New partnership to support the development of The Highland Council's climate funding action plan
The Highland Council declared a climate & ecological emergency in May 2019. Following a successful tender bid in February, SSN, in partnership with Practically Green and Wood, is supporting development of a climate funding action plan detailing how The Highland Council Programme and other key workstreams, plans and policies can improve alignment with Scottish Government national climate policy, demonstrate leadership and market Highland as a truly low carbon region.
Project objectives include:
- Reshaping the Council’s programme, key internal policies & capital programme to ensure best-fit with the Programme for Government, specifically around the climate change agenda;
- Identifying how Council land holdings can help realise national climate change targets; and
- Identifying key opportunities (including funding) around the low carbon agenda for Highland region, specifically how to support and promote the public goods that the region can deliver, e.g. sequestration of carbon through forestry, peatland preservation and restoration.
The project involves engagement with a range of Council staff and draws on expertise from many national policy leads and funding streams and agencies across Scotland. SSN hopes to share some of the learning with network members, especially other councils facing similar challenges in developing and delivering net zero targets.
Keith Masson, the Highland Council’s Climate Change Officer said:
“The work being undertaken by SSN, Practically Green and Wood will be critical in shaping the Council’s response to the climate and ecological emergency, and is especially important at this challenging time for public sector funding. In many ways, the timing couldn’t be any better, as the outcomes of this project can not only help the Council and the wider Highland region work towards our net zero ambition, but will also lay some of the foundations for a green economic recovery response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”