What Stirling Council is Doing
Sustainable Stirling Annual Report
Scotland’s 2009 Climate Change Act places duties on the Council to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, and to act sustainably in everything it does. Since 2015, the Council has also been required to submit an Annual Report that outlines the work it has carried out to comply with the Climate Change Duties.
The Council’s Sustainable Stirling Annual Report is a key document for communicating how the Council is performing on a range of climate and environmental considerations and is split into the following 4 sections:
- Content required by the Scottish Government to show compliance with our Climate Change Duties;
- Recommended information that considers the Council’s wider impact and influence on greenhouse gas emissions from the Stirling area;
- A wider range of sustainable development information; and
- Progress in delivering commitments in the Sustainable Growth Agreement (SGA) between the Council and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (see below).
The current report was approved by the Environment & Housing Committee in November.
Sustainable Growth Agreement (SGA)
Stirling Council has demonstrated its commitment to continuing environmental protection by becoming the first Scottish Local Authority to formally partner with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Close working between the Council and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) around common values led to the development of a joint Sustainable Growth Agreement (SGA) to formalise that relationship, and this was signed in August 2018. The SGA with Stirling Council was the fourth signed by SEPA, but the first with a Local Authority and has a joint vision for the City Region to live within one planet limits. The Agreement details commitments for both parties and proposed an initial two-year programme of 23 short-term practical projects covering a range of themes to be delivered by partners. Both signatories have agreed that the SGA will remain in place for at least four years, with a formal Annual Review and joint Annual Report to assess progress.
The SGA aims to lead with the following outcomes:
- Better connecting people and their environment
- Making a flourishing city region with opportunities for all
- Helping Stirling citizens to achieve social benefits
- Developing economic opportunity in harmony with natural systems
- Making the Stirling City Region more resilient
- Making the Stirling City Region more sustainable
Stirling's First District Heating Network
The Stirling Renewable Heat District Heating Project has seen the installation of a district heating network in the Forthside area of Stirling.
District Heating: a network of insulated pipes used to deliver heat, in the form of hot water, from an energy source to an end-user – provides a means to transport heat efficiently
The project is a First of a Kind in the UK for its innovative mix of technologies - using waste heat recovery alongside a combined heat and power (CHP) engine to supply low cost, low carbon energy to end-users on the heat network. End-users include The Peak Leisure Centre, Forthbank Stadium and the newly renovated Barracks Development in Forthside.
This project was successful in receiving funding through the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP), which is a joint Scottish Government and EU capital funding programme.
Stirling River Park
The vision for Stirling River Park is to transform the river corridor into a recreational and environmental asset at the heart of the City. We have creates a high-quality open space which connects heritage sites, offers unique views and supports a range of outdoor activities for local people and visitors to the City to enjoy.
Following the repair of the collapsed harbour wall, the Council and the Coastal Communities Fund jointly funded the installation of a pontoon at the site of the Old Harbour at Shore Road. This the first step in our wider vision to increase access to the River Forth in the city and to invest in our natural environment.