Highland Council Climate Emergency / Net Zero Strategy

February 2022

There is still no mention of the Climate Emergency, the Climate change Panel or Net Zero on the main Climate Change page on Highland Council's website.

There is a single mention of external (government?) funding being required  'in order to fully deliver the Council’s climate emergency duties' on a new page called Net Zero Strategy.  Publication of this page in December 2021 followed a Council meeting to which a report was submitted outlining the Council's 'COP26 and Net Zero Action Plan'.  At the meeting councillors agreed that  'the Council will establish a Net Zero Strategy Group comprising officers working across council services with governance of projects scrutinised by Councillors'.  What happened to the Climate Change Panel?

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February 2021

Highland Council declared a Climate Emergency in May 2019, and pressure was subsequently exerted urging the need for the declaration to lead to action (see below).  Action which has still not taken place is the setting up of any mention of the Climate Emergency or the Climate Change Panel on the Climate Change page of the Council's website.

A web search uncovered a report submitted to a meeting of the council in June 2019 by the Council's Climate Change Officer Keith Masson, which provides some information about activities resulting from the Climate Emergency declaration. 

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August 2019

Local climate activists from TBI and Extinction Rebellion have pressed Highland Council to follow up its declaration of a Climate Emergency with significant action.

TBI Vice-Convenor Martin Sherring emailed TBI directors
that he had asked Councillor Craig Fraser if there are ways the public can influence THC action following the vote on a climate emergency.

and subsequently emailed  Black Isle Councillors - Gordon Adam, Jennifer Barclay and Craig Fraser - on behalf of TBI
suggesting that a public meeting should be held to demonstrate the Council’s commitment to the issue, inform people about changes they can expect and how they will be affected, and also to learn about residents’ ideas for changes that should be made.