A group of energy and sustainability firms are calling on communities, public bodies and businesses in the north-east and Highlands to help them develop solutions to tackle climate change.
Scottish Power, WWF Scotland and Sustainable Scotland have launched the Climate Collaboration Challenge in the hope of combining the deep pockets of businesses with the innovation of ordinary people across the north of Scotland.
The new venture has been launched to coincide with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) due to be held in Glasgow next month.
Victoria Sinclair, Scottish Power’s programme manager for COP26, said: “COP26 is obviously very focussed on Glasgow, but this is important for the whole of Scotland and that’s what we wanted to get across to people.
“When I think about the north-east I really feel that it resonates with the innovative, world-class engineering that it’s been delivering to the benefit of the whole of Scotland over the last couple of decades.
“We really want to see what’s missing on the landscape with tackling climate change and accelerating action towards that in Scotland.
“Our aim is to create a space where people feel they can come together and we can facilitate some discussion about ideas and collaboration.
“Some people have great resources, while others have the skills and the knowledge and passion, but don’t know how to go about it.”
The launch event will take place virtually on Noveber 16 and will include speakers such as Roseanna Cunningham, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform and ScottishPower’s CEO, Keith Anderson.
Following on from the event, there will be opportunities for those in attendance to attend future workshops and discuss the issue they are hoping to tackle and what actions they are hoping to take.
Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland said: “We’re already feeling the impacts of climate change here and around the world, and it’s vital we accelerate action to slash our emissions. By holding these events virtually, we hope to bring people, companies, and other organisations, whose paths may not usually cross, together.
“It would be really meaningful if we could join up a wide range of different ideas from right across Scotland to deliver real solutions to the problems driving climate change.”
