Climate Change Strategy

The production and implementation of a climate change strategy for the Highlands, which will adapt Council services to cope with the impact of climate change and reduce the Council’s carbon footprint, will be taken forward by a high-powered working group of elected members.

The Climate Change Working Group aims to:

• deliver a 15% reduction in energy use from Council buildings by 2010
(excluding Council housing) by improving energy efficiency and a
programme of behavioural change among staff;

• save £3.8m in energy costs from 2005 to 2010, through revised energy
supply contracts, improved billing management and reduced energy
use;

• reduce C02 emissions by 2010 by 15% for buildings, 4.5% for fleet, a
minimum of 1% for street lighting and to set a target for Council
housing;

• increase the installed capacity of renewable energy equipment by a
minimum of 4,000kW by 2010;

• develop a sustainable resources plan, including carbon reduction
targets for: water conservation; sustainable procurement; biodiversity
action and reducing the waste from Council buildings.

The Group also aims to limit the carbon footprint of the Highlands, by influencing others through:-

• low carbon design standards for all new developments including
housing, through Council grants awarded and through supporting good
practice

• energy advice to households, business and communities

• sustainable development education in Highland schools

• the promotion of renewable energy through

a) the renewable energy strategy and the target to save 22.7m
tonnes of CO2 by 2050 by increasing the Highlands’ installed
capacity of renewable energy technologies by 13.3.GW

b) supporting the development of a wood fuel development
programme, the take up of micro-generation technologies, solar use and support in principle for the development of commercial
scale bio-diesel production from oil-seed rape grown in the
North and East Scotland.

c) supporting community-owned renewables and sustainable
energy projects

• reducing fuel poverty for people living in private and public sector
housing

Councillor Drew Hendry, Chairman of the Council’s Planning Environment and Development Committee, said: “Our Programme for Administration contains several commitments to tackling climate change by reducing our carbon footprint and adapting services to deal with the impact of global warming. 

“To that end, the Climate Change Working Group will provide an important opportunity for us to work together on making sure that our energy impact is reduced even further and that we are challenging the way we go about our business to benefit both the global and our own Highland environment.  In addition to tackling current issues, we will be able to adapt to new information that may be presented by the constantly changing nature of the subject nature.”