Low Carbon West Oxford (LCWO) are a community working together to combat climate change by cutting our individual and community carbon dioxide emissions, and promoting more sustainable lifestyles, working on transport, food and waste reduction.

Low Carbon West Oxford (LCWO)

LCWO was set up by local residents in November 2007 prompted by concerns about local flooding, as well as about the impact of climate change around the world. They want to involve as much of the community as possible, and create win-win strategies that help residents save energy, save money and save the planet.

See their website for upto date information and to find out about their pioneering West Oxford Community Renewables (WOCR) - established for the specific purpose of building and owning community-owned renewable energy schemes in West Oxford and to thus generate funds for LCWO.

 

LCWO is one of 10 finalists in a national competition called the Big Green Challenge run by NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts). NESTA have a prize fund of £1,000,000 to award to the most successful and innovative ideas to reduce CO2 emissions within communities.

As a finalist we've already won £20,000 to help fund our pilot year and will find out if we have won more, in January 2010.

Our project aims to cut C02 emissions in our community by 80% by 2050 by creating community-owned renewable energy projects including:

• large scale solar panels on roofs in Osney Mead Industrial Estate

• a micro-hydro scheme in Osney Weir

• a wind turbine on Harcourt Hill.

We then sell the electricity generated from these projects and use the income to help local households to save energy and save money. In the longer term, we also hope to use the income to increase carbon sequestration of carbon dioxide by plants, trees and soil in the watershed.