1st March 2022
A £2m investment in action to tackle climate change, in Highland Council's budget proposals, are expected to benefit long term employment, skills development and career opportunities for people to remain and work in Highland.
Despite a challenging financial settlement and significant inflationary pressures the Council has exercised prudent financial management which has enabled a new £10m investment programme to be developed for 2022/23.
The budget proposal highlights the areas where increased expenditure will be targeted to deliver the Council’s ambition to be a high performing organisation.
One of the key improvement areas would be to tackle climate change with a £2m investment in climate action, green energy and jobs.
The Highlands have the potential to become the exemplar for green energy generation in the UK. It has abundant natural resources with existing and potential opportunities for green energy schemes, low carbon initiatives, including carbon sequestration and renewables.
The hydrogen economy is estimated to be worth £25billion to the Scottish economy, and it is expected that the Highlands is likely to be the major producer of hydrogen nationally given the significant renewable energy potential of the region.
Leader of the Council, Margaret Davidson said: "The £2m investment in action to tackle climate change will enable the Council to take an outward looking, pro-active approach to developing our own green energy."
She continued: “With that energy we can power key strategic sites and networks, attract private investment and opportunities for joint ventures in new technologies - particularly green hydrogen production and distribution, alongside the generation of renewable energy from traditional sources.”
Depute Leader, Cllr Alasdair Christie, said: “The Council must capitalise on these opportunities for the benefit of the Highlands for generations to come. It is now time to seize the initiative and invest in making it happen, to secure a fair share of the income derived from the development of the region’s natural resources.”
He added: “This additional funding will also enable the Council to invest in nature restoration initiatives to safeguard wildlife and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss due to climate change.
“It will provide benefits to people and nature, helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change, whilst also delivering against our net zero target by scaling up and accelerating existing initiatives such as tree and woodland planting; peatland restoration; marine and coastal protection; flood management and maximising carbon credits for the benefit of Highland communities.”
Opposition spokesperson, Cllr Derek Louden added: “A range of opportunities to both support and benefit from the emerging hydrogen economy are likely to come forward over the coming weeks and months. If the Council is to be a major player and no longer a bystander in the delivery of carbon-free energy, it will be important that we access financial resources to match fund profitable investment opportunities when they appear. Like Ness Hydro these will be subject to development and approval of business cases for every proposal. From now on we'll share in profit-making opportunities around us"
Cllr Jimmy Gray, added: “The investment and activity aims to benefit long term employment, skills development and career opportunities for people to remain within Highland region.”
In support of this, the Council will work with Further and Higher education providers, Skills Development Scotland and industry experts to ensure the region can provide the workforce to support these major new developments, positioning the Highlands as the centre of expertise for the renewables industry.