Cut Me Carbon•Background•Aims•Overview•Results•Lessons Learned

Background

•Cumbria Strategic Partnership climate change communication fund (August 2009)

•SLSP Environment group project

•Volunteers – not experts! All gave varying degrees of time, but mostly very limited (three 2 hour meetings)

OverviewA radio campaign was proposed to target 5 audiences with a view to encouraging them to make New Year’s resolutions to make behavioural changes to reduce their carbon emissions.

• Commuters about alternative transport options• Homeowners/gardeners about volunteering opportunities and purchasing alternatives that support biodiversity • Businesses about energy options/alternatives and associated business support• Everyone about growing and buying local food • Homeowners about energy efficiency measures and available support

Six adverts were developed. These would be aired every day for 4 weeks. (12, 10, 8, 6)

OverviewLakeland Radio covers a population of 52,000 people, 28% of which listen to Lakeland Radio over any week.

A website was also developed where people could make ‘pledges’. Every pledge would be entered into a prize draw.

An advert was also placed in the Westmorland Gazette Environment Section for two weeks running. The advert was in colour and encouraged people to visit the website to pledge to cut their carbon.

A ‘march to a low carbon South Lakeland’ was also organised, with around 30 people attending. The march took place along the High St in Kendal and received coverage on Lakeland Radio, Radio Cumbria and the local paper.

OverviewAnticipated outcomes:

• 700 people making pledges (25 people per 28 days)• 200 people taking up home insulation grants from SLDC• 100 people using alternative transport for one commute per week• 100 businesses accessing energy saving advice from CBEN/EST/Carbon Trust• 100 people eating own grown/ locally grown food once a week• 100 people gardening for biodiversity/composting• 100 people recycling more and buying less packaged goods

ResultsWebsite & Pledges

Number of individual visitors: 220Number of visitors from South Lakes:50

Average time spent on website per hit: 8 minutesAverage number of pages viewed per hit: 2.3

Total number of pledges made: 20

Insulation: 50 people took up the insulation grants.

Business advice: 2 businesses.

Lessons Learned

Audience & Message: 1 audience, 1 message, 1 behaviour, 1 action.

Pledging… most people consider it pointless unless there is a shared aim.Lakeland Radio… developed good partnership with them.Insulation worked well as it was linked to free grants on offer.