Ten top tips to take action as part of Scotland’s Climate Week

People in Renfrewshire are being encouraged to take action to tackle climate change as part of Scotland’s Climate Week 2024.

Running from 23 to 29 September, the campaign aims to highlight the importance and urgency of tackling climate change, while also celebrating the positive action being take across the country to inspire collective, transformational change.

Led by the Scottish Government, this year’s theme is “Stories for Change” which aims to encourage individuals, communities, and organisations to share their personal experiences and actions of what they’re doing to adapt to and combat climate change.

Renfrewshire Council’s Climate Emergency Lead Officer Roz Smith leads the local authority’s climate change response and has set out ten top tips that people can take to make a difference based on the five key themes in Renfrewshire’s Plan for Net Zero.

Clean Energy

• Leaving devices on standby contributes to around 10% of household energy bills – switching off at the wall saves money and reduces our carbon footprint
• Insulating your home saves energy and money. Closing doors, curtains and blinds can keep the heat in your home and reduce the need to turn the central heating on.

Sustainable Transport

• Around 1 in 5 journeys by car are less than 1km. Walk, cycle or use public transport where possible to reduce emissions, congestion and improve air quality.
• Sign up to Renfrewshire’s free Not Far? Leave the Car campaign which gives points and rewards for active travel. Get a free coffee just for getting your steps in.

Circular Economy

• Sort your bins at home and recycle wherever possible. In 2022, 61% of rubbish in Renfrewshire’s grey bins could have been recycled or reused.
• Think about your digital footprint. It uses energy to send one email so think about whether you need to send a reply, unsubscribe from spam emails you don’t want and empty your inbox regularly so unwanted emails don’t need to be stored.

Connected Communities

• Be an advocate in your local community by encouraging others to think about the environment and their choices in relation to climate change.
• Get involved in your local community groups and ensure that climate change is on the agenda when it comes to decision making. Almost every action taken locally will have an impact on climate change.

Resilient Place

• Wildflower areas support nesting pollinators like bees, birds and butterflies that are vital for all life on earth as they help plants that produce fruit and seeds – could you create an area for them at home?
• Take part in tree planting. Renfrewshire is part of the Clyde Climate Forest which aims to plant ten trees for every person living in the area. Email climate@renfrewshire.gov.uk to access opportunities to take part.

Roz said: “These are all small changes people can make, but if made collectively then they will make a substantial difference to our carbon emissions as we strive to end Renfrewshire’s contribution to climate change within a generation.

“Our Plan for Net Zero sets out a shared approach to climate action which emphasises that small individual actions, repeated on a large scale, can have a big impact in tackling climate change, so please make the changes you can as they will make a difference.

“As a Council, we continue to consider climate change in every decision we take and we’re reducing our emissions wherever possible in the services we deliver – while continuing to access funding opportunities to make the large-scale changes we know are needed.

“So, let’s work together to drive Renfrewshire’s RenZero campaign forward as it is only together that we will tackle climate change effectively in Renfrewshire.”

For more information on Renfrewshire’s work to tackle climate change, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/climatechange.