£75,000 Fund Opens to Help Tackle Problem Flytipping

Logo borrowed from: http://www.dumbdumpers.org/SmallGrantForm.aspx

Zero Waste Scotland has announced that applications are being invited for a new £75,000 fund, to help transform areas blighted by illegal flytipping.  Grants of between £500 and £10,000 will be available to community groups, landowners and land managers who are consistently battling the problem of unlawfully dumped waste, such as furniture, TVs, white goods and garden and commercial waste. Last year, over 50 applications were received, with the successful projects awarded grants to clear over 127 tonnes of waste from 21 problem sites across Scotland. As well as funding the clean-up, a range of measures were put in place, including fencing, barriers and site signage to help prevent future flytipping and protect the environment. 

The scheme is administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland, with support from the Scottish Flytipping Forum, and the deadline for applications is 31 August 2012.

You can access the application form here!

Church of Scotland's response to Conserve & Save

The Church of Scotland has prepared a response to the Scottish Government's Energy Efficiency Action Plan. Adrian Shaw, Climate Change officer at the Church of Scotland, was kind enough to send us the reponse document to this important consultation. The response will be posted in 2 parts.

CONSERVE AND SAVE

Consultation by the Scottish Government on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland (October 2009)

Response by the Church of Scotland

1. The Scottish Government’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan will be a crucial document in shaping the Scottish Government’s response to climate change and to other energy challenges in the coming decade. The targets set out in the Scottish Climate Change Act demand a massive reduction in Scotland’s carbon dioxide emissions and the energy efficiency action plan is an essential part of the tool kit to achieve these cuts. It is also essential to tackle the growing problem of fuel poverty. For these reasons it is essential that the plan is sufficiently strong and comprehensive to deliver on both objectives.

2. The consultation document sets out in some detail a large number of initiatives that could be taken forward by the action plan. Some areas of work, such as housing, are covered in some detail. Other areas of equal importance such as transport are covered in much less detail. If we are to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to meet the targets in the Scottish Climate Change Act there will need to be rapid progress in all the areas included in the document.

3. Similarly if global demand for fuel continues to increase then rising domestic energy prices will push more people into fuel poverty. A detailed long term strategy will be needed to address this issue. The proposals in the consultation document go some way towards these aspirations but will need to be amplified and developed further if they are to be effective. In short, the proposals set out in the document are only the beginning.

Responding to climate change
“The Church of Scotland is concerned that climate change poses a serious and immediate threat to people everywhere, particularly to the poor of the earth; and that climate change represents a failure in our stewardship of God’s creation. We accept the need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases urgently to avoid dangerous and irreversible climate change; and to promote a more equitable and sustainable use of energy.”

4. The approach that the Church of Scotland is developing is to challenge congregations to learn about climate change, to work out their own carbon footprint and to make a commitment to reduce this by 5% a year. This approach stresses personal and collective responsibility. It challenges congregations to take action because of their faith.

5. The Church of Scotland is working with other denominations to promote this approach through Eco-Congregation Scotland. This is an ecumenical movement of 230 congregations across Scotland and participating congregations have made a commitment to take practical action to care for creation. In 2009 Eco-Congregation Scotland published a guide for congregations explaining how they can measure and reduce their carbon footprint, not only in their church buildings but also in their homes, in the travel and in their communities.

6. People are not just passive consumers of energy who are incapable of change; rather they are individuals and communities who can choose to take action for the better. This choice is critical for the success of the action plan and to ensure the successful implementation of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act. If individuals and communities across Scotland can be inspired to take action to change their behaviour then the targets set out in the Act may be achievable; but if not, then it is unlikely that the proposals will be successful. For these reasons we believe that behaviour change should be given the highest priority in the action plan.

Chapter 1: Introduction and Strategic Context
7. The plan identifies a reduction in unnecessary energy use as a priority and energy efficiency as the tool to achieve this. The scale of the changes required to meet the Scottish Government’s target of an 80% reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases by 2050 are enormous and represent a major challenge for everybody in Scotland: individuals, communities, businesses as well as government. To achieve this ambitious target will require changes in these way we live and do business and the way in which government develops policy. Inevitably these changes will affect the lives of people and communities across Scotland.

Chapter 2: Current trends in energy usage
8. The chapter makes the point that here have been improvements in energy efficiency in many sectors of the economy but that these improvements have been outstripped by increasing consumption. Cars engines are more efficient than they used to be, but drivers have chosen to buy larger and more powerful cars and there are more cars on the road. The net result is that the total amount of fuel used in road transport has increased and with it the contribution of road traffic to Scotland’s carbon dioxide emissions.

9. The gap between current trends in energy use and those we need to establish to reduce energy use are so great that there will need to be a step change in our behaviour and actions. We are not convinced that the consultation document faces up to the scale of the challenges or the behaviour change needed to achieve these changes. As noted above while it is a useful start much more needs to be done to bring about these changes.

End of Part 1.

Module 13 soon to be formally launched

MODULE 13 CLIMATE CHANGE:
MANAGING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Do you know how to measure and reduce your church’s carbon footprint? Eco-Congregation Scotland can help you!

Eco-congregations across Scotland can now quickly and easily measure the carbon footprint of their church buildings. Eco-Congregation Scotland is launching a new module that has been developed to help congregations of all denominations respond to climate change. The module has been developed after a programme of meetings with congregations across Scotland earlier this year and with financial support from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). It brings together for the first time a number of important concerns:

• why Christians must respond to climate change
• a simple tool for congregations to work out the carbon footprint of their church buildings
• a challenge to congregations to commit to cut their carbon footprint by 5% each year

Why is it important to know your carbon footprint? Most eco-congregations are now aware of climate change from reports in the news papers and on television. However from our research we learned that very few people know how much energy was used in their church buildings; how big their carbon footprint could be or how they could take action to minimise their own contribution to global warming. Knowing your carbon footprint is a vital step to help take action.

Module 13 explains how this can be done quickly and accurately. It shows, in easy steps, how to work out from electricity, gas or oil bills the annual carbon footprint of a building; and how to find out advice and information to reduce this total – and save money. Advice and possibly funding is available through the Energy Saving Trust or Climate Challenge Fund to help you do this.

We are now encouraging congregations across Scotland to register as eco-congregations and to join this movement to respond to climate change. Please go to the Eco Congregation Scotland website where you can also download a copy of the module. Please click here to download a copy. . Alternatively ring Aniko Schuetz for more information on 0131 240 2274.

Going through the roof!!! Climate Change Conference

The following letter and conference announcement was sent to us by Martin Johnstone, Priority Areas Secretary.



For many of us making ends meet and paying the bills in our churches is a huge and ongoing challenge. And that challenge has become consistently more difficult in recent years when heating and lighting bills have seemed to be going through the roof – much of the time quite literally.

When we add to the problem of escalating costs the concern which many of us have about the huge damage that we are doing to our environment it is clear that we need to do something – and soon. The General Assembly this year instructed all congregations to cut their carbon emissions by 5% annually – a massive challenge but a vital one. I want priority areas to be at the forefront of taking up that challenge.

To help us to do that, the Priority Areas Committee and the Church & Society Council are co-hosting a one-day conference on the 5th September in Colston Milton Parish Church from 10am – 3pm. We hope that up to four members of your congregation can come along. During the day we will learn:
v What our congregation’s carbon footprint is and what we can do to reduce it
v How to access a variety of funds which will help us to meet the challenges of climate change
v Who to get advice from as we try to cut your energy bills year after year
v Where exciting things are happening and how we can join in
v How our faith and worship can inform and inspire our practice

Amongst those who will be helping us to think and act creatively will be: Adrian Shaw (Climate Change Officer, Church of Scotland), the Wise Group, Kate Airlie (Climate Challenge Fund, Scottish Government), Eco-Congregations, Colston Milton Parish Church, and many others.

We expect there to be a heavy demand for places at this event so I would encourage you to book as early as possible by contacting Lynne MacLellan and fillinf out the application form. The conference is free.



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How to measure your Church's Carbon Footprint

A fringe meeting was hosted by the Church and Society Council, the General Trustees and Eco-Congregation Scotland was hosted on the last day of the General Assembly in Edinburgh. The meeting was attended by about 150 people representing the length and breath of congregations accross Scotland. Everyone was interested in finding out the best way to calculate the carbon footprint of their church.

This increased interest was in response to the decision of the General Assembly on Friday 25th of May to instruct all presbyteries to reduce the carbon footprint of their congregations by 5% every year. This means that in a very short time, all congregations accross Scotland, will effectively be interested in becoming Eco-Congregations and looking actively for ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

Adrian Shaw, Climate Change Project officer has developed the following information.

Step 1. Monitor your Energy Use
How many units of electricity (kilowatt hours) did you use?
If you have gas, how many cubic metres of gas did you use?
If you use heating oil how many litres of oil?

Step 2. Work out the Footprint of your Church Buildings
When you have gathered the information from your fuel bills you need a calculator to work out your carbon footprint. Please use the carbon footprint calculator available here. The document has an embedded spreadsheet. Double clikc on it and the calculator will appear.

Step 3. Make a commitment to reduce this total by 5% every year.
It seems daunting, but, support is at hand. You might want to have a look at the following websites for further details.

There are other sources of advice.
The Energy Savings Trust offers advice and support on reducing your energy use; they may be able to audit your church and help with funding.

The General Trustees website contains details of the better heating scheme and other advice on energy management.

The Church and Society Council web pages opn climate change give you a range of reports and links on climate change.


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Church of Scotland's General Assembly supports reduction on carbon footprint.

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland supported a 5% yearly reduction of carbon footprint for all churches in Scotland. Ian Galloway, convener of the Church & Society Council presented to the General Assembly a report entitled

"Engaging with Technology, Science and the Environment Climate Change"

which presented the following motions for debate:

16. Instruct Presbyteries, in association with the Church and Society Council, to produce a plan for each congregation in their bounds, setting out how they will measure energy consumption in their church buildings, ascertain their carbon footprint and achieve a year-on-year reduction of 5% of their carbon
footprint using the Eco-Congregation Scotland carbon footprint module; and instruct the Church and Society Council, in consultation with the General Trustees, to report to the General Assembly of 2010 on the implementation of this instruction.
17. Welcome the proposed incorporation of Eco-Congregation Scotland as a Charitable Company and continue to support the work of eco-congregations.
18. Affirm the current commitment of the Church and Society Council to the ‘Responding to Climate Change Project’ and instruct the Church and Society Council, in partnership with other Councils, to complete the review of this project with a view to its development.

The climate change debate threw up some interesting discussion around how ambitious the church should be about targets, with 5% perhaps not being nearly enough of a reduction. The General Assembly approved the "deliverances" therefore demonstrating its committment to engage and mobilize the population at grassroot level in the fight to reduce carbon emissions.


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Responding to Climate Change: Congregational committment in Scotland

Involvement in the national and international debate

To support Eco-Congregations it is proposed that the Church of Scotland engages more fully in the national debate; particularly on the implementation of the Scottish Climate Change Bill and its implications for all aspects of life in Scotland. Ministers and MSPs have welcomed the growing role of the Church and we should not be shy to develop this.

The Church is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition which also includes other faith groups and environmental NGOs. The Church brings another ethical perspective to the coalition that complements the environmental and scientific expertise of groups such as WWF Scotland or RSPB. Scientists and campaigners have welcomed the growing role of the Church and, in conjunction with the SRT project, there are great opportunities to engage further with both groups.

The Conference of European Churches and World Council of Churches have identified climate change as a priority. The Church of Scotland can make a significant contribution to this international debate. The practical steps underway in Scotland and the experience we are developing means we can offer practical help and support to others and support the growing role of churches worldwide.

The first year of the project Responding to Climate Change has demonstrated the commitment and the potential that exists in the Church. Among congregations there is a concern and commitment to tackle climate change. However this is only the beginning of the work that will be needed if the Church is to fulfil its mission. It now has the opportunity to reassert its national role in leading change; in challenging and supporting congregations and communities to respond to climate change.


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Responding to Climate Change: Church of Scotland General Assembly 2009

Climate change is an ethical issue

The project Responding to Climate Change began in November 2007. Its purpose is to help the church develop an effective response to climate change, both in its own actions and in its contribution to the wider debate. The project reflects the Church’s ethical concern about climate change. This was summed up at the outset of the project by the Convener of the Church and Society Council:

The Church of Scotland is concerned that climate change poses a serious and immediate threat to people everywhere, particularly to the poor of the earth; and that climate change represents a failure in our stewardship of God’s creation. We accept the need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases urgently to avoid dangerous and irreversible climate change; and to promote a more equitable and sustainable use of energy.

This ethical concern has informed the development of the project and remains its main driving force.

Key achievements

The work of the project is not confined to one council or committee. There has been progress across the Church. While it is not possible to cover all this work, the following paragraphs list some of the main achievement of the project to date.
Eco-Congregation Scotland

Central to the development of the project is the growth in the number of Eco-Congregations across Scotland. In November 2008 the 200th congregation in Scotland registered as an Eco–Congregation (Strathfillan in the Presbytery of Argyll). The movement also received warm congratulations from MSPs and government ministers in a debate held in the Scottish Parliament on 17 December 2008. Congregations across Scotland were encouraged by MSPs both to continue their work and to tackle climate change as a priority. The debate was a milestone and an affirmation of the importance of Eco-Congregations.

How big is your congregation’s carbon footprint?
With a grant from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) a pilot project was carried out to develop and test a simple carbon footprint tool for congregations. By keeping a close check on fuel bills and using a simple calculator congregations can now easily work out their carbon footprint. The pilot was highly successful and has led to a larger and more ambitious application to the Scottish Government Climate Challenge Fund which is described below.

Governance and finance

Eco–Congregation Scotland has developed as an informal association of congregations. This arrangement served the movement well in its early years but as the number of congregations has increased it has become clear that it is no longer adequate. For this reason the Eco-Congregation Scotland Steering Group, with the support of the Church and Society Council and the Church in Society Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church agreed that the time was now right to establish Eco-Congregation Scotland as an independent legally constituted voluntary organisation. This is major step for any organisation and involves considerable challenges for all stakeholders. At the same time it offers the opportunity for Eco-Congregations to grow and develop to play a greater role in the life of congregations, the churches and in their local communities.


The future

It is now clear that climate change will be one of the defining global challenges of the twenty first century. Climate change represents a massive failure in our stewardship of the earth and a major contribution to poverty and social dislocation. For these reasons the Church must contribute to national and international action. By demonstrating our commitment and by taking action the Church of Scotland can take a leading role across Scotland.


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Reduce emissions within a sustainable development framework

Achieving climate change is truly a global endeavour. A reduction in emissions should be achieved without endangering the environment or livelihood of others. Reductions cannot be achieved by putting vulnerable people's livelihoods at risk (e.g. through replacing oil with second generation biofuels).

Mitigation and adaptation efforts must avoid negative social, economic or environmental impacts in the devloping world. Scotland could lead the world in this area by explicitely stating that it will achieve ambitious emission reduction targets whilest maintaing a committment for sustainable development.

The UK Act refers to the need to have regard to sustainable development in parts, but does not have sustainable development mainstreamed into the legislation.

Scotland should be able to demonstrate its willingness to ensure its mitigation efforts do not impact negatively on other countries.


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Early statutory targets on reduction of gas emissions are a necessity

Scotland could lead the world through the establishment in statute of annual emission reductions of at least 3% year-on-year from the start not from 2020. Early and deep emission cuts are essential to meet the 2050 target. This is crucial to keep global temperatures below a 2 degrees centigrade rise. If we fail to act early, more people will suffer as a result of climate change and face possible hunger, water shortages, disease and displacement from their homes.

To establish a 3% reduction year-on-year embedded within statutory annual targets would put Scotland on an equitable trajectory, giving a certainty to early action. It would also place Scotland as the first country to recognise the importance of early action by establishing statutory annual targets.

If this early target is accepted within the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill, Scotland would be demonstrating that some developed countries recognise the urgency of deep, early cuts and would set the challenge that an ambitious 2020 target is indeed achievable by all developed nations.

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Earth Hour is going to be BIG!!!

Help us reduce the amount of electricity consumed world wide. Give back our world one hour without electricity. This is what the WWF's Earth Hour is all about. So far there is an amazing 1800 cities and towns in 80 countries signed up now. here is what is happening in Scotland. http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/how_you_can_help/who_signups/scotland/

If you've not already done so, then please do sign-up personally today. It would be great if you could disseminate this announcment as widely as possible.

If you are able to sign-up on behalf of your organisation too, then please do that as well.

Credits

The picture of the lovely candles are by tammyjg41.

Hello World!

This is the blog of Eco-congregation Scotland. The purpose of the blog is to exchange information and ideas about the work that eco-congregations are doing around Scotland to care for our world.