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£5.5 million helps communities reduce CO2

31/03/2010

A total of 232 communities the length and breadth of Scotland have received a share of the £27.4 million Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to help reduce their carbon footprint.

Today, 90 new projects received awards totalling over £5.5 million.

Over the last three years, CCF has invested to save an estimated 691,028 tonnes of carbon, the equivalent of 225,000 cars off Scotland's roads or filling Murrayfield Stadium 345 times.

Successful applications include:

  • Kilfinan Community Forest Company, Argyll, will receive over £164,500 in the hope to reduce carbon emissions by 207 tonnes. The community aim to buy the forest to deliver jobs, training, leisure and recreational initiatives, as well as wood-fuel, and timber products from the forest.
  • Park Ecovillage Trust, Moray, will receive nearly £241,500 to enhance sustainability education in the region's schools, aiming to cut 2,452 tonnes of carbon. Providing 'hands-on' eco kits will show how whole sustainable systems work so that pupils take action in their own schools and at home.
  • Shettleston Community Growing Project, Glasgow, will receive nearly £172,800 for a resident led initiative to grow food locally and raise awareness of food miles, food waste, recycling and energy consumption. The project will also address the wider poverty issues of poor health and nutrition. The estimated carbon saving is 1,286 tonnes.

Over the three years of CCF grants, 970 applications were received.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead visited the PEDAL - Portobello Transition Town project, which will receive nearly £183,000 from CCF. He said:

"The Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) has captured the imagination of communities all over Scotland and demonstrated nation-wide commitment to reduce carbon footprint.

"Since CCF launched it has attracted huge interest and I am very encouraged by the high level and quality of applications. We have tapped into communities desire to do more to help the environment and I look forward to seeing what will be achieved long-term through this exceptional fund.

"CCF has empowered 232 communities to tackle their carbon emissions at local levels, which after today is now estimated to be a carbon reduction equivalent to 225,000 cars off the road. We believed that tailored approaches reflecting local needs delivers best results and we have seen some truly inspirational ideas brought to the table.

"It's inspiring to visit CCF funded projects such as the Portobello Transition Town and see how the they are embracing community spirit to reduce their carbon footprint. The CCF award will fund jobs to implement schemes such as home insulation, re-skilling courses and the community orchard; all of which aim to cut carbon by 104 tonnes and essentially improve the quality of life for the people of Portobello."

Green MSP Robin Harper said:

"The Climate Challenge Fund is a chance for communities to innovate and lead, and to find opportunities instead of problems. Portobello, like many other communities across Scotland, has risen to this challenge, and I am proud to be here on the day the Portobello Transition Town project receives this crucial funding. They are pioneers in the true sense, setting an example which will be followed by other communities both across Scotland and beyond.

"The CCF has been one of the great successes of this session. We are delighted to have worked with Ministers to fund community ideas of this sort. The map of Scotland is covered with 232 extraordinary and diverse projects it has funded, and more than £27m has been invested. This money has laid the groundwork for sustainable jobs across the country, for greener and more fulfilling ways of living, and for the low carbon communities of the future."

Simon Pepper OBE, Chair of the CCF grants panel said:

"It has been astonishing, exciting and inspiring to see the number and diversity of project applications coming from every sector and size of community to tackle climate change from every conceivable angle. From gardens to back greens, from Unst to Stranraer, from cycling to schools, Scotland is alive with ideas to catch the imagination and make a practical difference. "

Climate Challenge Fund Round 7 - Successful Applications

Project Name

Local Authority

Total

Carbon Reduction

(tonnes)

Student Climate Challenge

Aberdeen City

£111,576

1065.43

Food Action Regeneration and the Environment (FARE)

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray

£30,999

812.50

Banchory Energy Reduction Initiative (BERI)

Aberdeenshire

£43,350

288.00

Stonehaven Starter Site

Aberdeenshire

£17,465

8.36

Glamourhaugh Allotment Project

Aberdeenshire

£9,820

Jura Powerdown: Energy Advisers

Argyll & Bute

£126,735

101.00

North Kintyre Horticultural Adviser

Argyll & Bute

£26,500

0.52

The Kilfinan Community Forest Project

Argyll & Bute

£164,624

207.24

Isle of Gigha awareness raising scheme

Argyll & Bute

£24,087

8.35

Lismore Energy Project

Argyll & Bute

£46,800

563.01

South Kintyre Development Trust - Tidal Energy Project

Argyll & Bute

£25,108

0.00

Carbon Reduction and Energy Efficiency Campaign

Dumfries & Galloway

£48,911

387.50

'Carbon Busters 3' - Carbon reduction in Schools phase 3

Dumfries & Galloway

£88,468

77.00

Education, Community and Sustainability

Dumfries & Galloway

£28,409

47.54

Stranraer Line Carbon Reduction Project

Dumfries & Galloway, South Ayrshire

£39,070

90.00

Glentrool Biomass Production / Biomass CHP Feasibility Study

Dumfries & Galloway, South Ayrshire

£30,960

0.00

RVO diesel replacement feasibility study

Dumfries and Galloway

£27,511

0.00

East Dundee and Dighty Walking and Cycling Initiative (EDDWAC)

Dundee City, Angus

£68,056

128.14

Power Off Learn Outdoors (POLO)

East Ayrshire

£55,570

31.63

Baldernock Cut the Carbon

East Dunbartonshire

£57,900

299.00

Powerdown to Go Greener

East Renfrewshire

£182,930

9525.00

Banking on Neilston

East Renfrewshire

£68,869

0.00

Stockbridge House Energy Action and Insulation Project (2)

Edinburgh City

£94,250

Unite Skills With People (USP)

Edinburgh City

£66,248

235.00

Transition Edinburgh South Drop-in Centre

Edinburgh City

£79,417

1816.40

Dochas Vegetable Garden

Edinburgh City

£15,279

23.44

Sustain Balerno

Edinburgh City

£53,867

406.40

Edinburgh Hindu Community Initiative

Edinburgh City

£53,324

350.00

Portobello Carbon Reduction Initiative

Edinburgh City

£172,440

104.20

Being the change we want to see

Edinburgh City

£22,140

74.00

NET Your Carbons 2

Edinburgh City

£32,523

7200.00

Switching on to switching off - stage 2

Edinburgh City

£49,979

92.00

Every Tonne Counts

Edinburgh City,

£63,293

30.00

Grangemouth Transition Town

Falkirk

£54,659

5643.00

Sustainable Newburgh

Fife

£87,300

1000.00

North Queensferry Carbon Reduction Project

Fife

£77,563

51.25

Big Tent Community Engagement

Fife

£45,275

14.84

Development Worker

Glasgow City

£56,243

465.00

Woodlands Community Garden + Energy Awareness Hub

Glasgow City

£71,522

83.01

Annexe GROWS

Glasgow City

£100,193

113.22

Grow Green with Glasgow's East End

Glasgow City

£67,180

476.25

Shettleston Community Growing Project

Glasgow City

£172,769

1285.60

Low Carbon Garrioch Resident Association

Glasgow City

£27,285

252.00

Food and Waste

Glasgow City

£27,291

22.98

Eco Drama's Magic Van Tour

Glasgow City

£47,772

114.90

West Ardamurchan Community Garden Project

Highlands

£66,900

25.35

Beauly to Inverness Cycle Route

Highlands

£60,000

0.00

Transition on the Black Isle

Highlands

£85,871

182.00

Regeneration of Old Allotment Site in Inverness

Highlands

£50,000

12.18

Energy Advice Service

Highlands

£79,698

88.60

Laggan Forest Trust Woodfuel Initiative

Highlands

£44,395

43.75

Knoydart Food Strategy - Community Garden Project

Highlands

£47,643

9.24

Lybster Allotments and Polytunnels

Highlands

£48,991

15.74

Ullapool Community Trust

Highlands

£1,368

25.20

Sustainability Education & Carbon Reduction in Moray Schools

Moray

£241,450

2452.00

Programme Development Co-ordinator

Moray

£41,000

957.00

350 Community champions: raising ecological awareness through creativity for young people

Moray

£63,562

133.00

Cosy Keith Continuation

Moray

£19,554

6.00

Watch US Grow- creating opportunities and diverting from landfill

North Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk

£48,898

180.00

Stronsay Green Island Project

Orkney Islands

£52,912

27.10

Carbon Neutral Transport for Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Community Groups

Orkney Islands

£69,185

135.28

Local Food Westray

Orkney Islands

£15,650

60.00

Letham Residents Association Food Project

Perth & Kinross

£71,211

300.00

South Perth Community Allotment and Garden Project

Perth & Kinross

£51,005

10.50

Ardoch Powerdown Project - Energy Advisor

Perth & Kinross

£19,030

107.00

Lochwinnoch Energy Audit

Renfrewshire

£65,900

156.00

Selkirk Carbon Reduction Project

Scottish Borders

£56,150

100.00

Hawick Transition Community Engagement

Scottish Borders

£77,793

380.00

Walkerburn Community Allotments

Scottish Borders

£80,567

8.80

Introducing energy-saving measures as major part of renovation project for the Well

Scottish Borders

£34,663

8.40

Tweedgreen

Scottish Borders

£67,392

201.10

Carbon Reduction - Home Energy Assessments

Scottish Borders

£52,555

45.50

Sandwick Community Allotments

Shetland Islands

£57,101

80.00

Aith Community District Heating Scheme

Shetland Islands

£32,450

53.28

Community Allotment Scheme - Unst

Shetland Islands

£18,820

3.16

Community Polytunnels

Shetland Islands

£41,821

30.00

Water Borehole and Storage Facility

South Ayrshire

£18,463

19.00

Green Workers - at work and at home

South Lanarkshire

£60,728

3000.00

East Kilbride Development Trust Food Initiative (Seed Exchange and Organic Vegetable Growing Project

South Lanarkshire

£60,000

38.85

FRESCo Pilot Study Energy Advisor

Stirling

£49,251

45.00

St. Ninians Old Parish Church Hall Upgrade

Stirling

£144,809

76.90

The Composting at School and College Pilot Programme for Scotland

Glasgow

£62,415.00

Routes for the future

Stirling

£19,500

77.00

Knowetop Community Farm Sustainable Food Initiative

West Dunbartonshire

£48,069

32.98

Kirknewton Energy Efficiency & Carbon Footprint Reduction Project

West Lothian

£93,936

125.10

Resilient Linlithgow

West Lothian

£101,790

431.00

Carbon Neutral Uist

Western Isles

£82,420

200.00

Household Energy Efficiency Taskforce (HEET)

Western Isles

£139,463

416.70

Blackland Centre for Local Production

Western Isles

£26,000

3.00

Polytunnel project

Western Isles

£7,850

9.70

Figures on carbon saving equivalents courtesy of Energy Saving Trust.

Page updated: Friday, August 27, 2010