environment – Page 2 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Starmer orders England’s councils to tackle ‘pothole plague’

£1.6 billion investment to tackle scourge of potholes to be delivered to councils from next month as PM tells councils to put cash to use
for the first time every council in England must publish how many potholes they’ve filled or lose road cash
local authorities that comply will receive their full share of the £500 million roads pot – enough to fill the equivalent of 7 million potholes a year, as part of the government’s Plan for Change
- UK government also announces £4.8 billion for 25/26 for motorways and major A-roads including economy boosting road schemes on the A47 and M3

The public will now see exactly what’s being done to tackle potholes, as the government demands councils prove their progress or face losing cash.

From mid-April, local authorities in England will start to receive their share of the government’s record £1.6bn highway maintenance funding, including an extra £500m – enough to fill 7 million potholes a year.

But to get the full amount, all councils in England must from today (24 March 2025) publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work. Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will see 25% of the uplift (£125m in total) withheld.

Also today, the Transport Secretary has unveiled £4.8bn funding for 2025/6 for National Highways to deliver critical road schemes and maintain motorways and major A-roads.

This cash will mean getting on with pivotal schemes in construction, such as the A428 Black Cat scheme in Cambridgeshire, and starting vital improvements to the A47 around Norwich and M3 J9 scheme in Hampshire, building thousands of new homes, creating high-paid jobs, connecting ports and airports, to grow the economy and deliver the Plan for Change.

It comes as figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of 6 potholes per mile in England and Wales, and pothole damage to cars costs an average £600 to fix. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers.

This government is delivering its Plan for Change to rebuild Britain and deliver national renewal through investment in our vital infrastructure which will drive growth and put more money in working people’s pockets by saving them costs on repairs.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The broken roads we inherited are not only risking lives but also cost working families, drivers and businesses hundreds – if not thousands of pounds – in avoidable vehicle repairs.

“Fixing the basic infrastructure this country relies on is central to delivering national renewal, improving living standards and securing Britain’s future through our Plan for Change.

“Not only are we investing an additional £4.8 billion to deliver vital road schemes and maintain major roads across the country to get Britain moving, next month we start handing councils a record £1.6 billion to repair roads and fill millions of potholes across the country.

“British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them. That ends with us. We’ve done our part by handing councils the cash and certainty they need – now it’s up to them to get on with the job, put that money to use and prove they’re delivering for their communities.”

The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “After years of neglect we’re tackling the pothole plague, building vital roads and ensuring every penny is delivering results for the taxpayer.

“The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing 25 per cent of their £500m funding boost.

“Our Plan for Change is reversing a decade of decline and mending our pothole-ridden roads which damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe.”

To ensure councils are taking action, they must now publish reports on their websites by 30 June 2025, detailing how much they are spending, how many potholes they have filled, what percentage of their roads are in what condition, and how they are minimising streetworks disruption.

They will also be required to show how they are spending more on long-term preventative maintenance programmes and that they have robust plans for the wetter winters the country is experiencing – making potholes worse.

By the end of October, councils must also show they are ensuring communities have their say on what work they should be doing, and where. The public can also help battle back against pothole ridden roads by reporting them to their local council, via a dedicated online portal.

To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, the government has frozen fuel duty at current levels for another year to support hardworking families and businesses, saving the average car driver £59.

Edmund King, AA president and member of the Pothole Partnership, said: “Getting councils to show value for money before getting full funding is a big step in the right direction, as it will encourage a more concerted attack on the plague of potholes.

“At the same time, local authorities can share best practice, so others can learn what new innovations and planned maintenance techniques have worked for them.”

The £4.8bn for National Highways will protect the country’s strategic road network, which provides critical routes and connections across the country for people, businesses and freight to help drive for growth as part of Plan for Change.

The £4.8bn includes a record £1.3bn investment to keep this vital network in good repair, so the network remains fit for the future, and £1.8bn for National Highways’ daily operations that are critical to ensuring the network runs safely and smoothly for millions of people and businesses that rely on it every day. As well as £1.3bn for essential improvement schemes to unlock growth and housing.

Since entering office, the UK government has approved over £200m for the A47 Thickthorn Junction, and £290m for M3 Junction 9 plus £90m for local road schemes like the A130 Fairglen Interchange, the South-East Aylesbury Link Road, the A350 Chippenham Bypass, the A647 scheme in Leeds. This is a total of over £580m for schemes to get Britain moving.

Final phase of Granton Station View ‘net-zero ready’ development begins

The development of 75 affordable, ‘net-zero ready’ homes at Granton Station View, led by the City of Edinburgh Council, has reached its final phase now that rigorous testing is underway to validate performance standards.

Across three pilot projects, including the Granton site, the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) programme is set to deliver 324 homes designed to achieve a ‘net-zero ready’ standard. This is achieved by improved building fabric performance that exceeds the current Building Regulations coupled with a zero-emissions heating system. Granton Station View was built by construction and manufacturing group, CCG (Scotland).

The University of Edinburgh is now conducting detailed, in-situ performance tests to measure and monitor the performance standard before occupancy, with results expected in Spring 2025. The University is measuring the u-value and airtightness of the buildings as well as thermal imaging the homes, to name a few.

A 12-month monitoring period following occupancy will further assess the homes’ performance. During this time, occupants will also be asked to participate in surveys to understand behaviour that influences energy efficiency and to capture insights into the impact of and experiences with zero-direct-emissions heating systems.

The University will also be capturing the electricity usage via the property distribution board, monitoring the efficiency of the communal heating system and internal air temperature analysis using surface-mounted sensors.

Now that the EHD programme is well underway with the delivery of its pilot projects, the six local authority partners of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City region Deal have committed to establish and manage the Regional Delivery Alliance (RDA) to apply the lessons learned from the EHD programme to refine and scale the performance standard.

By consolidating outputs from the EHD programme, the RDA is applying a cohesive approach to procurement, housing typologies, and performance specifications across the six local authority areas.

The Regional Delivery Alliance has secured funding and endorsement from regional partners for an initial two-year term, running until March 2026. The RDA will play a vital role in supporting local authorities, registered social landlords, and the private sector in the South East of Scotland, ensuring the successful delivery of affordable, energy efficient housing.

City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Thanks to the collaborative efforts with our partners at the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator programme, we’ve been able to deliver high-quality, energy efficient homes that will provide much needed housing for individuals and families.

“The testing being performed will verify that the homes achieve the high standard expected and I look forward to seeing the results.

“The homes at Granton Station View are designed with the latest technology to keep energy bills low, ensuring that families can live comfortably while benefitting from a sustainable, future-proofed living environment. Not only will they reduce carbon emissions, but they also provide another avenue for tackling the housing emergency.”

Dr Julio Bros-Williamson, Chancellor’s Fellow in Net Zero Buildings at the University of Edinburgh said: “The evaluation of the homes is the culmination of a lot of hard work from the stakeholders of this pilot project, from the initial design and energy aspirations to the construction and delivery on site.

“The tests we are conducting will help to verify and provide in-depth knowledge of the initial performance of a sample of flats representative of the whole development. Projects like this provide a beacon of knowledge to transition to net zero homes of the present and future.”

CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “Granton Station View is a pioneering development that will help to shape the future of affordable, net zero housebuilding in the Edinburgh and South East City Region.

“As main contractor, CCG led its delivery through use of our advanced, offsite methods of construction – a key strand of the EHD initiative’s philosophy and an integral component to achieving the rigorous design standard and future operational net zero carbon capability.

“We look forward to receiving the results and once again give thanks to The City of Edinburgh Council, the design team and wider delivery partners for their support throughout the project’s journey.”

To keep up to date about the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator and Regional Delivery Alliance, follow the EHD LinkedIn page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/edinburgh-home-demonstrator

Swinney: Time to capitalise on a potential £100 billion offshore wind market

Showcasing Scotland’s investment proposition

The Scottish Government will host a major investment event in Edinburgh tomorrow (Monday 17^th March) aimed at unlocking new private investment in the country’s rapidly growing offshore wind industry.

More than 100 stakeholders, including investors and developers, will attend the Global Offshore Wind Investment Forum, to be hosted by First Minister John Swinney.

The Forum is taking part following a Green Industrial Strategy commitment to raise the profile of Scotland as a destination for capital investment. The Strategy identified offshore wind as one of five priority areas for Scottish Government resources and investment.

The Scottish Government is investing up to £500 million over five years in the Scottish offshore wind supply chain to leverage an expected £1.5 billion of private investment.

Speaking ahead of the Forum, the First Minister said: “The growth and success of Scotland’s offshore wind industry is not only an ambition of my Government, it is a priority for me personally. Delivering on its promise will not only deliver our global climate obligations, but create significant new jobs and economic opportunities.

“History has shown that success stems from choosing the right time and place to capitalise on the next innovation of the era. We have already gained a significant first-mover advantage and laid the groundwork for success.

“Now we are poised to move to the next stage of development and growth and reap the rewards of what we estimate could be a £100 billion market.

“The Global Offshore Wind investment Forum is about “Team Scotland” showcasing the offer that Scotland’s offshore wind sector offers to global investors. We have a compelling story and a clear message that Scotland is open for business.”

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin and Employment and Investment Minister Tom Arthur will also take part in the Forum, which has been delivered by Scottish Enterprise.

The UK Government will be represented and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise and Scottish National Investment Bank will also take part in the event.

Climate protesters target Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association conference in Edinburgh

Campaigners from Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Divest Lothian, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Protest in Harmony demonstrated outside the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association Investment conference in Edinburgh this morning.

The protest included a performance calling on delegates to acknowledge they are currently hugely underestimating climate risk and to take bold action to address this.

This annual Pension Investment conference brings over 800 delegates to Edinburgh from across the UK pension investment industry; an industry which invests more that £1.3 trillion on behalf of 30 million people.

Attracting the attention of delegates with singing and a ‘Big Oil Funk’ dance, campaigners portrayed a pension fund leader with his head in the sand being persuaded by actuaries and climate scientists to look up and “Face the Climate Risks”.

They warn of the “catastrophic” risks to communities and the economy which are being ignored by pension funds due to the flawed climate risk assessments supplied by their advisers, according to ‘Planetary Solvency – finding our balance with nature’, a report published in January 2025 by The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, in conjunction with climate scientists at the University of Exeter.

The report explains how climate change and nature-driven risks have been hugely underestimated through flawed economic modelling and risk assessment processes. It sets out that we are on a trajectory to catastrophic warming levels of > 2°C by 2050, leading to a possible 50% contraction of the global economy within the lifetimes of current pension savers.

Alexander Forbes, 35, Lifeguard and XR Edinburgh & Lothians, said: “The warning from the actuaries, the risk experts, couldn’t be more stark. Risk management by pension funds is currently blind to systemic climate, nature, societal and economic risks.

“The lack of urgency within governments to make the sweeping policy changes necessary – and within the pension industry to demand that they do – can be directly attributed to the flawed economic modelling and risk assessment processes widely considered authoritative, that underestimate the risk.

“We urgently need the people managing our pension savings to boldly face these risks, be honest about the risks with pension savers and demand the government take immediate policy action to accelerate the energy transition and reduce emissions.”

The actuaries’ report comes at a time when UK pension funds are investing an estimated £88 billion in fossil fuel companies which, buoyed by support from the new US administration, are intent on increasing oil and gas production and worsening the climate crisis, as evidenced by BP’s ‘reset’ announced in February.

Joan Forehand, 60, retired accountant and Divest Lothian, said: “Pension fund managers have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate risk. They need to look at the evidence in front of them, which risk experts have hammered home. A robust approach to climate risk assessment would clearly show that investing in the fossil fuel industry is not in the interests of its members.

“Divestment by pension funds would be both economically wise, and would send a strong signal to governments that policies and subsidies favouring the fossil fuel industry must be rapidly removed.”

Meanwhile climate records continue to be broken and extreme weather is devastating millions of lives around the world.

Last year, 2024, was the hottest on record, and the first year with an average temperature exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level. January 2025 was the warmest January on record, surprising scientists who had expected it to be cooler due to transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions.

Sally Clark, divestment campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:
“Pension funds are in charge of our savings, they are responsible for our futures – but if they keep investing in fossil fuels, we won’t have a liveable planet or positive future to retire into.

“The money moved away from fossil fuels could instead be invested in ways that support local communities and protect the planet for everyone, like renewable energy, warm homes and social housing.”

The campaigners demand that pension fund leaders face the climate risks and urgently:

conduct robust climate risk assessments
divest from fossil fuel companies, and;
advocate with governments for policy changes to accelerate the transition.

PICTURES: Siobhian Chalmers

Sea Champions seek Volunteers for Cramond Beach Clean

WEDNESDAY 2nd APRIL at 10.30am

We are looking for volunteers to join our next public beach clean at Cramond Beach. Join us for a beach clean plus litter survey to collect vital data which can help us campaign for change.

We find a huge amount of wet wipes and sewage related debris at this beach, help us gather the information needed to see continued legislation change.

Wednesday 2nd April, 10.30am

Find out more and register for your space https://www.mcsuk.org/…/april-ospar-cramond-beach…/

Investment in landmark cycle routes delivering record share of journeys by bike in Scotland

— Record proportion of journeys being made by bike on Edinburgh’s new City Centre route and Glasgow’s South City Way —

— Over 1,700 more people cycling on Glasgow’s South City Way in two-day survey period in September 2024 vs 2023, a 46% annual increase —

— Edinburgh’s City Centre West to East Link sees additional 1,000 people cycling in two-day survey period in January 2025 vs 2024, an 83% annual increase —

— Evidence of wider impact of South City Way, with growth in cycling on nearby streets

New traffic data collated by Cycling Scotland, Scotland’s national cycling charity, has revealed the growing success of two new landmark cycle routes in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and their impact in supporting more people to travel by bike.

Over a 48-hour period in September 2024, traffic surveys recorded 5,457 bikes on the South City Way cycle route on Victoria Road in the south of Glasgow. This was out of a total of 36,417 travel methods recorded, meaning that 15% of people cycled their journey – a new record cycling modal share for an urban street in Scotland.

Overall, 1,718 more bike journeys were recorded on the South City Way over the two-day survey period in September 2024, compared to the same period in September 2023. This is a 46% year-on-year growth in the number of people cycling along the route.

Illustrating the wider impact of the route, cycling was recorded as accounting for 4.3% of journeys on nearby Nithsdale Road, which has no safe cycle lanes, but which connects the nearby area of Pollokshields to the South City Way.

The number of people cycling on Nithsdale Road increased by 45% from September 2023 to September 2024, with nearby Allison Street also recording a 22% increase in cycling over the same period.

Edinburgh’s City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) – which connects Roseburn to the city centre – recorded a cycling modal share of 8.3% in September 2024, just nine months after it was completed.

A 48-hour traffic survey conducted in January 2025 on the CCWEL recorded a total of 2,199 people cycling on the West Coates section – 1,000 more bike journeys compared to the same two-day period in January 2024, shortly after construction of the route. This is a 83% year-on-year growth in the number of people cycling along this route.

Glasgow’s South City Way is one of the most ambitious urban cycle routes in the country, showcasing what investment in a good quality network of safe cycling routes can achieve. Running for 3km, the route’s fully separated, on-street cycle lanes provide a high-quality, direct link between communities in Glasgow’s Southside and the city centre.

The route was developed by Glasgow City Council and Sustrans, with cross-party support and funding from Sustrans’ Places for Everyone Programme. Glasgow City Council continues to expand it further, with new connections planned through development of the citywide network of active travel routes.

Officially opened in early 2024, Edinburgh’s 4km City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) provides a high-quality west-east cycling route connecting Roseburn in the city’s West End to Picardy Place, via Haymarket Rail Station.

The project included improved road crossings, footways, street surfacing and greening improvements along the route, and was delivered by City of Edinburgh Council, with funding from Transport Scotland through Sustrans’ Places For Everyone programme, alongside additional funding from the Scottish Government and the Council’s transport budget.

At Picardy Place, the CCWEL now connects to the 2km Leith Walk cycle route, which saw a total of 580,000 cycle journeys in 2024 – a 40% increase on the number of cycle journeys recorded in 2023.

Cycling Scotland organises traffic surveys across Scotland to monitor changes in travel behaviour, working in partnership with all 32 local authorities at over 100 locations. Conducted biannually in May and September each year, these nationwide traffic surveys help to track changes in modal share, highlighting how new high-quality cycle routes such as this are supporting more people to make sustainable journeys.

Annalise, a commuter who cycles with her son to school along Glasgow’s South City Way several times a week, shared her thoughts on the route: “It’s brilliant to have this and it makes such a difference.

“I’ve lived in other parts of the city that don’t have anything like this, and I didn’t cycle as much as I do now. We cycle together to school a few days a week, and I then use the route the rest of the way to get to work in the centre.

“It saves me so much time.”

Julie, who uses the CCWEL to cycle to work in Edinburgh city centre said: “This is a route I take every day. It makes a huge difference in terms of how safe you feel.

“The biggest difference I’ve noticed are the different types of people on the road as well as regular commuters. So many school kids using it and people with cargo bikes. It’s joyful to see more people using their bikes.”

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop MSP, said: “I’m pleased to welcome this latest evidence from Cycling Scotland.

“It confirms what cities around the world and here in Scotland already know – where you create a safer environment for cycling through quality infrastructure and support to use it, you see more people cycling.

“In turn, this means more people living healthier lives, saving money, leaving their car at home and reducing their emissions.

“To support the continued ambitions and leadership of our towns and cities – and to make walking, wheeling and cycling easier for shorter everyday journeys, in 2025-26 the Scottish Government will invest £188 million to make it even easier for people to choose sustainable active travel.”

Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for Transport and Climate at Glasgow City Council said: “The continued growth in the number of people using the South City Way demonstrates that when we build safe, segregated and accessible active travel infrastructure, Glaswegians will come and make use of it.

“It’s clear that rebalancing our roads by adding active travel infrastructure helps people feel more at ease when cycling and leads to a roads network that’s fairer for everyone. We know that many people only feel comfortable choosing the bike for everyday journeys where they have confidence that they can make use of safe, segregated cycle infrastructure for most or all of their route.

“With the recent completion of the final phase of the South City Way to Candleriggs in the city centre and ongoing work to extend the active travel network with the Connecting Battlefield project, the success of this key corridor is a great blueprint for Glasgow as we work to deliver our plans for a comprehensive City Network of segregated cycle infrastructure to connect communities across the city.”

Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, Transport and Environment Convener at City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Here in Edinburgh, it’s really encouraging to see these new figures which reflect the increased popularity and patronage of the CCWEL since its opening last year.

“Equally, the increase in cycle journeys at the junction of Picardy Place and Leith Walk is very welcome news. Providing quality active travel infrastructure across our city remains a key priority and I’m determined that this will continue.

“It’s clear that by providing these amenities which allow active travel in a safe, simple and integrated way we’ll see an uptake in use. In order to fulfil our climate objectives and goals for mobility in the city, we have a responsibility to our residents and visitors to maintain, improve and expand this infrastructure.

“Indeed, just a few months ago we saw the opening of the Roseburn to Union Canal route and with ongoing projects like Leith Connections and Meadows to George Street I’m really optimistic looking forward.”

Keith Irving, Chief Executive of Cycling Scotland, said: “This is yet more evidence that when Scotland builds high quality cycling infrastructure, it gets more people cycling.

“Given that cycling journeys typically account for around 2% of traffic on urban streets, the fact we are now seeing four to seven times that number of journeys being cycled on these routes – together with the huge growth in cycling numbers – shows just what can be achieved when Scotland invests in safe cycling routes.

“Road safety is the single biggest barrier to more people cycling, and the strong success of these landmark routes demonstrates clearly that investing in well-connected, dedicated cycling lanes is having an impact: helping more people to travel safely and affordably, benefiting our health, reducing harmful pollution and our impact on the climate.

“We need more safe cycling routes just like these, to bring the benefits to more people across Scotland.”

Further data on cycle rates in Scotland can be found on the Cycling Open Data Portal.

A full breakdown of the data, with supporting data visualisations, can be found on the Cycling Scotland website.

Pioneering £15 million fund launches in Edinburgh, for Edinburgh

Regenerative Futures Fund will help tackle root-causes of poverty, racism and climate change

Edinburgh, like many cities, faces serious and systemic issues of poverty and racism, and these are deeply connected with environmental challenges.

Time after time local charities across the city have proven they are well-placed and able to provide the solutions needed to deliver real impact for their communities, but they are seriously constrained by the existing funding model of short-term cyclical or project funding, lack of trust and lack of understanding.

Launching today, The Regenerative Futures Fund is a pioneering ten-year community fund for Edinburgh that puts decision-making power into the hands of those who are most often excluded.

It supports approaches that improve the lives of local people living in poverty and experiencing racism, and that contribute towards a just, green transition, by enabling equity and power-sharing.

The fund is specifically designed to step into the space of long term, unrestricted funding, placing trust in communities that they themselves can allocate resources where they are most needed, and where they will make the biggest impact.

The fund also brings together long-term commitments from some of the biggest funders in the country, contributing to and collaborating on the pooled fund, including Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, The Robertson Trust, Turn2us Edinburgh Trust, Foundation Scotland and crucially City of Edinburgh Council, but completely removes them from the decision-making process.

Instead, they are giving local individuals and organisations the agency and the resources they need to create a brighter future for all residents of Edinburgh.

With nearly £6 million pledged to date, the team is actively inviting others to join the impressive coalition of funders, corporate partners, and philanthropists committed to a just and sustainable Edinburgh to fully realise the ambitious 10-year programme.

Leah Black, Co-Head said “We have a wealth of incredible organisations in Edinburgh who are passionate and capable of delivering the changes we all need to see but unfortunately the current funding landscape can often stand in their way.

“Traditional funding programmes do little to address the root causes of poverty and inequality; short timescales, restricted single-issue support and overall, a real lack of trust in the organisations delivering on the ground. A radical shake up is needed and that is why we are coming together to launch The Regenerative Futures Fund.

“The Regenerative Futures Fund is different. Collaboratively designed by local people in community organisations, campaigners, funders and the local authority, this £15 million, ten-year pooled fund presents a unique opportunity to support and learn with others to enable a long-term community-led approach to systemic change.

“We are committed to meaningful, long term and unrestricted funding. This means that organisations will be given the freedom to think and plan for the long-term.”

Through the fund, grants of up to £100,000 per year will be offered to around 10-15 Edinburgh-based organisations, over 10 years.

Aala Ross, Co-Head said: “The Regenerative Futures Fund directly addresses the huge problem we have with short-termism. Transformative thinking – and doing – requires long-term resource.

“We struggle to think and act long-term due to the dominance of short-term and restricted funding, resulting in ‘sticking plaster’ and siloed solutions to our biggest societal issues.

“We are frustrated with restrictions and barriers of short-term, restrictive and power imbalanced funding for social sector organisations. We know that this is a funding programme with a difference, and we know that other cities and funders will be watching and we will openly share our learning across the next ten years.”

Edinburgh City Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “Here in Edinburgh we have an ambitious target to end poverty by 2030, and we remain committed to making our city fairer. We know that this isn’t an easy task but we need to be bold and drive the change that is so greatly needed.

“The Regenerative Futures Fund will empower local people and the third sector to directly fight poverty and inequality in our communities. We need a city-wide partnership fund to help us end poverty together. This innovative model is unique to Edinburgh.

“With backing already in place for £6 million, including £100,000 of Council funding, the team is well placed to start working alongside those with firsthand understandings of poverty. This will help make a lasting difference – ensuring their voices are at the heart of decision-making.”

One of Scotland’s biggest funders, The Robertson Trust has contributed £1 million to the Regenerative Futures Fund, the largest award they’ve made in this strategic funding period, and their first ever ten-year award.

Jim McCormick, Chief Executive of The Robertson Trust said: “The Robertson Trust is committed to preventing and reducing poverty and trauma in Scotland by funding, supporting and influencing solutions to drive social change.

“As an independent funder, we recognise our responsibility to explore new approaches, particularly to address the root causes of poverty, racial injustice and climate risks. Our partners tell us consistently that lasting change cannot be achieved through short-term funding.

“That’s why we were drawn to The Regenerative Futures Fund’s long-term vision, its ambitious cross-sector collaboration, and its deep commitment to shifting power towards people and places with lived experience of these deep-seated challenges.

“Our £1 million award over ten years – the largest and longest commitment of strategy period to date – reflects our commitment to long-term change. We share the Fund’s bold vision and look forward to learning about power-sharing and ambitious collaboration to achieve transformative change in Edinburgh.”

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation have contributed over £500,000 to the Fund. Gillian Goode, Funding Manager at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation said: “Regenerative Futures Fund is an ambitious vision to reimagine and demonstrate an alternative model of citizen-led change for the City of Edinburgh.

“Communities have no shortage of ideas for how to explore and create innovative solutions and address the inequalities that exclude people from being part of that experience; what they often lack is stable and secure resourcing and the right to decide how best to use it.

“We are grateful and excited to have the opportunity to learn alongside communities, other funders, City of Edinburgh Council, other partners and stakeholders how we might work together differently in future towards sustainable change that can meet everyone’s social and economic needs and safeguard our climate and natural world.”

Independent charity Foundation Scotland is involved as both a key funder and the host of the Fund overall.

Helen Wray, Head of Philanthropy at Foundation Scotland said “This is an ambitious fund that ultimately aims to empower people to play a central role in improving their lives and those of others – to have their voices listened to and be active in shaping their own futures.

“We talk about this kind of approach often, but rarely do we see it so powerfully laid out. The Regenerative Futures Fund has the potential to create a compelling model for others to follow. We will fully support them to make that ambition a reality.”

Eligibility checkers and application details for both the lived experience panel and interested organisations are now live on the Fund website.

Those interested in contributing to the collaborative pooled fund and building a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for Edinburgh should get in touch with Leah Black: leah@foundationscotland.org.uk

For more information about the Regenerative Futures Fund including eligibility criteria and application information visit https://regenerativefuturesfund.org.uk

ECCAN Spring Assembly: Root to Plate

Join us for ECCAN’s Spring Assembly: Root to Plate!

On Wednesday, March 26th at the Charteris Centre, we’re bringing together passionate individuals and key groups to explore the connection between food, community, and the climate crisis.

Whether you’re a foodie, work in the sector, or just curious about food sustainability and tackling waste, this is your chance to connect, learn, and take action!

Oh, and did we mention FREE lunch?

Reserve your spot now on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/root-to-plate-tickets…#FoodCommunity

Plans to protect Edinburgh from climate effects

EDINBURGH PLANS TO GET CLIMATE-READY

Detailed plans have been produced outlining 66 steps the council and partners must take to get ‘climate ready’.

Our Climate Ready Edinburgh Implementation Plan, published on Friday (28 February), will be considered by members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee on Tuesday 11 March.

Over the next two years, it is proposed that all actions in the plan are implemented to help Edinburgh adapt to the impacts of climate change.

This could include working with partners to tackle the risks of flooding and coastal erosion and protecting the World Heritage Site, to planting trees and exploring transport systems to make the city resilient against weather extremes.

It is hoped this work will help to protect homes from flooding and overheating, safeguard our buildings and support new climate skills and jobs, while increasing the resilience of our ancient city against the future risks of climate change.

Some of the proposed steps to implement our Climate Ready Edinburgh Plan 2024-2030 include:

Identifying trigger points and action needed to prepare for weather extremes
Making Edinburgh a Million Tree City by planting 25,000 new trees a year
Prioritising street tree planting in areas prone to flooding and overheating
Increasing the tree canopy from 17% to 20% of the whole city by 2045
Establishing a Wilding Wee Spaces Schools programme
Undertaking a flood study to determine the long-term management of existing defences along the coast
Completing a surface water flood management project with Scottish Water in Craigleith by 2026
Delivery of new small-scale adaptation and energy retrofit pilot projects in the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site by 2026
Monitoring issues of damp in Council housing, addressing most at risk properties
Working with providers to increase the resilience of Edinburgh’s transport systems.

Council Leader, Jane Meagher, said: “With architecture spanning 1,000 years and two World Heritage Sites, more trees than any other Capital city and a vast coastline, there is no question that Edinburgh’s natural and built environment is unique. Our Climate Ready plan has been designed to protect and enhance the place we are lucky enough to call home.

“Recent events have been a stark reminder of how disruptive weather can be to our city and to property. As such, we need to focus our efforts on adapting and preparing for such risks.

“Where we face issues of flooding and dampness, it disproportionately affects disadvantaged households. Where buildings suffer from poor energy efficiency, this brings up the cost of bills.

“It is to this end that climate change goes hand in hand with poverty as the biggest challenge we face, and we cannot tackle one without the other.

“With our businesses at risk as much as our homes, there is also a clear economic case for getting our capital ‘climate ready’. This report makes it clear that this work will require significant investment, but the costs of failing to prepare are higher.

“That is what has driven us to pledge an additional £2.9m to address our climate and nature emergencies in the budget we set last week. It is also why we have invested £500,000 into protecting our coastline with the successful introduction of new groynes at Portobello Beach.

“If approved next month by Committee, this detailed 66-step plan will further guide us and partners to become a ‘climate ready’ capital. Climate change is a major threat to our health and that of our ancient, coastal city and it is crucial that we work with partners to protect it.”

Gordon Reid, Scottish Water and chair of the Edinburgh Adapts Partnership that developed the plan, said: “We are already seeing the impacts of a changing climate in Edinburgh, with more frequent severe storms causing flooding, damage to buildings and disruption to travel.

“If we don’t take action then we will see greater impacts to the people, buildings, economy and the services we all rely on in the city. Many of these impacts disproportionately effect disadvantaged households and we need to ensure that we act to deliver adaptation for everyone in society as part of the just transition to a climate changed future.

“In addition, we need to act to address the nature emergency and many of the actions in the plan will address adaption and nature, delivering multiple benefits for the city.”

Yann Grandgirard, Head of Climate Change at Edinburgh World Heritage and member of the Edinburgh Adaptation and Nature Partnership, said: “Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, affecting its integrity, and undermining our efforts to preserve it and share its cultural values with current and future generations.

“Climate change impacts are diverse and not limited to physical damages to our historic buildings, streets and green spaces. They also affect our experience of this special part of the city – a vibrant place where people live, work, study and visit.

“The finalisation of the Edinburgh Climate Ready implementation plan is an important step in providing the necessary framework to protect and enhance both the World Heritage Site and the city through sensitive adaptation actions. It will act as a critical tool to prioritise climate actions, attract much needed funding and support partnerships across the city.”