This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Support for environmentally friendly projects
16/06/2003
Seven environmental projects will receive almost £500,000 funding through the Executive's Sustainable Action Grants scheme, which supports projects promoting sustainable development and environmental justice.
Environment Minister Ross Finnie said:
"The Scottish Executive invited applications from national and regional projects which put emphasis on our sustainable development priorities of resource use, energy and travel. We want a Scotland that delivers sustainable development, that puts environmental concerns at the heart of public policy and secures environmental justice for all of Scotland's communities.
"These new projects we are supporting will help us to embed sustainable development across Scottish life, in business, in public authorities and in peoples' lives.
"Organisations such as Keep Scotland Beautiful are already making an important contribution to sustainable development in Scotland. Today's launch of their "Scottish Youth Litter Campaign" will help to enlist the support of a new generation in taking a more responsible attititude to Scotland's environment. The money we are announcing today will help Keep Scotland Beautiful and all the recipients become more effective in meeting our commitment to a Sustainable Scotland."
60 applications were received in March and seven projects have been approved for grant.
Details of the projects and the funding they will receive are as follows:
Public Sector Sustainable Construction Forum:
£4,000 over three years, to take forward the exchange of information and sustainability initiatives in public sector construction.
Papillon Promotions:
£5,000 for one year, to support a conference and network development promoting reusable instead of disposable nappies.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF):
£99,000 over three years, assisting a Local Authority Ecological Footprint project to increase understanding about the local and global impact of consumption and to inform decisions to reduce that impact. The aim is to use the Ecological Footprint concept in at least two Local Authority areas.
Aberdeen City Council:
£23,000 over two years, for a sustainable purchasing event for purchasing managers in public and private bodies in North-east Scotland and beyond, producing a reference report or handbook.
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) Scotland:
£120,000 over three years, to raise awareness of biodiversity and carry out practical improvements in disadvantaged urban areas, building on a pilot project in East Kilbride and Nitshill.
Keep Scotland Beautiful, with the Society, Religion and Technology Project of the Church of Scotland :
£119,988 over three years, to build on an existing Eco-Congregations project helping churches to learn about and act on environmental issues, supporting two part-time project officers. The programme already has interest from 200 churches in Scotland.
Friends of the Earth:
£119,400 over three years, to provide information, skills and support to communities to enable them to get involved in planning decisions that could affect their local environment. This project will help to deliver a key element of the Scottish Executive's environmental justice aims by increasing the involvement of communities in the processes and decisions which affect the quality of the environment in which they live.
Further projects will be considered for funding in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
The allocation of almost £500,000, is part of the £6 million three-year Research and Sustainable Action budget for the Environment and Rural Affairs Department, announced in the Budget last year.
The Sustainable Action Fund was set up in 1996 to fund sustainable development projects throughout Scotland. Projects which have benefited from funding range from Scotland-wide youth programmes to community-level recycling initiatives.
More than 20 projects were given funding in 2001-02, totalling £334,000.
In 2002-03, 11 new projects were approved with further funding of £110,000. Some of these projects will continue into 2003-04.
In February 2003 applications for the scheme were invited from national and regional projects, which put emphasis on the Executive's sustainable development priorities of resource use, energy and travel. Environmental justice has been included for the first time to meet the challenges faced by communities in addressing local environmental issues and the burden of poor environmental conditions.
The grants offered total £178,997 in 2003-04, £156,975 in 2004-05 and £154,416 in 2005-06.