Scottish Government

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Communities receive £3.6 million to reduce carbon

03/12/2009

Communities across Scotland have been awarded over £3.6 million from the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to help reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient.

Nearly £30 million in total will be awarded to communities who come forward with innovative ideas to tackle their carbon emissions. The money will allow people to play their role in tackling climate change, proving that the smallest action can make the biggest difference.

Successful projects benefitting from the sixth round of CCF include household carbon audits, the largest community owned windfarm, studies into bio-diesel potential and a regeneration programme creating local jobs.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead announced the £3.6 million funding at Edinburgh University, whose People and Planet project received nearly £340,000 to promote low carbon travel between home and campus. The project hopes to cut student and staff transport emissions by 4,000 tonnes in 2010; the equivalent of nearly 1,300 cars off the road.

Other successful applicants include:

The Bike Station - over £750,000 to help small businesses in Edinburgh cut down employee car use through the 80:40:20 Challenge: 80 percent making a change to driving practices, 40 per cent starting to take the bus, cycle or walk, and 20 per cent regularly using these methods. The project, with partner organisations, will help more than 12,500 staff in small to medium companies to walk, cycle or take the bus to work and cut car use reducing carbon emissions by 3847 tonnes.

Muirton Park Community Development Trust, Perth - over £86,000 to implement an 18 month project to build a low carbon community, and employ Local Green Champions.

Point and Sandwick Development Trust, Western Isles - over £73,000 to build the largest community-owned wind farm in Britain. When built, the farm proposes to supply domestic energy needs to 6,000 households and save 13,600 tonnes of CO2 each year.

Announcing the successful applicants, Richard Lochhead said:

"Climate change will change our lives and the environment. The Climate Challenge Fund is helping to generate grassroots action across Scotland and once again we have received a huge number of applications. I am encouraged by the innovative methods displayed by communities and businesses at each round of funding, and round six is no exception.

"We have now awarded more than £15.6 million to almost 200 project across Scotland. Through this the Scottish Government is empowering communities to realise their climate change potential and giving the means to achieve it.

"I recently saw CCF funding in action at West Carse Hall, Perthshire, and I look forward to seeing the People and Planet project and the 80:40:20 Challenge join the remarkable trailblazers making a real difference to climate change in Scotland."