Project Activities

Introduction

The overarching aim of the ‘Dunbar – 2025’ project was to lay the groundwork for the future structural changes in the local economy required to achieve substantial long-term carbon savings.  At the same time we wanted to start making immediate carbon savings where it was easy to do so. There were two main objectives to this project:

• To engage as many and as wide a range of people as possible in preparing and starting to implement a Zero Carbon Dunbar Vision and Action Plan –Dunbar 2025 –a vision for Dunbar in 2025 and a plan for the action which we need to take now in order for us to get there.

To meet this objective, we employed a project coordinator, planned a programme of publicity and awareness raising events, designed a robust process of community engagement and an intensive community mapping project, supported by trained facilitators, backed up with the necessary skills, resources, publicity and outreach.  Part of the role of the coordinator was to support existing practical projects and volunteer working groups and to forge links and partnerships with other local organisations.

• To bring about a significant and rapid reduction in carbon emissions from domestic energy use through reducing energy wastage, improving energy efficiency and installation of microrenewables where appropriate.

To meet this objective we employed and trained up a team of energy auditors to carry out home energy audits and provide personalised recommendations with specific measures to reduce carbon, backed up with practical assistance with applying for grants and ongoing support. We linked this to our local targeted small grants scheme for energy efficiency measures funded from a local windfarm and run from the BeGreen drop-in energy advice shop.