Cairngorms custodian makes eco resolutions for 2020
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THE custodian of the Cairngorms National Park has made some green New Year's resolutions.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has always strived to be green but 2020 will see a step up in its focus as it sets out how it will help meet the Scottish Government’s 2045 net zero greenhouse gas emissions target.
The CNPA is encouraging others to consider what changes they can make to help tackle the climate emergency.
Chief executive Grant Moir said: "We are taking our corporate responsibilities very seriously with various changes to how we operate, such as switching to more environmentally-friendly vehicles and other changes to internal policies which will promote a reduction in emissions.
"We can all do our bit and on a personal level – I was lucky enough to get a hot composter for Christmas so I’ll be composting all our waste food at home. It’s a great invention with only six weeks to compost, useable in the garden."
The authority has been monitoring its carbon footprint since 2007-08 and has managed to cut it from 150 tCO2e to 90 tCO2e in 2017-18 in a decade.
Measures include a reduction in vehicle use and switching to more eco-friendly pool cars, a reduction in electricity usage, cutting down on paper use, the installation of a biomass boiler, buying only eco-friendly cleaning products and making recycling easier around the office.
The park’s head of organisational development, Kate Christie, said: "We consider carefully the need to travel to meetings and how we will get there and we encourage staff – where possible – to consider their own commute. For example, we have the Bike to Work Scheme, which is open to all and has been extended to include e-bikes. We are continually increasing the amount of recycled products that we use and have drastically cut the use of paper – and we do other simple things like ensuring all lights and computer monitors are switched off when not in use."
Convener of the CNPA board, Xander McDade, said: "Looking at ways of reducing carbon emissions and repairing the damage already done to the environment and biodiversity will be top of the CNPA’s agenda.
"It is something that cannot be ignored and we will be looking at ways in which we can work together with the communities in the national park to reduce our impact and ensure that we leave a healthy and enriched environment for future generations."
