Environment

Plans are underway to develop two hydro schemes on the Isle of Raasay with the launch of a £650,000 community share offer, which goes live today (Tuesday 12 January 2021).

Communities across the country are to benefit from fast-tracked funding to help tackle climate change and deliver Scotland’s green recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A total of 279 projects will be funded through the Community Climate Asset Fund, helping to deliver electric bikes, food growing equipment and glazing to improve energy efficiency.

The successful recipients of the Fund include:

Two new farmer-led groups are being established to develop advice and proposals to the Scottish Government on how to cut emissions and tackle climate change as reaffirmed in the recently published Climate Change Plan.

Projects with a specific focus on efficiency, cutting emissions and improving environmental performance have been selected as part of the next round of the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF).

Plans to ban all non-household biodegradable waste from entering landfill by 2025 have been set out in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan update.

A ban on household biodegradable waste being sent to landfill is already in place and the Climate Change Plan 2018 – 2032 commits to consulting on extending this to cover business and non-municipal waste.

A new 12-point action plan will support Scotland’s ambition to be a world class fishing nation and ensure responsible and sustainable fisheries management.  

This week, conservation charity Buglife launched a complete B-Lines map for Scotland. B-Lines is the response to the decline of bees and other pollinating insects, a plan for how to reconnect our wild places by creating a network of wildflowers across our landscapes.

The Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Government Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan was launched earlier this week, and identifies a series of priority areas focused on employers, education and individuals that will help Scotland capitalise on job opportunities emerging from the net-zero transition. 

Plans to protect at least 30% of Scotland’s land for nature by 2030 – and to examine options to extend this further – have been announced today by Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham.

New measures to increase the maximum available penalties for the worst cases of animal cruelty have come in to force.

Taking effect from 30 November, the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 increases the maximum penalty for the most serious animal welfare and wildlife crimes to five years imprisonment and unlimited fines.