Community Climate Action Fund

The Community Climate Action Fund is open now!

Is your community group looking to make a real impact in reducing Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai / Lower Hutt’s carbon emissions? The Community Climate Action Fund is here to support projects that help our city to take meaningful steps towards a low-carbon future.

What is the Community Climate Action Fund?

This contestable fund supports community-led initiatives that reduce carbon emissions, and community engagement projects that incorporate sustainability practices, such as waste minimisation. All specifically projects must align with the Lower Hutt Climate Pathway.

Funding Round Three is now open!

  • Opens: 16 June 2025
  • Closes: 13 July 2025
  • Decisions made by: End of August 2025

Objectives

The fund aims to contribute to the city's carbon reduction goals by funding:

Eligibility criteria

You must:

  • Community service groups must be from or have a base in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai / Lower Hutt from which they provide regular business-as-usual services.
  • Applicants cannot apply to multiple council funds for the same kaupapa/project/event.
  • All applications made must go towards meeting the objectives of the Lower Hutt Climate Action Pathway.
  • Groups applying for funds over 10K must be a registered charity or legal entity.
  • Groups applying for up to 10K of funds do not have to be a registered charity but are required to show good finance records and a verification of bank account with more than one signatory.
  • Applicants must try and utilise local Lower Hutt businesses and services where possible for required resources, materials, and support.

Examples include:


  • improving access to secure bike parking and charging
  • supporting tamariki to walk or scoot safely to school
  • community initiatives to tackle food and green waste
  • community-led, nature-based solutions to tackle the impact of climate change (eg: riparian planting or planting trees)
  • initiatives that help organizations move away from the use of fossil fuels (such as natural gas for heating and cooking)
  • community-led carbon reduction or waste minimisation initiatives

    • We don't fund activities that:

    • Assets on Council land which require ongoing operational funding
    • Projects-assets which require significant support from Council teams to implement
    • Promotion of an organisation’s religious, ethical, commercial, or political views
    • Buying land or buildings or carrying out maintenance on buildings
    • Duplicate services that are already covered by Council or by government agencies e.g. health or education providers
    • Costs associated with kaupapa (project/initiatives) already completed
    • Redistribution of funds to others at the applicant’s discretion
    • Fundraising or legal costs
    • Capital investments or trust funds
    • Prize money or prizes
    • Organisations’ general operational costs e.g. salaries, wages, rent, power.

    How to apply

    Past successful applicants

    Year/Funding RoundDetailsFile/Size
    2024-2025Community climate action fund successful applicants - Round 1 2024-2025PDF 87kb
    2023-2024Community engagement successful applicants 2023-24PDF 153kb
    2019-2020Community engagement successful applicants 2019-20PDF 108kb
    2018-2019Community engagement successful applicants 2018-19PDF 115kb

    More information

    Contact details

    Email: funding@huttcity.govt.nz