Towards Zero Carbon Bute

TCZB - UP AND RUNNING

The Towards Zero Carbon Bute (TZCB) project, for which Fyne Futures received funding in the spring, is now up and running following the recruitment of Project Manager Sheena Stone and the set up of TZCB offices in Rothesay’s Castle Street.

The project is a community project that is island-wide for all tenures of homes (owner occupied, private and social rented), and for businesses and organisations.  It is funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund and will initially run for two years.  Its overall aim to reduce Bute’s carbon footprint by 25% over this period to minimise the island’s impact on climate change. 

Measuring Bute’s carbon emissions

The project has a number of aspects to it.  Firstly Bute’s current carbon emissions will be measured.  Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas which causes climate change.  Over 40% of Bute’s carbon dioxide emissions come from everyday tasks and the way we manage our homes and travel.  Actions such as having insufficient insulation, leaving the TV on standby or the lights on, and driving inefficiently all result in unnecessary carbon dioxide emissions.

Climate changes are a natural phenomena which have been happening since the earth was created.  However recently there has been unprecedented warming.  We have already seen unpredictable weather variations.  Over the last 40 years the winters have got warmer with unprecedented bursts of rain sometimes causing flooding.  The summers are drier and hotter, with increasing water shortages.  By the end of the century there could be water rationing, diseased crops, building subsidence, and deaths from the heat. Severe storms and rising seas, already 10cm higher than in 1900, are eating away at the coasts.  Many of the species which we traditionally think of as Scottish may disappear.  All of these effects will be particularly obvious in an island community with a long coastline reached only by ferry, where much of the economy is based on agriculture, the countryside, and tourism. 

The analysis of Bute’s carbon emissions will be carried out at both the beginning and again at the end of the project to assess how much impact the Towards Zero Carbon Bute project has had.  This will show whether Bute’s impact on climate change has reduced. 

Have your own carbon footprint measured

In these credit crunch times everything is looking to reduce their costs.  A system will be set up so that individuals can calculate their own carbon footprints to see where most of their impact on climate change comes from. This will not only help people to move towards reducing their carbon emissions, but also to reducing their costs.  Many of these measures will be no cost or low cost to implement.

Reduce your energy costs

A large part of the project will be working with people and businesses to help them reduce their emissions from energy such as gas and electricity, and therefore their bills.  This will be done through energy efficiency measures, looking at ways to upgrade the insulation in your home or business, and considering renewable energy sources such as solar panels, wind turbines and heat pumps.  Advice will be available on which grants can help you install some of these measures.

There will be a feasibility study to look at the potential market for wood fuel on Bute, to replace coal fires and central heating systems.  Again advice on grants to install wood fuelled boiler systems and stoves will be given where relevant.

Video conferencing available to island businesses

There will also be a number of projects focused on reducing emissions from transport.  Fyne Homes has a video conferencing facility in Rothesay that they use to carry out meetings without leaving the island, thereby reducing their carbon emissions and transport costs as well as freeing up people’s time through not having to travel large distances.  This facility will be promoted to other businesses on the island for their use, and a low cost facility will be set up in central Glasgow for the use of businesses working with Bute organisations so that these organisations again don’t have to travel so regularly to Bute.  

Lift sharing organised for all

There are a swmall number of locations which a large number of Bute people travel to regularly.  A travel planning service will be established to connect people and businesses for lift sharing.  This will save people money through sharing the transport costs as well as reducing carbon emissions.

Hire a renewably powered electric car

Finally a feasibility study will investigate the opportunity for an electric car hire scheme on the island powered by a renewable energy resource.  Currently there is no car hire on the Isle of Bute.  Having a low emissions car hire facility would mean that some local people who only have a car for business could consider selling their personal car thereby saving money on running and maintenance costs as well as reducing personal and business emissions.  It could potentially reduce the number of vehicles brought by visitors to the island making the island a more pleasant and safe place. 

The idea of possibly introducing a car club will also be considered.  Car clubs operate very successfully in a number of British cities where people pay an annual membership fee together with a cost each time a vehicle is used making it considerably cheaper than owning a car.  For people who only use their cars occasionally this allows them to get rid of their car and therefore reduce all the costs associated with it but still have access to a vehicle when they need one.

Want more information?

If you live on Bute and would like to measure your carbon footprint, or to sign up to receive more information about any of the above aspects of the project for yourself, a friend or neighbour, please get in touch. 

Sheena Stone, Project Manager
sstone@tzcb.org.uk.
www.tzcb.org.uk
01700 504636.