10 Million For New Community Projects in Scotland

Community groups across Scotland are being invited to apply for a share of over £10 million to promote action against climate change. The hugely successful Climate Challenge Fund has supported 756 community-led schemes since 2008, including energy efficiency, sustainable travel and growing local food. Climate Change Minister Aileen McLeod has confirmed the fund will continue for another year, after it was allocated £10.3 million in the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget 2016-17.

Dr McLeod said “Climate change affects us all, and the historic global agreement reached in Paris sets the stage for the effort and action that we will all need to take.

“Scotland is already three quarters of the way towards achieving our world-leading target of a 42 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. But further action is needed by all of us – not just the Government – to achieve further reductions.

“I welcome the efforts being made by hundreds of communities the length and breadth of Scotland to tackle the local impacts of a changing climate. I am pleased to confirm Scottish Government support for this action will continue with a further £10.3 million investment in the Climate Challenge Fund over the next year.”

The Climate Challenge Fund is managed by Keep Scotland Beautiful on behalf of the Scottish Government. Derek Robertson, Chief Executive at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:

“We welcome the new funding made available through the Climate Challenge Fund for community groups across Scotland to tackle climate change at a grass roots level, and urge potential applicants to apply quickly.

“It has been a great privilege for us to have been involved with managing and developing the Climate Challenge Fund, on behalf of the Scottish Government, since the Fund was established in 2008.

“We look forward supporting the latest community-led organisations in their applications and see this is part of our work to help make Scotland clean, green and more sustainable.”