Based on a Press Release from Arran Eco Savvy 5th December 2023
International work to address climate change
Last month saw the conclusion of the 28th United Nations World climate change conference (COP 28). This forum tackles climate change worldwide by finding ways to implement solutions and develop appropriate legislation. Hosted this year by the United Arab Emirates the conference’s key issues on this occasion were:
● The conclusion of the first global stocktake (GST) an assessment of progress as part of the Paris agreements.
● The proper setup and running of the Damage and Loss Fund, a measure implemented by COP27 to combat the impact of climate change on communities.
● agreeing a framework for the Paris agreement’s global goal on adaptation (GGA): a standard set out with the aim of preventing temperature increase above 1.5C
A news update from the UN reported that after intense deliberations pushed COP28 into overtime, climate negotiators in Dubai approved a roadmap for “transitioning away from fossil fuels” – a first for a UN climate conference – but the deal stopped short of a long-demanded call for a “phaseout” of oil, coal and gas.
Speaking at the COP28 Closing, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, said “We didn’t turn the page on the fossil fuel era, but this outcome is the beginning of the end.”
What are we doing on Arran?
The Arran Community has already done so much in our small part of the world. Positioned at the forefront of sustainable initiatives, Arran showcases a commitment to preserving its natural beauty and fostering a resilient environment, economy and community as seen through the enormous range of projects implemented by individuals and businesses all across the island. These have targeted everything from waste reduction to green energy generation and more.
One of these is the Green Islands Project led by Arran Eco Savvy in partnership with North Ayrshire Council and funded by the UK and Scottish Government. This initiative, undertaken over the past 2 years, aims to produce a carbon emissions equivalent baseline for the island as a whole. 21 businesses and 37 domestic properties participated in assessments.
The project began in January 2022 to accelerate the path to net zero and boost the local economy by 2030, in line with North Ayrshire Council’s ambition. It looked at how the overall carbon footprint of Arran and Cumbrae could be measured and supported our respective communities to measure their emissions and plan.
Summary of main outcomes
Using this data, information from energy suppliers and transport companies, as well as a formula to upscale the data to be representative of the island as much as possible an estimate of 69,759 tCO2e is released across the island each year, whilst the true figure factoring in land usage and farming emissions would be higher still.
This project not only highlighted why we need to reduce our carbon emissions, but also provided valuable support to enable partners to assess their current emissions and offer ideas for reducing them over time. It assessed what measures would be needed to reach the Net Zero goals of the Scottish and UK governments and the ambition of North Ayrshire Council.
The end result of the project were carbon dioxide equivalent figures for the island’s yearly emissions and carbon reduction plans produced for Arran and Cumbrae that factored transport, energy and food.
Arran’s Carbon emissions
The full report is available on the AES website here
So what can we do about addressing our carbon emissions on Arran?
A range of recommendations were made to reduce our emissions, reduce long term costs, and improve mental and physical wellbeing.
● Insulate our buildings
● convert heating to heat pumps and other sustainable heating technologies
● install domestic solar panels
Householders can get support for these improvements through grant and loan schemes through Home Energy Scotland.
Businesses and large organisations can also ensure a sustainable future for the island’s environment and economy by:
● developing carbon recapture via heat or gas systems, and natural ways such as tree planting
● reducing waste through materials or supplier changes,
● developing on island skills to take forward and improve upon these recommendations.
Featured image by Bill Mead on Unsplash