Scotland’s towns and villages are helping tackle the climate emergency

Scotland’s climate is changing. Across Scotland, initiatives are moving beyond cities to consider what can be done in Scotland’s towns and villages.

At an online event held today, during #ScotClimateWeek, and organised by Scotland’s design agency, Architecture and Design Scotland, our Project Officer Heather Ashworth told the attendees about the work she has been doing to support communities to take climate action.

Heather said, “Keep Scotland Beautiful was delighted to be invited to share our experiences of supporting community action on climate change at this key event. It has been inspiring to support communities across Scotland to put plans in place to take real, meaningful climate action. A year on from COP26 it demonstrates an ongoing awareness of the need for urgent action on the climate crisis and the importance of the role we can all play.”      

The story of two other projects which have been exploring place-based collaborative approaches to climate action in Scotland were also shared by Architecture and Design Scotland and the Improvement Service.

The three speakers gave examples of how communities and organisations in Scotland’s towns and rural areas are working together to make adaptations to respond to, and combat, the changing climate. 

The Scottish Government’s Energy and Climate Change directorate also participated in the event to set the scene of how locally based projects are contributing to a wider strategy to tackle the climate emergency.

Jim MacDonald, Chief Executive, Architecture and Design Scotland said, “At this critical time it is crucial that we work together to find place-based solutions to the climate emergency. We know that working on climate has so many co-benefits including tackling fuel poverty and making our town centres more liveable. By bringing together key projects we get to see the great work that is already happening across Scotland – and hopefully, inspire others to take climate action.”

Susan Rintoul, Place and Wellbeing Project Officer, the Improvement Service, said “Our places can positively or negatively impact on our wellbeing. Negative impacts can happen as the result of unintended consequences of an intervention meant with good intentions. It is important to consider the impacts of our interventions to adapt and mitigate climate change can have on health and inequalities. The Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme aims to support this.

Find out more about our work to support seven communities to develop bespoke Community Climate Action Plans.