New role to help reduce carbon emissions
Shetland Amenity Trust has appointed a carbon reduction officer to implement a range of new initiatives throughout the isles.
Harriet Bolt began work on 1st April and is already working towards her target of reducing Shetland’s carbon emissions by at least 28,000 tonnes over the next two years. She will work closely with households, individuals, the service sector, schools, businesses, statutory organisations, community groups, youth groups and architects in carbon reduction schemes.
Specifically the two-year project aims to: develop and implement carbon reduction plans for businesses, community groups and householders; produce case studies in relation to carbon neutral designs and new builds; distribute free energy saving light bulbs; organise the free loan of “smart” energy monitors for measuring energy consumption in public and private buildings and homes; introduce a plastic carrier bag re-use scheme to local shops; and work with existing agencies such as ZetTrans in the promotion of car-share schemes.
Ms Bolt will also develop a dedicated Shetland carbon reduction website, and sees her post as both raising awareness and enabling carbon reducing changes in our way of life.
She said: “As an island community we are all very susceptible to the impacts of climate change. This project is an exciting way for us all to become more aware of our carbon footprint and focus on ways to reduce it.
“We are aware that carbon reduction can be bewildering at first and see this post as the ideal opportunity to provide information and easy carbon reduction techniques to all aspects of the Shetland community.”
Many of the schemes are new to Shetland and some will involve close working with the SIC, particularly ZetTrans and the council’s energy unit. Businesses and community groups will also be offered help developing their own individual carbon reduction plans.
The new post is funded through the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, set up to significantly reduce carbon emissions throughout Scotland. The fund has also enabled three local community groups to employ part-time community powerdown officers. Ms Bolt is working closely with these groups and officers, to ensure their projects complement each other and to secure the best outcome for the isles.
