the UK which provides recommendations to Local Authorities on what they can do to reduce their areas climate impact.

What we currently do:

• The Energy Saving Trust one-to-one programme actively encourages Local Authorities to develop climate change strategies and to think about their position as strategic influencers in local strategic partnerships.
• We have developed the Low Carbon Leadership Workbook, working in partnership with Marches Energy Agency's Carbon Forum. This book provides guidance to Local Authorities on creating bespoke carbon reduction plans engaging all sectors in their area.
• A How to Guide has been produced under Green Communities on How to Influence and Work With Your Local Authority which provides the information community groups need to work effectively with their Local Authority providing community groups with the knowledge to work with their Local Authority effectively.
• We have developed free software for local authorities to assist their working on climate change, including Trace, a tool for tracking action on carbon emissions, plus an NI186 toolkit.

3.6 Procurement:

What we currently do: The Energy Saving Trust recognises the social aspect of the sustainability agenda and actively invites Third Sector organisations (including sheltered workshops) to tender or quote for services and will contract with them where they demonstrate value for money.

4. Our Offer to the Sector

In addition to continuing all of our current deliverables as laid out above, we will:

1. Raise awareness of the Compact and Defra’s Third Sector Strategy internally at the Energy Saving Trust

2. Raise the profile of how the Energy Saving Trust works with the Third Sector through online case studies and profiles

3. Co-operate positively with Defra’s Third Sector team and its wider delivery family

4. Share learning’s across the Energy Saving Trust of successful engagement with Third Sector partnerships

5. Ensure where we are working with other major Government Funders that we align our Third Sector response to their own Third Sector strategies