Highland Council puts communities and region first by maximising potential benefits from green energy

Following discussion in private (due to commercial confidentiality requirements) The Council has agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with H2 Green Ltd to explore opportunities to develop a regional green hydrogen network across the Highlands.  This has the potential to establish the Highlands as the leading UK-centre for the decarbonisation and innovation of rail, road and marine transport, supporting Highland jobs, promoting local supply chain development, and accelerating the region’s net zero transition

The Highland Council will contribute £100,000 to the cost of this planning work which will come from the £2m investment funds approved at their budget meeting the previous week to progress the local authority’s net zero ambitions, invest in green energy and provide long-lasting benefits to Highland communities.

Both parties have commenced negotiations on the terms of a proposed Joint Venture Agreement under which a Highlands decarbonisation plan would be delivered, which will be brought back to the Council for consideration within the next 6 months.

The Highland Council Leader, Margaret Davidson said: “I am excited about the potential benefits this agreement could bring.  For too long the Highlands has seen its natural resources exploited for the gain of others.  We are entering a new era a renewable energy. The Highlands has a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the green energy revolution and make sure those benefits – environmental and financial – are retained in the area for future generation to come.”

H2 Green is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getech, focused on developing and operating green hydrogen hub infrastructure. Marcus Hunt, Director of Commercial Services and Investments at SGN said:

“SGN is fully committed to supporting decarbonisation and the development of the Hydrogen economy and this is an exciting development on that journey with H2 Green and the Highland Council, helping to bring zero carbon fuel and wider economic benefits associated with the H2 economy to the Highlands region.”

Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Raymond Bremner, commented: “This ground-breaking development offers huge potential benefits to the Highland economy through job opportunities during construction and operation and through the development of supply chain linkages to local and incoming firms based throughout the region.”

He continued: “Making better use of off-peak green electricity will reduce the cost of Constraint Payments. These end up being added to household bills. Lower Constraint Payments will mean lower bills for families and businesses. That’s great news. We’ve a positive future ahead of us.”

The Council also considered a report in public which set out how the organisation is investing and positioning itself to maximise the benefits from the wider renewables sector for both the local authority and the communities it serves.

Members re-stated Highland Council’s commitment to work with Opportunity Cromarty Firth on the development opportunities that could arise from a Green Freeport bid.

In addition, members agreed that the Council should seek involvement and backing of the Scottish Government to provide a legislative and regulatory framework that supports the local authority’s ambitions for Highland communities and people.

Highland Council agreed to invest £100,000 in exploring how to derive income from renewables following on from a Motion passed in May 2021. At that meeting the contrast was highlighted between the vast profits being made by private energy companies from renewables/green energy scheme in Highland and the relatively limited benefits received by Highland Council, with its sub-optimal infrastructure. A draft scope of the work to be undertaken was approved today by Members.

The Council has also invested through the Salix Fund to deliver improvements in the Council’s infrastructure from street lighting to the Hydro Ness Archimedes screw project.

Chair of the, Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Trish Robertson said: “The green agenda is very fast moving indeed, and it is crucial that the Council is best-positioned to react quickly and respond flexibly in order to maximise opportunities that are likely to come forward in the weeks and months ahead.

“By investing in this area, the Council not only stands to benefit financially with the creation of potentially sizeable and sustainable income streams but will also be able to make progress towards net zero and provide long-lasting benefits to Highland communities.”

The Council’s Sustainable Highland Budget strategy for 2022/23, agreed as part of the collaborative budget, will provide £2m of investment to help tackle the climate and ecological emergency, and invest in green energy and jobs.

Depute Leader Alasdair Christie added: “It is anticipated that there will be a financial return on the investment as well as a major contribution to the Council’s Net Zero agenda. Going forward, it is great to know that there are numerous opportunities to work with the private sector to deliver schemes in the Highlands, with a view to securing substantial long term income streams and I very much welcome today’s agreement to enter into an MoU with H2Green.”

Discussions are being held with partners such as HIE and the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration 32 Partnership to ensure that a prospectus of the opportunities that can be delivered in Highland is prepared and resourced as the projects evolve.

Many of the port facilities in Highland will have great opportunity to benefit from the short, medium, and long-term opportunities.

Whilst Scotwind and the committed off-shore renewables sector provides a massive opportunity, there remains high levels of industry interest in on-shore wind development as well as significant hydro schemes.

Chair of the Council’s Corporate Resources Committee, Jimmy Gray, added: “It is important the current work being undertaken through the transformation agenda to ensure maximum benefit arising from those schemes in terms of infrastructure improvements is maintained and strengthened.”

Law firm Harper Macleod aims to grow its number of Modern Apprentices as it congratulates its latest cohort of successful graduates coming through the programme.

There are currently 32 colleagues who are working towards, or have completed, their Modern Apprenticeships.

More than 75% of the Modern Apprentices who started or achieved their qualification while working for the firm, are still working for Harper Macleod, meaning more than 10% of the firm’s workforce came through the programme.

Martin Darroch, Harper Macleod chief executive, said: “Having a culture of developing and supporting people throughout their careers, particularly from the outset, is vital to us. By actively promoting and encouraging young people to join us as Modern Apprentices we are able to craft and hone skills in a unique way.

“We recognise the responsibility we have as a large employer to our young people, as the Scottish economy continues to recover from the pandemic. The Modern Apprenticeship programme has proved time and time again how effective the partnership between industry and education can be, encouraging and promoting rich and diverse career pathways.

“We’re proud of the work we’ve done together so far, but want to do more as our business grows, and so does the responsibility which goes with it.”

Harper Macleod was one of the first law firms in Scotland to start supporting the Modern Apprenticeship programme, having brought through more than 70 apprentices since 2009, including nearly 50 in the last five years. Many have gone on to a wide range of careers within the firm including paralegals, HR and marketing.

All Modern Apprentices at the firm are offered full time contracts as well as the Scottish Living Wage.

The firm marked this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week with a visit from Glasgow MSP Sandesh Gulhane, who met 10 current and recent Modern Apprentices at the firm, presenting certificates to those who have recently achieved the qualification. The MSP also chatted with colleagues based in Inverness, Elgin and Edinburgh via video conference.

Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP: “I am grateful to Martin Darroch for welcoming me to Harper Macleod to mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2022. I was impressed and inspired by the stories told to me by current and former apprentices. As our economy recovers from the pandemic, the Modern Apprenticeship pathway presents a great route for young people to enter their chosen profession, working with a living wage paying employer like Harper Macleod which provides training, guidance and real-world experience. ”

Skills Development Scotland Chair and Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board Co-Chair Frank Mitchell, said: “When it comes to supporting sustainable skills through workforce development or providing opportunities for young people, we know that apprenticeships work.

“The combination of commitment from employers and the backing of Scottish Government will ensure apprenticeships work for everyone, making a significant contribution to Scotland’s recovery and productivity growth.”

Aidan Arenas is a Modern Apprentice in the firm’s Inverness office, working in the private client team. He chose a Modern Apprenticeship as it provides him with the opportunity to be employed while working towards a qualification in the process.

Aidan said: “I feel like I’m doing a valuable job and earning a qualification that’s industry-recognised while earning a good salary. I’d recommend it to others who are thinking about a Modern Apprenticeship as it allows you to gain skills that you might not have gained elsewhere. It puts you in situations and scenarios that you just can’t teach.”

Megan Levy completed her Modern Apprenticeship last year, and is a team assistant in the firm’s Elgin office. She was interested in a Modern Apprenticeship because it gave her the chance to work and study at the same time. Following her Modern Apprenticeship Megan is now studying to become a Residential Conveyancing Paralegal.

Megan said: “A Modern Apprenticeship is a great way to start a career after leaving school and it gives you various opportunities to get your foot in the door and develop career paths. When I first started the apprenticeship I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do, but the work environment really opened up my eyes, and my options. I am well on the way to achieving my career aspirations.”

Last year Harper Macleod signed the Young Person’s Guarantee, the Scottish Government-backed commitment to bring together employers and young people to increase employment opportunities for 16 to 24-year-olds. The firm also hold Investors in Young People Gold status.

 

Norscot has received its annual Certificate of Recycling from one of its recycling partners – CNC Recycling.

The windows, doors and timber frame kit home manufacturer is delighted to report it has increased  the amount of end of life uPVC window and door frames and offcuts sent to be recycled by 5.643 tonnes on 2020.

By sending 31.080 tonnes of uPVC to be broken down, recycled into new raw material and returned to manufacturers for reuse in new uPVC profiles, Norscot has helped stop unwanted uPVC ending up in landfill.

Find out more about how Norscot work to protect the environment here.

Caithness Chamber of Commerce strongly welcomes today’s announcement by the Highland Council that a contract has been awarded to Eastern Airways to run a Public Service Obligation (PSO) for three years from Wick to Aberdeen.

The Chamber, with funding from Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, developed the original business case for a PSO from Wick John O’Groats Airport and has continued to play a key role in the partnership efforts to secure funding and design a service specification.

Trudy Morris, Chief Executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, said:

“I am delighted by today’s announcement, which will be welcome news for the business community across the North Highlands. The return of this lifeline service will enable us to better work with customers and partners across Scotland, to seek out new opportunities, and will play a vital role in the economic revitalisation of the region post-COVID.

“Ensuring the return of air services to Wick has been a long-term priority for the Chamber and we, along with a range of partners, have invested significant time and effort to develop and secure a PSO.  The Chamber, along with other key CNSRP partners, including the Highland Council, worked to ensure the service procured is truly reflective of the needs not just of the local business community but of the whole region, and represents a fresh new approach to the delivery of air services from Wick.  This has been partnership working at its best.

“The world has changed significantly since we drafted the original business case, but the fundamental needs of the region to connect with other areas across Scotland, the rest of the UK, and globally has not. The PSO that has been secured will offer that vital connectivity, and will provide a strong base for further growth in years to come.

“Net zero and sustainability were at the heart of the PSO business case and we are supportive of the Scottish Government’s commitment to the Highlands and Islands becoming a net-zero aviation region by 2040. The Chamber will work with other CNSRP partners, the operator and HIAL to ensure that sustainability is considered as a key part of the development of the service.

“This service marks a new deal for air passengers across the North Highlands, with guaranteed service specifications, ticket prices capped at reasonable rates and a timetable built to suit the needs of the region first and foremost

“Flights on the new service can be booked now and will offer not only the ability to do a day’s business in Aberdeen, but onward travel to a vast array of domestic and international destinations suitable for both business and leisure travel.

“It has been a long and hard road to get here and we are delighted to see the return of commercial air services to Wick. With the service offering such a flexible timetable and ideal onward connections, we are sure that everyone living and working in the North Highlands will take full advantage of the additional connectivity it has to offer.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Highland Council, the airline, and local partners to ensure the continued success and growth of Wick John O’Groats Airport.”

Mark Rouse, Dounreay Managing Director said:

“We were pleased to be able to support the production of the business case for the PSO.  The airport has always been a valuable asset for the community, especially for business users, and we welcome the news that flights will begin again.  This is great news for local employment, for business and for community to have secured the three year PSO.  We will continue to work with our CNSRP partners to ensure that we can be supportive in ensuring its viability to continue beyond the initial three years.”

 

A copy of the proposed timetable which will be implemented from 25th April 2022:

The Management Team of Thurso Youth Club were delighted to thank the various funders and tradespeople who all contributed to the project at an event in Thurso Youth Club on Sunday 30^th January.

In partnership with the Rotary Club of Thurso the Youth Club took on the £60k refurbishment which included replacing the roof and outside walls, installing insulation then completely refitting the inside as a modern commercial standard kitchen.

Funding came from The Highland Council Coastal Communities Fund; Adapt & Thrive; Rotary Club of Thurso; m2pcs. Donations from Ashley Ann and Lee Mackay Joinery Contractors Ltd.

The kitchen is currently used by the Youth Club to produce hot snacks and meals at the very successful weekly Friday Youth Café for High School pupils and by Thurso Community Development Trust for their Community Hot Meal service.

The kitchen is a resource  that, along with the building, is available for use by the community.

In 2020 the Youth Club building was the central  point of the Community Response led by Thurso Community Development Trust, providing over 100 hot meals 5 times a week and receiving and distributing hundreds of books, jigsaws, crafts and toys to the community.

Since facing the threat of closure in 2018 the Youth Club has managed to source alternative funding to provide services for children and young people.

Although having  to close during lockdown as soon as was allowed the clubs reopened under the relevant guidelines and continued to provide a vital service for children and young people.

There is currently a staff of 7 paid leaders, running 7 clubs per week for children from P1 up to High School age.

As well as providing a safe place for children and young people to have fun and  enjoy the various activities on offer,  the Youth Club is also offering Youth Achievement Awards which encourage young people to learn new skills, gain confidence, help their local community and gain an accredited award.

Dunnet Bay Distillers has won a DigitalBoost Grant, funded with the support of the Scottish Government, to contribute to the launch of a new, low carbon website which will halve the environmental impact of the site.

Martin Murray is co-founder and co-owner of Dunnet Bay Distillers, a company he set up with his wife Claire Murray less than a decade ago. They make multi-award-winning Rock Rose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka at their impressive, eco-friendly distillery in Caithness, on the north coast of Scotland.

Martin Murray said: “We are currently assessing all aspects of the business to try and make it as sustainable as possible.  Last year we appointed a dedicated Environment Manager to help us improve still further.  Within that remit, we are scrutinising the digital aspects of our company.   We spotted that, even though our website was performing well in terms of sales, it was generating between 2 and 6g of carbon per page load, per user.  Last year alone, we estimate the website would have created around 3 tonnes of carbon.  We are determined to improve that. We are so grateful for the DigitalBoost Grant which enables us to make that improvement.”

During the Covid pandemic, with the hospitality trade closed, web-site sales became even more important to the company. In 2021 the company had its best year ever, and much of this was attributable to continuing web sales. Martin Murray added: “Whilst we want to continue to see an increase in the number of customers visiting our website, we are keen to mitigate the environmental impact.  It’s our intention to use the existing successful designs, but to alter the behind-the-scenes operations to use fewer resources and optimise operations.”

The carbon impact of the site will be halved. There is not only an environmental benefit. The site will load more quickly on all devices significantly improving  performance to give a better user experience for customers and staff.

This is just one of the factors the company has reviewed to improve its environmental impact.  Others include: sustainable, fully recyclable packaging used for refill pouches; local sourcing and foraging of many botanicals; reuse and recycling of botanicals and other materials; minimising plastic usage and switching to other materials where possible; water protection; solar energy; and good citizenship, supporting local charities; and organising beach clean-ups.

The grant covers half the total cost of the website redevelopment which will be handled by Naomi Spirit at ‘From This Day’ – www.fromthisday.digital – the company’s existing web-master. Naomi said: “From This Day has always been an ethical company with good green credentials but until recently, even we hadn’t considered the effects of our digital lives.  With the internet generating more CO₂ than the whole of the United Kingdom, this is an important area to tackle.  Unfortunately, most of the green solutions for digital CO₂ involved offsetting which is not a scalable solution; it’s important to also tackle this issue at the source.  We have been changing the way we develop websites over the last two years to ensure they are as low carbon as possible and were delighted when Dunnet Bay Distillers decided to incorporate this into their plans. It was great to see the positive view that DigitalBoost is having towards efforts for all business to transition to a zero-carbon model. We look forward to providing a beautiful and yet low carbon version of the Dunnet Bay Distillers’ website later this year.”

www.dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk

https://www.fromthisday.digital/low-carbon-websites/

The DigitalBoost Development Grant Fund is accepting applications from Scottish businesses. This fund is being processed on a first come, first served basis.

If you’re running a business in Scotland and want to do more with digital, for example to; improve cyber security, build online booking systems, develop apps or invest in software, which can help to increase productivity and safeguard jobs, then this fund may be applicable to you.

See below for more details about the fund and how you can apply.

What is the DigitalBoost Development Grant?

This fund is open to Scottish businesses to help them do more with digital and is funded by The Scottish Government in conjunction with Business Gateway and its DigitalBoost programme.

• Businesses who are VAT registered can apply for grants of up to £20K. For VAT registered businesses all VAT costs are excluded from the grant sum awarded.
• Businesses who are not VAT registered can apply for grants of up to £5K.

Grant recipients will be able to retrospectively reclaim a maximum of 50% of the eligible cost of their project as detailed in the grant award email.

Who is it for?

The grant is open to all businesses across Scotland who are looking to enhance their service or organisation using digital technology, platforms and innovation. All sectors can apply.

Am I eligible?

• Your business must be registered and operating in Scotland.
• Charities, social enterprises and third sector organisations can also apply.
  • Your business must be trading a minimum of 6 months.
  • Applicants must be over the age of 18.
  • Applicants must be a UK resident with the right to work in the UK.
  • Businesses must meet the European* definition of an SME in relation to employees, balance sheet and turnover.
  • Available to all industry sectors.

*European Definition The category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is made up of enterprises which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euro, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million euro.

Next steps and more information

For more information on eligibility criteria, FAQs and to start your application, visit www.digitalboostdevelopmentgrant.co.uk

By Adam Hardie, business development partner and head of food and drink at Johnston Carmichael

While world leaders congregated in Glasgow to thrash out climate talks and debate the future of our planet, it was a piece of art out with the SEC campus which held the most poignant message for me: food waste is a bigger contributor to climate change than plastic.

Just one kilogram of food waste produces the same amount of deadly carbon emissions as sending 25,000 500ml plastic bottles to landfill, according to Zero Waste Scotland.

To illustrate the problem, celebrity photographer, Rankin, created a stunning photography trail across Glasgow city centre which featured alluring but alarming, images created from everyday food destined for landfill.

The images and the statistics speak for themselves. While the environmental impact of food packaging has long been debated it seems obvious that the issue around food waste is now more pressing.

So how do we address it? How do we avoid unnecessary waste and reduce emissions?

Perhaps part of the solution is food prices increases, for those who can afford to pay.  A reset on food pricing and shopping, with meal planning consumer information to help us better prepare for weekly shops, reducing the chance of excess ingredients and or cooked food being thrown in the bin.

The modest carrot is a fine example of how food price and food waste are connected. A one kilogram (1Kg) bag of carrots in the supermarket costs around 40p. Many consumers regularly will only use just a few then leave the remainder to degrade in their fridge before they are eventually thrown away – contributing to the climate change crisis Rankin sought to demonstrate.

Would an increase in the price of the product encourage consumers to reconsider their choices in the supermarket, even opting for an individual item over buying a bulk bag that’s going to go to waste? Not only would the swap reduce food waste, it would also cut down the number of single use plastic bags used to contain multibuy items.

We’ve already seen consumer patterns change through COVID. Self-reported food waste levels in the UK fell by 34 percent during the first lockdown of 2020- the sharpest decline on record. The research carried out by Zero Waste Scotland, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the University of Leeds suggested more considerate shopping and creative cooking contributed to the initial fall.

We’ve also seen local production and local shopping trends accelerating, with Scottish wholesale business and Spar Scotland operator CJ Lang recently citing the latter as a contributing factor to its 9.4 percent rise in annual sales. So, there is a willingness from consumers to be more responsible with their choices, but we need to ensure they are guided and supported to do so.

In terms of who’s responsible for taking these measures forward, it needs to be an industry wide approach. It certainly can’t all be down to the food producers, many of whom are already under crippling pressure to make ends meet. Famers in particular are finding it more difficult than ever at the moment following Brexit, in particular the changing landscape of subsidies, and the soaring costs of fertiliser.

Many food producers are already going to extraordinary lengths to ensure their practices are sustainable. Graham’s The Family Dairy has lodged plans for a low carbon heat project to generate and distribute bioenergy for onsite heat and power – a first for Scotland’s dairy industry.

We’re also seeing huge advancements in agricultural technology with vertical farming enabling crops to be nurtured indoors in vertical irrigation systems, meaning farms can be built close to the consumers, helping to reduce food miles for consumers. Agricultural innovator and Johnston Carmichael client, Intelligent Growth Solutions, spent much of COP26 demonstrating this technology in its 5.4 metre vertical farm on the north bank of the River Clyde.

Food producers can’t be held wholly responsible: multiple retailers need to address the issue around cost and enable the changes required of consumer habits while the government helps implement these measures and ensure those who can’t afford food price increases are supported.

We can’t pretend it costs 40p for a farmer to get those carrots to the supermarket any longer. Agreeably it’s a sensitive issue and one which needs to be treated delicately to ensure we don’t raise levels of food poverty, but we need to seriously consider Rankin’s message and act now to ensure we protect our food industry, our supply chain, and ultimately our planet.