There are key objectives within the Fife Community Plan including the need to tackle climate change, reduce carbon emissions, including by Fife Council, and create a healthier fairer Fife for all. Reducing carbon emissions and adapting to climate change are also the key outcomes of the Fife Environmental Partnership and Fife Council’s Climate Change Strategy. The Fife Sustainable Energy Climate Action Plan is an all Fife plan, for communities, business and the third sector.
As a signatory of the global Covenant of Mayors in 2018 Fife Council must submit a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan within two years. This will:
- Support transformation in how we use energy at home or work,
- What to do to prepare for changes in our climate.
- Set out a where action is needed, and ways to improve opportunities between different priorities.
The Proposed Draft Climate Fife Plan and supporting documents set out Fife’s objectives and actions to move Fife to a vision of:
- Climate friendly, having transformed the economy, infrastructure, land use and energy system to decarbonise how we live;
- Climate ready, with plans and projects to increase the resilience of Fife communities and the economy to help minimise the impacts from unavoidable climate change; and
- Climate just, ensuring that all Fifers and the Fife environment can benefit from this transition.
A consultation on the draft Climate Fife Plan is taking place from 28 October – 9 December 2019. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Environmental Report assesses any significant environmental effects and mitigation of the proposed draft Climate Fife Plan. These documents can be accessed via the following links.
- Climate Fife – Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (2020-2030) Consultation Draft
- Climate Fife – Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (2020-2030) SEA Environmental Report (draft)
To comment on the Climate Fife Plan and SEA Environmental Report please visit our online form from 28 October. Copies of the draft documents can also be viewed and commented on from 9.00am on the 28 October 2019 (between 9am to 5pm, Mon – Fri) at Council offices, at:
- County buildings, St Catherine Street, Cupar, KY15 4TA
- New City House, 1 Edgar Street, Dunfermline, KY12 7EP
- Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT
- Town House, 2 Wemyssfield, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1XW
Local Energy Plans
Fife Council wanted to understand how a community in Fife could reduce its carbon footprint by 80%. As part of the development of the Fife Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan, Fife Council in collaboration with the Burntisland local community, the Burntisland Community Development Trust (BCDT) and Resource Efficient Solutions (RES) trialled the setup of a Community Energy Masterplan for Burntisland. This is now available as a community report and a detailed methodology report.
The purpose of this project was to help the local community understand their energy needs and how it could be supplied locally in a low carbon manner. The document will be used to inform the local planning process to help determine development within Burntisland. It will help to ensure that it is consistent with the community’s priorities and wishes to enable Burntisland to transition to a low carbon, high resilience settlement. It will also act as evidence for funding applications.
We increased local energy knowledge and enabled lively discussion from householders on local decisions. This ensured the decisions around energy for Burntisland were locally decided. The final Energy masterplan options were presented to the town in March 2017. The community also defined what projects they were interested in taking forward within the next steps workshop.