Highland Council’s ambitions for Inverness to be ‘Carbon Clever’ by 2025 changed as climate change understanding evolved
As the clock ticks closer to the new year, we take a look at the rise and fall of the local authority’s ‘flagship’ climate change policy.
An initiative to dramatically reduce carbon emissions in Inverness and the Highlands by 2025 was proposed by Highland Council’s leadership 11-and-a-half years ago.
In June 2013, moves were being made with a commitment to create a carbon neutral Inverness in a low carbon Highlands; branded as a Carbon Clever Highlands by 2025.
At that time, the local authority stated: “While other cities across Europe have adopted similar initiatives, they tend to have an almost entirely city-based focus. The fortunes of Inverness and the Highlands are so inextricably linked, that the leadership’s approach is to adopt a joint target, where the objective for one will reinforce that of the other.”
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The initiative was launched at a conference at council headquarters in November 2013, with more than 100 delegates in attendance from a wide range of organisations.
However, as we approach 2025, what has happened?
There was much initial fanfare and investment - some which helped trigger developments which are still present today, while others appear to have fallen by the wayside.
In March 2014, Inverness Common Good Fund chipped in £5000 towards a pilot electric bicycle hire scheme in Inverness called Carbon Clever Cycles (we now have the Hi-Bikes scheme) and another £5000 was put towards sponsorship for the Etape Loch Ness (a 67-mile closed road cycling challenge around Loch Ness) which has become an annual event and attracted more council funding.
Two other projects Inverness councillors welcomed were:
• Investigating the setting up of an Inverness Car Club to reduce car ownership and mileage. Vehicles would typically have small modern engine specifications and have very low associated carbon emissions.
• The creation of an Integrated Transport Hub which links up and simplifies transport into and around Inverness. Acting as the central point, the hub could link sustainable and active transport choices.
They even agreed a vision statement of what a carbon neutral Inverness would look like, which reads: “By 2025 Inverness is a city where residents and visitors can move around the city easily by bicycle, on foot and public transport.
“The city is attractive, well designed and sociable. Buildings in the city have been energy renovated, and new buildings are energy efficient. Energy will be generated from a range of renewable sources in the city, and excess energy can be transmitted to surrounding areas through a smart regional grid.
“Land and resources in the city are utilised for optimal economic, social, and environmental gains. Communities across the city are engaged, are highly active, and empowered.”
One consistent factor from then to now is that the council has the same city leader, Councillor Ian Brown, who said back then: “The transition of Inverness to a ‘Carbon Clever City’ will bring a number of exciting opportunities for the city. As guardians of the Inverness Common Good Fund, it is important that we fully note the potential strategic role of the Inverness Common Good Fund and the opportunities for the fund and Carbon Clever to work together to bring future environmental and financial benefits to the city.”
All seemed to be going well with businesses supporting the initiative.
In October 2014, Caley Thistle became the 50th Highland business to sign a Carbon Clever Declaration, underlining the club’s commitment to lowering emissions and helping to tackle climate change across the region.
The Carbon Clever Declaration was described by the council as a flagship project.
Organisations, businesses and community groups who signed up to the Declaration received support in making financial savings and becoming more resource efficient, while reducing their carbon emissions. Signatories were asked to commit to:
• Reduce! Take action to reduce the carbon emissions from their organisation and contribute to the Carbon Clever vision of a carbon neutral Inverness in a low carbon Highlands.
• Share! Work with signatories in the Highlands and share information to promote good practice.
• Encourage! Motivate and work with businesses, organisations, communities and individuals to take action to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the potential impacts of climate change.
• Provide! Produce a short annual update of the actions taken and progress achieved towards reducing carbon emissions, so that this good practice can be shared.
Caley Thistle’s then chairman Kenny Cameron said in October 2014: “Inverness Caledonian Thistle is proud to be the 50th signatory of the Carbon Clever Declaration. The club recognises the important role it can play in helping reduce carbon emissions across the region, and we look forward to working with other signatories to promote and encourage action to tackle climate change.”
Council leader back then was Drew Hendry, who said at the time: “The Carbon Clever target of a carbon neutral Inverness in a low carbon Highlands by 2025 requires engagement from all sectors of society. The Carbon Clever Declaration provides mechanisms of support for businesses, organisations and clubs like Caley Thistle, who are willing to commit to this vision. Becoming a signatory to the Declaration is a fantastic way for the club to gain public recognition for its good work to date, and it will also help the club save money and further reduce emissions through increased efficiencies.”
Other signatories of the Carbon Clever Declaration included Tomatin Distillery, UHI Inverness and High Life Highland.
The task was ambitious. As one council document stated in the early days of the scheme: “Achieving zero carbon is about balancing emissions to get to zero overall effect, however, it could be misinterpreted as meaning no greenhouse gases were emitted from anywhere within the city boundary. Therefore to gain greatest buy-in from the public we will use the term ‘Carbon Neutral’ achieving carbon neutral status would mean a net greenhouse gas emissions balance of zero or less, with any residual greenhouse gas emissions being offset by sinks of emissions such as the export of renewable energy or through woodland planting.
“Achieving carbon neutral status will not be easy but is realistic. We are recognising the challenges presented from fuel choice limitations and the large distances to travel in the region; while acknowledging the opportunities in the region from our natural environment and the scope to export renewable energy.”
The scale of the challenge seemed to have grown by May 2019, as the council declared a climate and ecological emergency and established a climate change panel. They also agreed to review the Carbon Clever Declaration.
So where are we now?
A council spokesperson explained: “As the understanding of the climate emergency has evolved, the focus moved from carbon neutrality to the considerably more ambitious need for achieving net zero [reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a level that can be absorbed by nature and other carbon dioxide removal measures].
“The council’s net zero strategy was approved in June 2023. Highland Council has adopted the Scottish Government’s net zero by 2045 target, aiming to achieve this sooner. The council has also set key interim targets to reduce emissions by at least 75 per cent by 2030 and at least 90 per cent by 2040.
“The strategy focuses on council operations. It provides a framework for reducing corporate emissions and preparing for the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
“The net zero strategy supersedes the council’s Carbon Clever initiative.”
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