Fife Council agreed to declare a climate emergency for Fife on 26 September 2019.

A Climate Emergency is a public commitment to de-carbonise as rapidly as possible. Fife Council has committed to set a target for a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 at the latest, this will require a huge transformation in Fife’s communities. There is an urgent need to avoid financial, societal, food chain and eco-system collapse within the lifetime of our children and everyone can contribute.

Fife Council is developing ‘Climate Fife’ a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP)

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

What can people in Fife do to help combat climate change now?

• Reduce energy used at home and work by improving energy efficiency www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland
• Install renewable energy generation to reduce your energy bills www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/renewable-energy
• Reduce waste scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com
• Recycle more www.fifedirect.org.uk/4bins
• Walk rather than taking the car, where possible. Walking can also help to prevent a range of health conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, some cancers and Alzheimer’s. www.pathsforall.org.uk/walking-for-health/health-walks/why-walk
• Use public and active transport www.travelfife.com
• Reduce your need to fly. Travel by boat and train for holiday and holiday locally.

The Fife Environmental Partnership released Fife’s first Climate Change Strategy 2014-2020. The strategy aims to achieve 6 medium term outcomes:

Reducing Carbon Emissions

• More efficient use of resources (energy, waste and water)
• More energy is from low carbon supplies
• Encourage more sustainable transport and travel including reducing the need to travel
• Ecosystems are used sustainably and strengthened

Adapting to Climate Change

• Places are adapting to cope with Climate Change (including land use, coastlines, buildings and infrastructure)
• People are adapting to cope with Climate Change