Two organisations in Orkney are to benefit from Scottish Government funding to tackle Climate Change. Orkney Zerowaste has been awarded £68,149  which includes maximum funding of £33,870 from the European Regional Development Fund.  Papay Community Co-operative have been awarded £117,300 which includes maximum funding of £48,847 from the European Regional Development Fund.

Towards Orkney Zerowaste is a project run by Orkney Zerowaste to reduce carbon emissions associated with local avoidable waste, including small household items, textiles and food.  The project will develop a series of reuse and repair workshops hosted by local experts to pass on skills and initiatives to decrease food waste and raise levels of composting. Further activities to reduce consumption involve promotion of a tool lending library and extension of the life of existing goods through a reuse yard.

Papa Westray, Orkney

Sustainable Papa Westray is a community project led by Papay Community Co-operative which aims to create a low carbon future for the island of Papa Westray. The project will install insulation and energy saving measures at Beltane House to provide a warm, sustainable and energy efficient community centre.

The project will also create an eco-workshop for local community recycling activities with a part-time Energy Saving & Recycling Officer working with the community to improve home energy efficiency and recycling rates.

More than one hundred organisations across Scotland are to benefit from almost £10 million of funding to support local action to tackle climate change.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“Scotland is making huge progress in delivering our climate change ambitions, but there is still much to achieve and the role of behaviour change and community action is crucial.”

“The Climate Challenge Fund supports community projects that inspire people to care about the problem of climate change, consider what it might mean to them in terms of their everyday lives and enable them to take action.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland said:

“Scotland’s ambitions for a circular economy, where we make things last for longer, go hand-in-hand with its world-leading commitments to tackling climate change. Thanks to extra investment from the European Regional Development Fund we’re now able to help more communities across Scotland take action locally to benefit Scotland’s environment.”

“We look forward to working with the successful organisations to make a real difference to their communities.”

Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful said:

“Climate change impacts all of us and we need collective action to tackle it. We were delighted to have supported so many communities from across Scotland in applying for the Climate Challenge Fund.”

“We have managed the Climate Challenge Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government since it was established in 2008 and are committed to empowering many more communities across Scotland to take action on climate change. Our vision is to make Scotland clean, green and more sustainable.” 

The Climate Challenge Fund is £9.97 million in 2017-18 and is a combination of £9.09 million from the Scottish Government and £0.88 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

Since the Fund launched in 2008, 986 awards have been made totaling £85.8 million.

A full list of recipients can be found here.

See also The Orkney News story: AFRAYEDKNOT a small local business making a huge difference to our beaches.