Climate Action Plan (CAP) Newsletters

If you would like to receive our quarterly newsletters, which share developments about the Climate Action Plan and other related work, please email the Sustainability Policy Team at sustainability@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or call 0300 123 4510.

Click 'next' below to navigate through the current and previous editions of our Climate Action Plan newsletter.

Welcome to the 14th edition of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) newsletter, which provides an update on key climate change developments following our Autumn 2024 edition.

October 2024 was the second warmest October on record globally, after the high set in 2023. With many months already breaking documented temperatures, 2024 is set to be the hottest year on record. This is also expected to be the first year where global average temperatures are more than 1.5ºC above pre- industrial levels.

Read the full article on 2024 levels.

The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Colombia in October to promote the international protection of biodiversity. Several landmark agreements were made which are detailed on the United Nations website.

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), held in Azerbaijan, concluded in November. Updates on discussions held and agreements made during the conference are detailed on the United Nations Climate Change website. Despite some controversy surrounding the conference and criticism of the financial commitments that were made to support developing countries, there were some positives – including progress made on carbon markets, the EU and various other countries making a commitment on no new unabated coal power, more support for the Global Methane Pledge, and a new pledge on global energy storage and grids.

Read an article on Group of Nations Make COP29 Pledge on No New Unabated Coal Power.

Read The Global Methane Pledge.

Read the COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge.

The Council is partnering with Keep Scotland Beautiful to offer FREE Climate Emergency Training for East Dunbartonshire residents to become certified as ‘Carbon Literate’. The training covers climate change causes, impacts and solutions.

Further virtual training sessions are to be scheduled in January 2025.

For the latest dates and to reserve a place, visit the Eventbrite page.

Train the Trainer sessions will also be available starting February 2025 for those with a carbon literacy certificate who are interested in learning how to deliver carbon literacy training.

East Dunbartonshire Council approved the draft LHEES and Delivery Plan in September ahead of a public consultation, which ran in October. The Delivery Plan includes actions to: undertake feasibility studies for potential heat networks in East Dunbartonshire; promote green skills; and drive forward heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency at scale. Comments from the survey and consultation event are reflected in a consultation report considered by the Council with the final LHEES and Delivery Plan in December 2024. Significant progress has also been made on the CAP, with an update provided in the Council report on the Carbon Management Plan. The draft CAP will be reported to Council in spring 2025, with public consultation to follow.

A shift to the current waste collection schedule is currently being planned, moving from a two-weekly to a three-weekly collection cycle. The schedule adjustment aims to support an increase in recycling rates, a reduction in landfill waste and a reduction in total emissions fromwaste management. Waste is currently the third largest source of the Council’s carbon emissions, accounting for 13% of 2023/24’s total footprint. As observed in other councils, a three-weekly collection cycle could contribute to a reduction in general waste going to landfill and an increase in recycled waste – leading to an overall reduction in emissions. This collection schedule adjustment is part of the Council’s commitment to sustainability goals and waste reduction.

Are you interested in learning more about zero-emission heating systems?

’Get a Heat Pump’ is a website developed by Nesta and The MCS Foundation to address the need for reliable and impartial information about heat pumps.

Heat pumps have no direct greenhouse gas emissions and are a leading heat source across Europe, with a record of over 3 million units sold in 2022. They heat buildings by drawing naturally-occurring heat from exterior air, ground or water and transferring it indoors. Heat pumps operate with electricity, meaning they don’t produce carbon emissions at the point of use. As the UK has committed to fully decarbonising the electricity grid by 2035, heat pumps are a leading technology for clean heating.

The website is free to use and offers independent guidance – including tools and guidance to compare different models, estimate costs, understand the installation process and more.

View the Get a Heat Pump website.

Welcome to the 13th edition of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) newsletter, which provides an update on key climate change developments following our Summer 2024 edition.

Global temperature trend

July 2024 ended a 13-month streak of record-breaking months for global average temperature as it registered as the second-warmest July globally on record, after the record set in 2023. 

COP 29 Climate Change Conference Scheduled for November

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 29) is scheduled to take place from 11-22 November in Azerbaijan. It will bring together countries from around the world, aimed at enhancing their efforts to combat climate change.

Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 has been brought into law after receiving Royal Assent in August . The law requires Scottish Ministers to develop and publish a circular economy strategy, set targets and enhance waste reduction, recycling and management efforts. This will support the delivery of the East Dunbartonshire Circular Economy Strategy, which can be viewed on the Council website here.

FREE Community Climate Emergency Training

If you are interested in FREE training to learn about the causes and impacts of climate change and solutions to combat it, you can find out more online on the eventbright page). We are holding training sessions throughout 2024, with online and in-person sessions available where you can gain Carbon Literacy certification.

Per Capita Emissions in East Dunbartonshire Second Lowest in Scotland

East Dunbartonshire has the second lowest per capita emissions out of the 32 council areas in Scotland. The most recent data set released by the UK Government, covering 2022, also showed that East Dunbartonshire’s emissions hit their lowest level since records began in 2005.

Climate Action Plan (CAP) & Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES)

The draft version of the Council’s LHEES is provisionally scheduled to go to Council on 26 September, subject to agreement on the agenda, to seek approval for a public consultation. If the Draft LHEES is approved, the consultation would be scheduled to begin in October and the finalised version of the strategy and accompanying delivery plan would go to Council soon afterwards. Work is also progressing on the CAP and the draft version is expected to be reported to Council within the coming months.

BetterPoints App Launch

The Council has teamed up with BetterPoints to encourage sustainable transportation – train, bus, cycling, walking – to help promote better health and wellbeing, active travel and efforts to tackle climate change. The app allows participants to earn points that can be spent at participating local businesses, redeemed for vouchers at major retailers or donated to charity. To learn more about the app, and how to download, please visit the Council’s website here.

Get Involved in Scotland’s Climate Week 2024 – September 23-29

Scotland’s Climate Week takes place from 23-29 September. Every year since the inaugural Climate Week in 2016, communities from across Scotland have come together to celebrate and encourage climate action. For inspiration on sustainable actions that you can take to participate in Scotland’s Climate Week, visit the Net Zero Network website or view the Climate Week toolkit here.

Please email any comments or enquiries to sustainability@eastdunbarton.gov.uk

Welcome to the 12th edition of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) newsletter, which provides an update on key climate change developments following our Spring 2024 edition.

Global Temperature Trends - The world experienced the warmest March and April on record in 2024, which were the 10th and 11th consecutive months of record-breaking temperatures respectively. The global surface air temperature this March was 0.10°C higher than the previous record set in March 20161, while April was 0.14°C higher than the previous record set in April 2016.2

In April, the Scottish Government announced the removal of the 2030 target date to cut 75% of all emissions, although the target date of Net Zero by 2045 will remain in place. Instead of annual and interim targets, carbon emissions are expected to be measured every five years in a carbon budget system similar to England and Wales. The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Màiri McAllan - who retained her portfolio in First Minister John Swinney’s cabinet - is expected to announce further details on this new approach in the coming months.

The Green Business Support Grant is now LIVE for new applications until 20 December 2024. The grant can be used to fund support that will help a business make progress towards net zero carbon emissions and result in long-term sustained reductions in energy bills. Find out more about the grant and how to apply by visiting the Green Business Support Programme.

The second round of Climate Emergency Training includes training sessions in June, July and August.

If you are interested in FREE training to learn about causes and impacts of climate change, and solutions to combat it and achieving Carbon Literacy certification, please visit Eventbrite.

The training will be conducted in two 2.5-hour live online sessions, in combination with some self-study work.

Work on the green infrastructure project at Woodhill and Etive Parks in Bishopbriggs began in April 2024. This project will incorporate food growing spaces, and measures to improve biodiversity and to protect against the effects of climate change - making it the first Climate Ready Park in East Dunbartonshire. The first phase is expected to be completed by the winter of 2024.

The next round of the Council's Community Grants Scheme will be open from 1-26 July 2024. Community groups can apply for a wide range of not-for-profit projects that bring benefits to the residents of East Dunbartonshire and could be used to enhance sustainability in your neighbourhood. Some sustainability project ideas could range from native species planters to help pollinators to funding supplies for a community litter clean-up event. Find out more about the grant scheme and how to apply by visiting the Community Grants Scheme web page.

Nominate a community member for the Provost’s Community Champion Awards to recognise those who make an outstanding contribution to their community. Anyone can be nominated for one of the seven categories - including Sustainability Champion - as long as they live, work or attend school or college in East Dunbartonshire. The closing date for nominations is Thursday 6 June.

Fossil fuel generated electricity in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) fell to a record low in April. On 15 April 2024, for one hour only, 2.4% of British electricity was generated by fossil fuels. Wind power was the largest source of energy in April, providing over 35% of electricity.

The G7 Nations (Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the UK and the US) agreed to phase out coal use by 2035, or on a timeline consistent to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C. This is the first time that the term “phase-out” has explicitly been used.

Further progress was made on the development of the Draft CAP. Various actions in the Programme Plan were completed and several sections of the CAP are being drafted to allow for the Draft CAP to be taken to Council in 2024, prior to public consultation. The process to develop the Vision, Themes and Objectives has been shared with consultants for them to provide critical feedback through a Strategic Environmental Assessment Stage 1 Report.

Further work on the non-domestic report on the LHEES was undertaken to continue to progress the Draft LHEES which will be brought to Council in 2024 prior to public consultation being carried out.

Buy in-season produce from local vendors to reduce the emissions from long haul shipments. Some produce in-season for Scotland in the summer months are:

• June: celery, peas, strawberries, red currants, asparagus
• July: beetroot, blueberries, plums, rhubarb
• August: brambles, peas, potatoes.

Visit the Nutrition Scotland website for a full list of produce in-season throughout the year.

Please email any comments or enquiries to sustainability@eastdunbarton.gov.uk

Welcome to the 11th edition of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) news letter, which provides an update on key climate change developments following our winter 2023/2024 edition.

The world experienced the warmest January and February on record in 2024 for both surface air temperatures and sea surface temperatures, while also being the ninth record-breaking month in a row for the respective month of the year1 . Sea surface temperatures have also been at a record high for ten consecutive months2 , while ocean temperatures broke records for the 365th consecutive day.

1. Visit the Copernicus website for further information on the warmest January in record.
2. See February ends with extreme and unusual heat, visit the World Meteorological Organisation website.

The themes of the Council’s draft CAP and a renewed governance structure are being developed to allow a draft CAP, which will be taken to Council in 2024, to foster sustainability and emissions reductions across Council decision making while setting out ways in which the Council will deliver its net zero targets. Similarly, the LHEES will be taken to Council in 2024 to allow the Council to take a strategic approach to heat decarbonisation and fuel poverty alleviation.

As reported in the last edition of the CAP Newsletter, the Council’s Green Business Support Grant, which will offer a grant of up to £10,000 to help to reduce energy bills and make progress towards net zero emissions for businesses that have undertaken a business energy audit. You can find out more including how to apply on the Green Business Support Programme.

Thirty-two people have undergone East Dunbartonshire’s FREE accredited Community Carbon Literacy Training in 2024. This is in addition to the seven people who attended the online introductory session for the first round of training. A second round of training commences in May, with up nine sessions and over 100 more spaces available of FULLYFUNDED training, including the comprehensive train the trainer courses, so please spread the word!

The second round of training will be a mix of online and in person sessions, and they will be made available for
booking through Eventbrite. For more information on the training throughout 2024, please contact sustainability@eastdunbarton.gov.uk.

View The Climate Change Committee website and see the compiled resources to help people to live more sustainably.

The way you travel

• Choose to walk and cycle or take public transport in preference to a car, or car share
• If possible, make your next car an electric one, and then charge it ‘smartly’
• Minimise flying  especially long-haul, where possible.

What you eat and buy

• Eat a healthy diet, for example with less beef, lamb and dairy.
• Eliminate food waste as far as possible and make sure that you use separate food waste collections
• Choose good quality products that will last, use them for longer and try to repair before you replace
• Share rather than buy items like power tools that you don’t use frequently.

In your home

• Improve the energy efficiency of your home – i.e. insulation draughtproofing, LED lightbulbs and appliances with high efficiency
• Set thermostats no higher than 19°C and the water temperature in heating systems no higher than 55°
• Consider switching to a low-carbon heating system such as a heat pump
• Install smart meters for utilities and to identify inefficiencies.

What else?

• Look for changes that you can make in your workplace or school to reduce emissions and support your colleagues to make changes too
• If you’re in a flood risk area sign up to flood warnings locally and having flood equipment to hand.

Welcome to the 10th edition of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) newsletter, which provides an update on key climate change developments following our Autumn 2023 edition.

COP 28 - A new deal has been agreed at the UN climate summit COP28 which was held in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023.

Visit the UN Climate Change website for more information.

The deal calls on all countries to move away from the use of fossil fuels - but not to phase them out, which many governments had called for. It also recognises the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in emissions if humanity is to limit a global average temperature increase to 1.5C.

Since Council approved the Evidence and Options report of the CAP, as detailed in the last edition, progress on the CAP and LHEES’ development has continued with a draft of each expected to be taken to Council in the first half of 2024.

A traffic-free schools pilot project was introduced at four schools across East Dunbartonshire to improve road safety, improve air quality and improve the surrounding environment outside of schools for pupils, carers and neighbouring residents. The pilot project began on 20 November 2023 and will run until 20 December 2024. Find out more on our traffic-free schools webpage.

East Dunbartonshire Council will be launching the Green Business Support Grant, which is designed to help businesses make long term sustained reductions in their energy bills and make progress towards net zero objectives. Up to £10,000 is available and can be used to fund anything that contributes to these targets. The support will only be available to businesses that have acquired a business energy audit. Please speak with a Business Gateway adviser if you require this. More information is to follow.

The first round of training is provisionally set for 25 January, and the 6, 22 and 27 February. Keep Scotland Beautiful will be contacting community groups imminently. A 1-hour introductory session will take place on the 23 January which will be online. The locations of the sessions are spread across Kirkintilloch, Bishopbriggs, Lennoxtown and Milngavie. Keep an eye on social media posts and our website for venue details and how to sign up. To find out more, contact sustainability@eastdunbarton.gov.uk.

At this time of year around 30% more waste is generated. Each year, over 1 billion Christmas cards are thrown away; 50,000 trees are cut down for wrapping paper, and around 12 million tonnes of plastic are wasted. Find out 24 ways to reduce your waste this Christmas on the Government website.