Carbon Neutral Islands
PREPARING FOR NET ZERO
Raasay Carbon Neutral Islands Project
The Carbon Neutral Islands Project
In May 2022 the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands announced the six Scottish islands to be supported by the Carbon Neutral Islands project: Hoy, Islay, Great Cumbrae, Raasay, Barra and Yell. The CNI project includes one island from each of the local authority areas with responsibility for islands in Scotland.
More widely, the CNI project will help to deliver key commitments in the National Islands Plan (2019) and the National Performance Framework (2007), create island-based jobs, and support islands to adapt to the negative effects of climate change. The project aims to align with wider net-zero and decarbonisation efforts and will contribute to the Scottish Government’s statutory target to reach net zero by 2045.
Whilst the overarching theme of the project is climate resilience, the project aims to improve quality of life, create employment, and improve the sustainability of the community whilst delivering community lead climate action. All Scottish islands will benefit from the project through the sharing of good practices coming from the implementation of the project. The six islands will act as catalysts for net zero action across Scotland making them light house communities.
Carbon Neutral Raasay
In the first phase of activities, wide-ranging baseline carbon audits were carried which identified key carbon sources and sinks with the aim of stimulating discussion and engagement with the local community. These discussions helped to identify and shape the key community priorities to lower emissions and improve resilience on Raasay.
The community priorities fed into the Community Climate Action Plan which combines the findings of the audits with the prioritised projects by the community. This action plan is a living document providing climate solutions owned by the community. Rosie and Tom, along with the community, will be working this year to bring the projects within it together.
Rosie and Tom act as the link between the community, the Scottish Government and Community Energy Scotland who are the key delivery partners.
Keep up to date with the Raasay Carbon Neutral Islands project on Facebook
& on their Blog The Rocks We Live On
AUDITS & REPORTS
- Land Use, Waste and Wastewater Carbon Audit
- Energy and Transport Carbon Audit
- Community Carbon Action Plan
- Residents Survey 2023
MEET THE TEAM
Rosie and Tom are the two development officers working on this project.
Rosie Macinnes
Rosie is a co-chair of Raasay Community Renewables who set up and run the local hydro scheme and is currently studying towards a Masters in Marine Renewable Energy. Rosie is very interested in the decarbonisation and sustainability of rural communities.
Tom Lusink
Rural Co.Down in N.ireland is where I grew up, now I have been living in Raasay for the last few years, originally brought here by an opportunity to work at the island’s whisky distillery. Working on the CNI project is a dream job for me. Giving my energy to work for my local community and helping the environment ticks many of my passion boxes! My younger days were spent at sea, working as a navigational officer in the merchant navy. Comparatively, Raasay seems like a bigger ship with a few more people and a better shop!
Isle of Raasay
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Photos credits: Calum Gillies :: David Carslaw :: Hannah Moore :: Copywriting: Linsay MacLean