Skye Climate Action

Climate, Planning and Communities Webinar with the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland
2022-01-20 19:00 - 20:30 (Europe/London) | Virtual Meeting
An introduction to how the new Scottish planning regulations might help tackle the climate emergency and how local communities can engage with the planning system at both national and local levels.
Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland Planning experts will be on hand to advise and discuss issues relevant to the new strategic National Planning Framework 4, Local Development Plans and individual planning applications. For more information visit https://aprs.scot/press-releases/events/
If you wish to book a place please email Nina at info@aprs.scot

Your ideas for Skye Climate Action in 2022
2022-01-19 19:30 - 21:00 | Virtual Meeting
2022 is gearing up to be a year of action on climate change. Building more sustainable, prosperous, healthy, and resilient communities.
Skye Climate Action will need to adapt its loose, informal style to take advantage of the many opportunities available to us. It’s time to re-energise and restructure.
Come along on 19th to hear from people working on exciting projects across Highland. Be motivated, and join the conversation with your ideas about the future direction for SCA.
Contact anne@skyeclimateaction.org for the link.

Mending Mondays at Rag Tag
2022-01-10 11:00 - 15:00
Ragtag’s next mending session is on Monday January 10th. Email RagTag or phone 01471 822043 to book your place!
At each session there will be the opportunity to learn more about a different textile mending technique, as well as to share our experience and skills with each other.
Covid precautions include open windows, sanitising and masks when standing.

SCA Electrical Amnesty - domestic appliance recycling
2021-12-22 11:00 - 13:00, 2021-11-24 11:00 - 13:00
Drop off your unwanted domestic electrical appliances – large or small, anything with a plug or battery – at Ashaig Camp Site between 11 am and 1 pm. Items will be collected by ILM Highland and either fully recycled or selected for reuse. Items suitable for reuse are removed from the waste stream and taken to their Reuse Workshop to undergo a thorough testing, cleaning and refurbishment process, including PAT testing, ready for sale. Some items are kept for repair and re-use on Skye.
More info here in ILM’s blog, and watch a video here.

Online showing of Dàn fianais (Protest Poem)
2021-12-14 19:30 - 21:00 | Virtual Meeting
Zoom link from anne@skyeclimateaction.org
This film portrait of Skye and Lochalsh and some of its inhabitants was commissioned by Skye Climate Action and Atlas Arts and made by Andrew Black between August 2020 and September 2021– despite Covid! Over sixty people with connections to Skye and Lochalsh shared from the past and imagined the future.
The film was made throughout the last year of the COVID pandemic, during an unfolding climate crisis, and at a point where the effects of capitalism and imperialism are being reckoned with globally. The film reflects on ways of being here that might feel lost though still within the reach of living memory – as well as those that endure – to suggest multiple possible ways forward.
The film is an hour long and will be followed by discussion when we hope to have Andrew join us. There is much here to stimulate thought and action as we consider how to meet the challenges of climate change in 2022, so do join us.

COP26…. What now? Building Public Sector Capacity to Deliver on Net Zero
2021-12-08 09:30 - 18:00 | Virtual Meeting
Sustainable Scotland Network is holding this interactive conference (via MS Teams) to explore what next for the public sector post COP26. Hear from a range of speakers (from Local Government, NatureScot, the NHS and Scottish Water) and join workshops to discuss the challenges facing the public sector in developing the skills and finance necessary to achieve net zero.

Net zero direct emissions – setting and meeting targets led by Mark Williams, Scottish Water
Nature based sequestration on public sector land led by Brendan Turvey, Nature Scot
Reducing embodied emissions in supply chains led by Chris Francis, Scottish Water
Skills for transition to net zero led by Mhairi Creanor, Zero Waste Scotland
Putting the Just Transition into practice TBC

The conference audience will include leaders, policy makers and practitioners from across the Scottish public sector, including local authorities, NHS Boards, universities and colleges and the wide array of national and regional public bodies that are all actively involved in SSN.
Register here to book

After COP26, what next? Scotland's Climate Future
2021-12-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Meeting
Join Keep Scotland Beautiful online for the launch of the new national event series for Scotland’s Climate Festival.
The festival kicks-off with a crucial conversation on the outcomes and opportunities following COP26 and what is next for Scotland.
With panelists including Zarina Ahmad (climate communicator and trainer), Kaisie Rayner (Climate Lead at Royal London) and Dr. Matt Winning (comedian and environmental economist) the session will explore many different perspectives on climate action and the push to Net Zero. They have also invited a representative of the Scottish Government to participate.
Book here.

Perspectives on climate justice post COP26
2021-12-06 18:00 - 19:15 | Virtual Meeting
Organised by 2050 Climate Action, this session aims to bring together people from across the Global North and Global South to explore and learn about our different perspectives on international climate justice and the role that COP26 and future COPs can (or cannot) play.
Book here.

2050 Climate Action is a volunteer-led, youth-run charity whose mission is to lead a social movement by empowering young people to take climate action.

Candlelight vigil in Portree to mark the end of the UN Climate talks
2021-11-12 17:30 - 18:00 | Somerled Square, Portree
Join us in Somerled Square, Portree, to reflect at the end of the UN Climate talks (COP26).
Bring candles in jam jars or battery-operated lights. All are welcome, especially youngsters.

Mending Mondays at Rag Tag
2021-11-08 11:00 - 15:00
Rag Tag in Broadford Industrial Estate has started monthly community-mending sessions, in collaboration with SCARRR.
At each session there will be the opportunity to learn more about a different textile mending technique, as well as to share our experience and skills with each other.
£5 charge per session. SCARRR members with skills to share won’t be asked to pay. Pre-booking essential.
Covid precautions include open windows, sanitising and masks when standing.
Email RagTag or phone 01471 822043 to book.

Screening of Dàn Fianais (Protest Poem) - a film by Andrew Black
2021-11-06 15:00 - 17:00
Venue: Skye Bridge Studios, Main Street, Kyle of Lochalsh
“The film was made throughout the last year of the COVID pandemic, during an unfolding climate crisis, and at a point where the effects of capitalism and imperialism are being reckoned with globally. The film reflects on ways of being here that might feel lost, though still within the reach of living memory – as well as those that endure – to suggest multiple possible ways forward.”
The film is a co-commission by ATLAS Arts and Skye Climate Action.
The screening is free and about 1 hr long, and will be followed by discussion.
For more information and to register, click here.

COP26 March on Skye Bridge
2021-11-06 11:30 - 14:00 | Kyleakin roundabout
Saturday 6th November, 11.30 am – 2 pm.
Think Global Act Local!
On this Global Day of Action for Climate Justice, local groups across the planet are calling for urgent action to stop global heating and ensure climate justice. Join us on the Skye Bridge Climate March.

It will be a family-friendly gathering – children and youngsters welcome
Bring a banner or placard, and wear bright clothing
Please take care of young children walking on the bridge
Please observe COVID19 precautions e.g. use face coverings and hand sanitiser when gathering before the march.
(Disclaimer) People come at their own risk.

Assembly instructions

Assemble at the Kyleakin Roundabout from 11.30.
Please share transport where possible.
If you can, please park in Kyleakin Hall car park and walk up, so that those who are less able can use the little road opposite the bridge.
Please don’t obstruct any access for residents.

If you can’t come on the march, but would like to show support for climate justice, you can walk over the Bridge anytime during the weekend as individuals, families or groups of friends with signs or placards visible to passing traffic.
If there are any more updates, they’ll be posted on our news post and on Facebook.

Fighting for the climate through intergenerational solidarity
2021-11-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Meeting
Join Generations Working Together during COP26 to talk about how we can join to fight climate change. “We will discuss why it’s vital that generations join together in this fight, how to work with the governments and at a grassroots level and we will also share what we learned from hosting intergenerational climate conversations. We will be joined by Miriam Adcock, the Project Manager for Consumer Waste Prevention at Zero Waste Scotland. Miriam will talk about zero waste initiatives and about working during COP26.”
Click here to register.

Highland Climate Change Conference
2021-10-21 09:00 - 2021-10-22 17:00 | Virtual Meeting
Last year’s Highland Climate Change Conference was a great success. This year’s Conference, set in the context of COP26, will bring people together from across and beyond Highland to discuss the climate and ecological emergency and explore topics relating to energy, land and sea, reaching net zero and building resilient communities
It will feature speakers from Government, organisations, climate groups, community groups and individuals taking action to tackle the climate and ecological emergency.
The agenda and full list of speakers will be released in the weeks leading up to the event. You can keep updated on Twitter.

Skye Climate Action: Climate and health - the co-benefits of action
2021-10-20 19:00 - 21:30 | Virtual Meeting
Climate change is a crisis, but so too, are current demands on the creaking National Health Service. Addressing climate change benefits health (and health systems) and vice versa, in areas such as diet, physical activity and air pollution, and many other aspects.
This session will start with a presentation to illustrate some of the links, to be followed by Q+A, discussion, and your suggestions for climate-healthy lifestyles.
Zoom link from anne@skyeclimateaction.org

Saving our planet and making it fun!
2021-10-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Meeting
“Generations Working Together will celebrate environmental intergenerational projects and show you why saving the planet can be fun. We will be joined by Crawford Paris, Project Manager from Turning the Plastic Tide who will share his intergenerational coastal project and will talk about the importance of fighting climate change. The workshop will include photography, resources, and tips for making your environmental project fun. This session is open for everyone and can be particularly useful for those working with children and young people.”
Click here to register.

Ethical Consumer Week
2021-10-16 - 2021-10-22 | Virtual Meeting
We’re not on track to meet global carbon emission reductions goals.
Ethical Consumer Week 2021 will ask, what will it take to bridge the gap? How can businesses, governments and consumers work together to make the change required? And what might a fairer, more equitable world look like on the other side?
Each day will feature a different theme with speakers and events, including food & farming, clothing, money, retail, housing and energy, technology and transport.
Ethical Consumer Week partners are Ecotricity, the Co-op Bank, Your Co-op, VEO and Ethex.
Tickets are priced as ‘pay as you feel’.
More info at www.ethicalconsumerweek.com

Skye Climate Action: Repair as an antidote to consumerism
2021-10-12 19:30 - 21:00
A meeting to move forward plans for a local Repair Cafe, initially in the Broadford area, but in the hope that it will spread around Skye and Raasay. To stimulate thinking and discussion, we will be joined by Miriam Adcock or colleague from Zero Waste Scotland, speaking on their recently-launched campaign for responsible consumption.
Over recent months, Skye’s repair enthusiasts have had many conversations and a couple of physical meetings. Ideas emerging are that the Repair Cafe would be informal and social, solutions would be worked out together, with teaching and learning of skills. Some items would be retained by the original owner, but some would be made available free or at low cost to the community. The recent ‘Waste Not at Hobbitin’ event showed that exchanging unwanted items can work alongside repair or refurbishment. These ways of re-using items fits into the circular economy and reduces consumption of new resources (and carbon cost).
Just about any items can be considered by the Repair Cafe: clothes, soft furnishings, toys, bikes, shoes, tools, computers, electrical appliances, furniture, household / garden / croft stuff … Bring it along or ask about it and get advice. It might be that there is no-one in the group who can fix it, but we will also keep a list of professional ‘fixers’ and be able to refer on. We don’t wish to take business away from commercial repairers, but to foster a culture of repair and re-use. If the challenge and satisfaction of mending or doing things up becomes the norm, the need to have ‘new stuff’ becomes less dominant. That way, there should be plenty for community groups and those in the business of restoration.
The aims of the meeting are: to firm up some of the ideas – and take on new ones, identify people who are, or might be interested in contributing from time to time; decide on at least one physical meeting in the next month or so; keep the momentum going. Come along if you want to know more or to chip in to the discussion.
Contact Anne for the zoom link.

Skye Climate Action: Climate change - the science and COP26 explained
2021-10-06 19:30 - 21:00 | Virtual Meeting
Skye Climate Action invites you to ask the experts!
We are delighted to have Julian Paren and Katie Andrews to speak to us, with plenty time for questions and answers.
Julian is a former climate scientist, and current member of Transition Black Isle. He will explain the scientific basis of climate change (in understandable language) taking into account the latest IPCC report from August this year.
Katie is Climate Coordinator at The Highland Council, and will give an overview of COP26 and local implications.
Q+A will follow.
Contact Anne for the zoom link.

Zero Waste Scotland: we need to talk about consumption
2021-10-05 09:00 - 17:00 | Virtual Meeting
We need to rethink how we consume in Scotland and around the world. Around four-fifths of Scotland’s footprint comes from the products and materials we manufacture, use, and throw away. In fact, the average Scot consumes 18.4 tonnes of materials every year – that’s the equivalent of 50kg per week on average.
The recent appointment of the first Circular Economy Minister in Scotland provides the opportunity to accelerate circularity and change Scotland for the better.
The discussion sessions include

Bridging the overconsumption and carbon gap
Circular cities and regions
Breaking the consumption habit
Rethinking the food system to reduce food waste
Global supply chains and business models
Turning waste into valuable resources

Register here.

Highland Good Food Partnership : local food consultation workshop
2021-10-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Virtual Meeting
The Highland Good Food Partnership’s online local food consultation workshop will gather responses and feed in to the Scottish Government’s recently published Local Food for Everyone consultation. Questions for discussion include

Why is local food important?
What do we want to see from a Local Food plan? – nationally and locally.
How can Scotland grow more of what it eats and eat more of what it grows?
How can a local food plan make the maximum positive impact on our environment and biodiversity?

This workshop is open to absolutely everyone! Come add your voice to the consultation and find out about what is already going on in Highland.
Click here for information and to register.

Scottish Land Commission Conference – Land Connection 2021
2021-10-04 09:30 - 2021-10-06 16:30 | Virtual Meeting
Bringing together experts from across a range of industries including public bodies, local authorities, academia, housing sector, private sector and social enterprises, the conference will look at the role of land in helping to achieve some of Scotland’s big ambitions for the economy, climate and communities.
For more information and to register for the individual sessions, click here.

From Inspiration to Practice: Delivering Net Zero through Local Government
2021-09-30 12:00 - 19:00 | Virtual Meeting
In the run up to COP26, Ashden, Centre for Alternative Technology, Aberdeen Climate Action and Climate Emergency UK are holding a free virtual conference showcasing innovative, local government-led net-zero projects from throughout the UK and Europe.
Register here

Skye Climate Action: Growing towards COP26
2021-09-29 19:30 - 21:00
The next in our series of discussions on food growing.
We’ll hear about non-toxic pest management and aquaponics as a potential crofting diversification enterprise, and also cover tasks for autumn.
There will also be Q+A with discussion about growing in general. Bring your questions and share your successes (and failures?) in this year’s growing.
Contact Anne for the zoom link.

CARES Conference 2021: Community action to net zero
2021-09-29 09:15 - 16:00 | Virtual Meeting
CARES* annual conference will highlight what communities have been doing to tackle the climate crisis through their involvement in renewable energy projects and how these are benefitting their local communities.
They’ll be looking at how your community can transition to net zero with the support of the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). They’ll also be joined by Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport.
The event will be on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the detailed programme, including 8 focus groups in the afternoon.
Book your conference space now. Please remember to book your general conference space, together with your two focus session spaces.
*Local Energy Scotland is a consortium made up of:

Energy Saving Trust
Changeworks
The Energy Agency
SCARF and
The Wise Group.

It administers and manages the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).

Shake up the System: How do we achieve meaningful change in society for a fair climate future
2021-09-21 14:00 - 2021-09-22 17:00 | Virtual Meeting
Shake up the System will be a virtual conference, exploring how behavioural, societal, and cultural changes can link to achieve meaningful systems change in the UK to address the climate crisis and develop a fairer society. The conference will bring together learning and experience from across sectors – identifying common barriers and enablers to help all actors move forward in their work.
With a diverse set of speakers, and an interactive format, participants will be encouraged to share ideas and examples from their own work and collaborate with other participants from across sectors to problem solve and work together to identify actions for enabling change.
The conference runs for two days: 21-22 September 2021, 2:00 – 5:00pm

Register here.

Waste not and repair at Hobbitin
2021-09-21 11:00 - 2021-09-23 15:00 | 9 Torrin, 9 Torrin, Isle of Skye, IV49 9BA
This three-day session is an opportunity to bring along unwanted items that someone else might be interested in making use of, and browsing for those things that you could use. At the same time, if you have something needing repair or you’d like to know if it’s salvageable, then bring along – clothes, tools, electrical, toys, bikes – whatever. People with repair skills will be popping in during the three days and can advise, or even fix. We also want to hear people’s ideas for developing a ‘circular economy’ and building resilience in the community.
The event runs from 11 am – 3 pm each day, at 9 Torrin (look out for the signs).
Contact Becky and Paul for more info at beckyplasticfree@btinternet.com.

Climate Fringe week
2021-09-18 08:00 - 2021-09-26 17:00 | Virtual Meeting
See what’s on during Climate Fringe Week

If you’re a Scotland-based individual, group or organisation, you can take part in Climate Fringe Week to share your events and get more people involved.
If you are thinking of running an event as part of Climate Fringe Week please email Veronica@stopclimatechaos.scot
Add your event to the calendar with the event uploader. If you have any difficulties contact Veronica.
There is a Toolkit for loads of ideas to get started and useful links. You can add the Climate Fringe Week logo to your event to make it look and feel part of the festival, and you can join in monthly information and networking sessions by registering here.

Great British Beach Clean
2021-09-17 - 2021-09-26
Following a year of Covid restrictions, the amount of PPE on beaches is expected to increase dramatically. The huge increase of single-use plastic, designed to keep us safe, has led to a flood of plastic pollution ending up in our rivers and seas.
Join the 2021 Great British Beach Clean. Every piece of rubbish collected means less waste ends up in the ocean. And if you record your litter items using our simple litter survey form you’ll be contributing to an international science project to monitor and reduce marine pollution.
Organise a clean, or sign up for an event near you. Find out more.
