Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop has welcomed the news that Blackburn in West Lothian is one of seven towns in Scotland that has been chosen to tackle the impact of climate change and secure a just transition to net zero.
The Climate Action Towns programme will empower communities to come together and engage in collective climate action, taking account of the unique challenges and opportunities each town faces. That might include looking at what action can be taken on switching to more sustainable food or renewable energy. Communities in the seven towns will be offered support to find ways of making changes at a local level that will help tackle the crisis, giving them a voice and engaging those that may not have previously engaged in climate action.
Fiona commented,
“We all know the importance and immediacy of the climate emergency and our drive to net zero, but it is equally important that we do this in a way that is fair and just for every single person, in every single community.
“This initiative focusses on place based action, meaning creating resilient food networks, adopting 20-minute neighbourhood planning principles, creating community renewable energy co-operatives and considering the climate when deciding whether to build new buildings or refurbish and adapt existing ones.
“This funding will empower local people to collaborate and create a vision for the future and I look forward to seeing what creative action the community in Blackburn in my constituency come up with.”
ENDS
Editor’s Notes:
The programme will be delivered by design agency Architecture and Design Scotland, with funding of £146,000 from the Scottish Government. The seven towns chosen are:
- Alness, Highlands
- Annan, Dumfries & Galloway
- Blackburn, West Lothian
- Campbeltown, Argyll & Bute
- Holytown, North Lanarkshire
- Invergordon, Highlands
- Stevenston, North Ayrshire
The project will be driven by collaboration between local people and agencies, and their collective vision of what their Climate Action Town looks like. The outcome of the work with the towns will be used to outline learning for climate action on a town scale that can then be applied across Scotland and beyond.