£2.86M To Tackle Climate Change

Community-led projects around Scotland have been awarded £2.86 million to help tackle climate change. Thirty-three projects around the country are to receive Climate Challenge Fund awards which aim to support local communities to take action on climate change and move to low-carbon living. They include the Glasgow Nepalese Association which has been awarded £41,550 to provide home energy efficiency advice, community workshops and a bicycle club to the local Nepalese community. Another recipient is the McLaren Community Leisure Centre in Callander which has been awarded £149,827 to reduce energy use and carbon emissions through improvements to the centre's roof insulation and lighting. The awards were announced by Climate Change Minister Aileen McLeod today. She said: Climate change is one of the most serious challenges to global society and the natural environment both at home and abroad. We know that reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn't easy, but the Scottish Government takes climate change extremely seriously. This is why we have set the most ambitious global targets to cut emissions."Some of the best initiatives to reduce carbon are devised and delivered at a local level. That is why I'm delighted to announce the latest round of grant awards. Beyond doubt, the Climate Challenge Fund is making a real difference in our transition to a low carbon future." To date we have invested £64.4 million in the Climate Challenge Fund and helped 527 community led organisations across the length and breadth of Scotland tackle climate change at a local level.'' The Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) is a Scottish Government programme, managed and developed by Keep Scotland Beautiful. The Scottish Government said that the fund has helped communities throughout Scotland reduce, reuse and recycle their waste, increase the energy efficiency of homes and community buildings, encourage active travel and the use of low-carbon transport, and promote and produce local food. Derek Robertson, chief executive at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:We congratulate the latest projects to be awarded Climate Challenge Fund and Junior Climate Challenge Fund grants and look forward to working closely with them in the implementation of their projects." Keep Scotland Beautiful is very proud to support community action on climate change through our management and development of the Climate Challenge Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government and see it as part of our work to help make Scotland clean and green, today and tomorrow.''