COP in the community – join the fight against climate change

Orkney Islands Council is to host a series of online discussion groups in the first week of COP26 – aimed at bringing the community together to lead the fight against climate change.

‘COP in the Community’ will focus in on four key themes around climate change in Orkney – nature, energy transition, transport and adaptation.

The four webinars, held between 7pm and 8pm from 1 – 4 November, will feature key speakers from across the climate change sector in Orkney and will give people the opportunity to hear more about projects that are happening locally, ask questions and discuss key issues in more depth as a group.

Adele Lidderdale is the Council’s Climate Change Officer. She said: “COP26 has got everyone talking about climate change issues and provides us with a great opportunity to come together virtually to look at what’s happening locally to tackle climate change and what more needs to happen.  We’ve secured some really fantastic local speakers, who are sure to inspire some further discussion at the events.”

To book visit the COP in the Community EventBrite page.

Between 1st and 12th November 2021 Glasgow will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). Bringing together over 30,000 delegates including heads of state, climate experts and campaigners, COP26 will be biggest summit the UK has ever hosted and is being described as the most significant climate event since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

In May 2019, Orkney Islands Council joined organisations around the world in declaring a climate emergency, as a means of both reaffirming the Council’s existing commitment to a vibrant carbon neutral economy, and publicly expressing concern about climate change.

Since then – despite the additional pressures faced by the Council during the Covid 19 pandemic – the Council has employed a Climate Change Officer and continues to support the pioneering renewables scene in Orkney – whether that be tidal, wave, wind, hydrogen or biofuels - including pushing for an improved electricity grid connection from Orkney to mainland Scotland and changes to the current grid charging system.

Council Leader James Stockan said: “The impacts of climate change and how we proactively tackle those impacts head on, are high on this Council’s agenda – evident in our plans for three council-owned wind farms in the county, our role in the emerging hydrogen economy and our ongoing discussions with Government on the challenges we currently face around outdated infrastructure and inadequate transmission charging systems.

“Energy generation is just part of the solution though. There are opportunities to change the way things are done right across the spectrum of Orkney life - including big carbon contributors such as transport, agriculture and fishing.

"COP26 offers an opportunity to bring our communities together, working alongside each other to develop initiatives that can make a real difference when it comes to making our community carbon free.”