Community Carbon Contribution Fund - learn how you can offset come of your CO2 emissions by supporting this community fund. Scroll down to donate now!

Carbon Contributing is an alternative to Carbon Offsetting, pioneered by the World Wide Fund for Nature. It puts you in control of how you offset your emissions and supports local projects where you can see your money making a difference.

Invest in our fund instead of offsetting your carbon

We help you decide how much to contribute by calculating your Carbon Footprint and working out the monetary equivalent using Government’s Green Book medianvalue for mitigating carbon emissions.

It’s easy to do and we can advise you on other carbon reducing ideas you might want to pursue before you contribute to the fund. There’s absolutely no pressure! You can donate as much or as little as you want into our fund. (Please note 5% of all donations is used to cover running costs of the CCCF.)

Help choose the local carbon reduction projects to support

Every year, or more frequently if we have enough money in the fund, we will invite local community groups to bid for grants to help fund carbon emissions reduction projects, like installing solar panels on a community building, local tree planting or helping a voluntary group to buy an electric minibus.. We will support the most impactful projects so you know your money has been used to make a real difference to our emissions, right here on our doorstep.

You can’t offset all your emissions - but you can contribute to make a difference

Donate to the CCCF today

If you’d like to offset your carbon emissions in a more meaningful way and help local projects, contact us to learn more. Or you can simply donate now and your money will start making a difference in our community.

DONATE NOW

Governance Policy

We set out below the Governance Policy we have adopted to ensure the CCCF is transparent and accountable to the donors who contribute.

1. 1. Purpose of the Policy

This Governance Policy sets out how the Communty Carbon Contribution Fund (the “Fund”) is established, managed and overseen. The policy is designed to ensure that the Fund operates in a transparent, fair, accountable and ethical manner, consistent with the community purpose of Nature & Climate Action CIC (the “CIC”) and good practice in public-interest funding.

2. Purpose of the Fund

The purpose of the Fund is to:

Receive voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses and other supporters commensurate with their CO2 emissions
Use those contributions to support local projects that demonstrably reduce carbon emissions or support the transition to low‑carbon energy
Prioritise community‑led, not‑for‑profit and public‑benefit projects

The Fund does not offer financial returns, certified carbon credits or regulated carbon offsets to the donors. Contributions are voluntary donations made to support local carbon‑reduction activity.

3. Legal Status

The Fund is not a separate legal entity. The Fund is operated by the CIC and ultimate legal and financial responsibility for the Fund rests with the CIC’s Board of Directors.

4. Scope of Eligible Projects

Projects supported by the Fund may include (but are not limited to): -

Installation of renewable energy systems in buildings run for the benefit of the community, including those run by not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, charities, trusts, schools and the NHS
Energy efficiency upgrades in buildings run for the benefit of the community, including those run by not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, charities, trusts, schools and the NHS
Community‑owned energy or heat projects
Low‑carbon transport or infrastructure projects run by community groups, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, charities, trusts, schools and the NHS.
Tree planting schemes in public spaces or grounds of buildings run for the benefit of the community including those run by not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, charities, trusts, schools and the NHS
Recycling and waste reduction measures run by community groups, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, charities, trusts, schools and the NHS.

Projects must:

Be located within the municipal boundary of East Surrey Unitary Authority
Demonstrate credible carbon‑reduction outcomes.

Funds will be made available to successful applicants via grants.

5. Contributions to the Fund

Contributions are voluntary donations. Donors do not acquire ownership, repayment rights, or financial returns. Donations are not marketed as certified carbon offsets. Donors will be informed whether any proportion of their donation is used for administration. Contributions to the fund are not eligible for Gift Aid.

6. Financial Management

All monies received into the Fund will be ring-fenced within the CIC’s financial records. The CIC will maintain a clearly segregated ledger within the CIC’s main account. Two authorised signatories will be required for any payments above £2000. Funds will only be used for purposes consistent with this policy.

7. Administration Costs

The CIC will retain 5% of donations to cover reasonable administration costs directly related to operating the Fund. Any such costs will be:

Clearly defined
Disclosed publicly

8. Grant‑Making Process

8.1 Applications

Calls for applications in any funding round will be publicly promoted as widely as possible via social media, local magazines and known environmental networks. Applicants must submit a written proposal on the appropriate official application form including:

Project description
Budget and funding request
Delivery timeline
Estimated carbon‑reduction impact

8.2 Assessment

Applications will be assessed against published criteria for each funding round. These may include:

Carbon-reduction potential (weighting 70%)
Community impact (20%)
Deliverability (10%)

Organisational capability and value for money will also be taken into account.

9. Grant Panel

Grant decisions will be made by a Grant Panel (the Panel). Panel members will be appointed by the CIC Board. At least one director of the CIC will serve on every Panel but the majority of Panel members must be independent of the CIC and of applicant organisations. Panel members will declare conflicts of interest and withdraw from relevant decisions. All decisions will be recorded and retained.

10. Decision‑making and Awards

Grant awards are discretionary and there is no right of appeal.The Panel’s recommendations will be ratified by the CIC Board. Successful applicants will receive a written agreement, called an Acceptance Form, setting out:

Amount awarded
Purpose of the grant
Reporting requirement
Conditions for repayment if funds are misused

11. Monitoring and Reporting

Grant recipients will be required to provide proportionate progress and completion reports to the CIC. The CIC will produce an Annual Report, primarily for Fund donors but also for public use, including:

Total funds received
Grants awarded
Administration costs
Fund balance (to be carried over to the next funding window)
Summary of supported projects and outcomes

12. Carbon Impact Claims

Any carbon‑reduction figures published will be clearly identified as estimates. Methodologies used will be explained in plain language. The Fund will not claim to provide certified or regulated carbon offsets.

13. Conflicts of Interest

The CIC will maintain a register of interests for Directors and Panel members.

Individuals with a material conflict of interest must not participate in relevant decisions.

14. Closure of the Fund

In the event of the Directors of the CIC taking a decision to close the Fund, donors will be informed and the remaining monies in the ring-fenced account will be donated to The Woodland Trust Carbon Donation scheme.

15. Review of Policy

This policy will be reviewed at least every two years or sooner if required by law or best practice. Any material changes will be approved by the CIC Board.

Approved by the Board of Directors of Nature & Climate Action CIC

Date: 18/6/26