About Climate Action Town Alyth (CAT)

Background

A high level of green house gas emissions is widely recognised as significantly contributing to climate change. These green house gases include methane, nitrous oxide, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride, but the most abundant green house gas is carbon dioxide. These gases occur naturally in the earth’s atmosphere and luckily occur at the right concentration to give us the comfortable global temperatures we have today. An increase in green house gas in the atmosphere will increase the global temperature and will change the global weather patterns. It is predicted that we will have an average global increase of approximately 3 deg over the next 100 years, and this tiny change will result in massive global changes in climate patterns, particularly in the 3rd world, resulting in droughts, storms, sea level rise, and vegetation changes and could possibly lead to large scale population migrations.

Following the Kyoto protocol in 1997, the UK had a target of reducing its emissions by 12% below 1990 levels by 2012. The UK further increased its target to reduce its emissions by 20% by 2010. Scotland now has a target to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050. This reduction in emissions needs to happen at all levels - national, regional (Perth and Kinross Council), local (Alyth) and at an individual level.

Alyth's objectives

Alyth is a small town in the north east of Perthshire in Scotland. It is located on a burn which bears its name and owes its position to a confluence of droving roads used by hill farmers to bring their sheep down to market. The village has a population of 2,383 (1991). It has a primary school and a thriving center and outstanding community spirit.

We propose that Alyth collectively recognises its role in this global challenge and the community commits its self to adopting a more climate change friendly life style, by initially adopting an Eco charter (signed on 20th May 2006) and work towards significant green house gas reduction at a local level. By doing so Alyth is joining several other proactive communitys in the UK to adopt this collective attitude and we are sure it will have a knock on effect to with economic and social benefits as well as global environmental improvements. Our long term objective is for Alyth to be carbon Neutral!

Our objectives and targets will be reviewed on an annual basis and our methods and concept will probably evolve along the way. We anticipate a tough but rewarding journey and hope our lessons and methods may encourage other communities to follow in our lead..

Alyth Climate Action Town

The idea for the Climate Action Town (CAT) Project began in late summer 2005, when following the G8 summit, several members of the Alyth community, already involved in the Alyth Environmental Group and other proactive green initiatives, decided that action had to start at a community level to demonstrate to politicians and decision makers that much more can and should be done than currently is to combat climate change. It was strongly felt that action at a local level, whether it be energy efficiency, recycling or micro electricity generation will have much greater effect, be less controversial, and be much more sustainable than large scale projects.
The CAT Project‘s goals are to demonstrate that a community can pull together towards a common purpose of reducing its global footprint, reducing its carbon emissions, and that by doing so the benefits will be local as well as global. Inspiration and ideas were gleaned from Aberfeldy's success as a Fair Trade Town and Sheffield City Council’s Environment Charter. Alyth now promotes itself as Scotland’s first Climate Action Town.
The CAT committee is a subgroup of the Alyth Environmental group’s committee with a focus on energy related issues. The first task was to ensure community awareness of and full support for the project and so an energy awareness event was held in the town, in partnership with Alyth Community Council and Alyth Business Association on Saturday 20th May 2006 branded the ‘Energy Saving Exhibition’. The event was a huge success with over 30 exhibitors, inside and outside, demonstrating domestic scale solar, ground source, air source, biomass, and wind energy generation equipment. It also covered local food, sustainable transport, eco-build, recycling and re-use schemes, and highlighted several local eco-initiatives. It was extremely well attended by the local community and the hall was buzzing with activity, and hundreds of people, community groups and businesses turned up to see all the different stalls and learn how they could reduce their own energy use, save money and contribute to preventing climate change. Lesley Riddoch, award winning writer and broadcaster, attended and said a few words commending Alyth’s proactive initiative and enthusiasm.
Individuals attending the exhibition were given the opportunity, and encouraged to sign a ‘pledge’ to reduce their carbon emissions. Nearly a hundred people did this and a list of ideas on how this could be done was given out. Representatives from the Community Council, Business Association, Environmental Group, local churches and schools, together with 4 MSPs (including John Swinney) that represent the area, agreed to sign the Alyth Climate Action Town Charter. This was a commitment by these community representatives to take the issue of global warming seriously in Alyth and give a high priority to the environmental consequences of community decisions or actions. The 4 MSPs were invited up onto stage to say a few words, and this gave important weight to this very successful local community event.
From its successful start in 2005 the CAT Project has gone from strength to strength and has carried out a number of activities including;