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51�Թ����App and Bute Council has agreed local actions to support the aims of the global climate change conference planned in Glasgow later this year. Several hundred thousand delegates are expected to attend the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition Centre (SEC) from 1st-12th November 2021. Around 120 world leaders, potentially including US President Biden, China’s President Xi Jinping and His Holiness Pope Francis, are expected to come together to discuss global concerns about climate change.

51�Թ����App and Bute Council has reduced its carbon emissions by 27% over the past five years.  Its carbon report 2019/20 shows that its emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, thanks to a wide range of actions.  These include buildings being made more energy and heat efficient, traditional lightbulbs being replaced with LED, and a move to electric or hybrid vehicles. 

51�Թ����App and Bute Council will invest more than £1.2 million in action to save energy and deliver progress in becoming a net zero carbon emissions organisation by 2045.  The steps planned are also expected to deliver financial savings that will cover the cost of the investment in ten years.  The council’s estate and buildings account for over 20% of its overall carbon footprint, through use of electricity, gas, heating oil and water in premises. 

Funding to support events and festivals for 2021/2022 across 51�Թ����App and Bute has today been agreed at the Policy and Resources Committee.

51�Թ����App and Bute Council’s Policy and Resources Committee today agreed a £747,000 investment in growing the economy of Oban and the surrounding area.

51�Թ����App and Bute Council is seeking bids from organisations wishing to deliver activity as part of the UK Community Renewal Fund. Aimed at stimulating growth and supporting people and communities, the Fund is part of the UK Government’s No one left Behind agenda. 51�Թ����App and Bute has been identified as one of the priority areas for the fund which involves the distribution of a total of £220 million of funding for 2021/22 across the whole of the UK.   

On Monday 17 May, we expect mainland Scotland will be in Level 2 and 51�Թ����App and Bute’s outer islands will be in Level 1. Community and village halls will be able to restart activities which are permitted in those levels. In order for halls to re-open and operate safely, the Community Group or Appointed Organiser should take the following steps:

Scotland’s emerging space sector has secured more than £70,000 public sector match funding. 51�Թ����App and Bute Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have each awarded £36,985 to a joint venture between Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) and UK Launch Services Limited (UKLSL) for the Mach-21 CanSat competition and Space Careers Conference. 

51�Թ����App and Bute Council has taken a number of steps to ensure that young people feel well supported as they return to school after lockdown. The council’s educational psychologists have been delivering a nurture training programme across schools as part of its ‘Our children, their nurturing education’ strategy. Twenty primary and secondary schools have signed up, starting their journey to becoming a nurture and relationships-based community. The scheme has been a huge success and, as a result, is now being rolled out to other groups.

51�Թ����App and Bute Council has received an additional £2.3 million from the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme Programme to help reduce fuel poverty in the area. The grant will be used by 51�Թ����App Community Housing Association (ACHA), in partnership with 51�Թ����App and Bute Council and SSE Energy Solutions to install external wall insulation to mixed tenure blocks of flats across Oban, Bute and Cowal.