Highland Renewables aims to bring the region's two key sectors hand-in-hand
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A new partnership has been launched between the tourism industry and the renewables sector in the Highlands.
Highland Tourism Community Interest Company (HTCIC) marked the launch of Highland Renewables at Inverness Town House today, which saw business leaders from the renewable energy and tourism sectors in attendance.
The aim of the partnership is to create a synergetic relationship between the two key sectors, that will benefit people living and working in the region, and capitalise on the vast resources that the area holds.
The event was hosted by Highland MSP Kate Forbes in what was her first official engagement as an HTCIC ambassador. Speaking at the event Ms Forbes said that the Highlands must ‘capitalise on this now or regret it for generations to come’.
She said: “We are here today to inspire a new vision for the Highlands. Not restricted to one part, sector or group. We are on the cusp of how we ensure that the benefits of what the Highlands have to offer last longer than one generation. We are ensuring that we are not begging from crumbs from someone else’s table but that we are cooking the three-course meal. This is not just for business interests but for all people in the Highlands."
Highland Renewables brings together renewables and tourism to form a mutually beneficial partnership that will work to address the climate emergency and help attract a new generation of tourists seeking more sustainable destination, with its founding partners GreenPower, BayWa r.e. and Low Carbon.
It will also reinforce the position of the renewables industry as a dynamic contributor to the wider Highland economy and look for more collaborative and integrated thinking that is good for the environment, the economy, and the region as a whole.
Yvonne Crook, chairwoman of HTCIC said: “We are delighted to welcome Highland Renewables as a strategic partner. Renewable energy projects invest millions of pounds into the Highlands and Islands region, and it is important that we continue to develop relationships between the tourism and renewables sectors in order to realise the great potential they both offer.
“Highland Tourism and Highland Renewables ambassadors have a vision for a brilliant way of doing business – bringing people, communities, and businesses together to create opportunities, break down silos and address challenges, and ultimately, to work collaboratively towards a bright, sustainable future for the region.”
Those in attendance were able to have a chance to discuss the challenges that are currently facing their industries and to discuss the solutions to these problems.
