Newcastleton & District Community Trust has been selected as one of seven Scottish communities to participate in the Community Climate Action Programme delivered by environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful.

The programme will support seven communities to produce tailored community climate action plans. Keep Scotland Beautiful will support Newcastleton & District Community Trust to begin their actions, signposting us to sources of further advice and funding relevant to our plan and helping us establish how we will evaluate impact.

Barbara Elborn from Newcastleton & District Community Trust said: “Newcastleton & District Community Trust are delighted to be given this opportunity to work with Keep Scotland Beautiful over the coming months to develop our own plan to help tackle climate change in our community. We are looking forward to our first engagement workshops and will soon be reaching out to encourage everyone to get involved so they can have a say in shaping our future as well as supporting efforts to help Scotland achieve its net zero targets.”

Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said: “COP26 coming to Scotland was a unique opportunity to advance the society-wide transformation demanded by the climate crisis and I am determined to make sure it leaves a lasting legacy.

“I’m delighted that our COP26 community engagement programme is empowering and supporting communities and individuals to explore and consider the changes needed in their local areas. Work in these seven communities will enable them to become involved in identifying low carbon solutions to local climate-related challenges, ensuring a fair and just transition is at the heart of our journey to becoming a net zero nation.”

Over the next few months, through a range of workshops, we will support Newcastleton & District Community Trust to reimagine their community with a low carbon future in mind.  We will help the community to set both short term and longer-term goals.

Katie O’Donnell, Communities Manager with Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “We were really pleased to receive almost 50 applications from communities representing most areas of Scotland within just a two-week application timescale.  The appetite for support from communities to take real, meaningful climate action is inspiring – and hopefully linked to increased awareness of the climate crisis following Glasgow hosting COP26.

“We’re very much looking forward to working with Newcastleton & District Community Trust over the coming months to create a bespoke plan for action to tackle the climate crisis and to help Scotland meet the ambition of becoming a Net Zero Nation.”

Applications were received from a range of communities with populations ranging from 120 to over 60,000 people and the seven were selected to take their plans forward with our support.

The six other successful applicants, who will be working with their wider communities are:

  • Arbroath FC Community Trust, Arbroath, Angus
  • Islay Energy Trust Ltd, South Islay Development, Jura Development Trust & Islay Development Initiative, Argyll & Bute
  • Knoydart Climate Conversations Working Group, Highland
  • The Pollokshields Trust, Glasgow
  • Getting Better Together, Shotts, North Lanarkshire
  • Darkwood Crew, Ferguslie, Paisley, Renfrewshire

The Community Climate Action Plan programme is supported by the Scottish Government as part of Scotland’s COP26 community engagement programme. Further information can be found at https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/climate-change/climate-change/community-climate-action-plans/