Maree Todd MSP for Caithness, Sutherland & Ross (pictured) has welcomed a recent announcement from the Scottish Government revealing two Easter Ross towns have been selected as ‘Climate Action Towns’.
Alness & Invergordon are 2 out of the 7 chosen towns that will receive a share of £146,000 of funding from the Scottish Government to help find ways to support a just transition to net-zero.
The project which will be delivered by Architecture and Design Scotland, will see a collaboration between local people and agencies and will seek to encourage collective climate action, whilst accounting for the unique local challenges of each town.
The outcome of the work will be used to outline learning for climate action on a local level that can then be used as a model throughout Scotland.
Commenting, Maree Todd MSP said:
“The 2020 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) indicates that there are areas within both Alness and Invergordon that are considered economically deprived, some of which rank in Scotland’s top 10% most deprived areas.
“We know that sustainable options are not always the most economical and this can work to hinder our progress when it comes to combating climate change.
“No community should be left behind, and this is why I’m so pleased to see the launch of The Climate Action Town project which looks to consult with communities to identify local barriers to climate action and seeks to empower and facilitate communities to make changes.
“Over the last week and a half, we have seen a series of ambitious targets announced by world leaders attending the COP26 summit in Glasgow, whilst global action is essential, we must do all we can at a local level to cut carbon emissions and deliver a fair and just transition to net-zero.
“I’m delighted to see two towns in my constituency selected as Climate Action Towns and I can’t wait to see the outcomes.”