South Karelia Kärki-Leader encourages rural actors in climate action
South-Karelia Kärki-Leader has joined the Greenreality partnership network coordinated by the City of Lappeenranta. Greenreality partners are committed to more environmentally friendly practices. Kärki-Leader is an association that offers people interested in developing the Imatra region a concrete opportunity to influence the direction of local development.
Kärki-Leader is a local action group from which rural actors can apply for Leader funding for non-profit projects. These projects are typically small-scale and local, but they can also be interregional or international. For construction and other investments, up to 50% of the total project cost can be funded, and up to 80% for development projects. In addition Leader funding, private financing is often required, much of which can be in the form of volunteer work.
Environmentally friendly goals for rural development
According to Riina Nokelainen, Development Coordinator at Kärki-Leader, the association joined the Greenreality partnership to promote sustainable rural development.
“We hope to gain ideas and up-to-date knowledge on resource wisdom, which will provide us with new tools for advisory work. Our goal is to guide and support project applicants in making low-carbon choices in their projects” Nokelainen explains.
As a Greenreality partner, South Karelia Kärki-Leader is committed to encouraging, inspiring, and involving rural actors in climate action by sharing climate-related information, tips, and expertise. The association also commits to including climate and environmental criteria in the evaluation of applications and to supporting climate-related development projects and investments.
Kärki-Leader aims to make its own operations more low-carbon by saving energy, promoting sustainable mobility, and focusing on material efficiency. The association plans to organize remote events, sort office waste for recycling, and run environmentally friendly campaigns for its staff.
(Picture: Maaseutuverkosto)
