CCF Edinburgh, Lothian and The Borders Peer-Peer Climate Network

22nd July 2015, 09:30 – 12:30

Quaker Meeting House, Edinburgh

Present:

Jean-Matthieu / Gaunand / ELREC
Lorraine / Corbett / Transition Heriot-Watt
Dagmara / Opilka / Home Energy Scotland South East
Peter / Wright / St Columba's Church
Holly / Best / Keep Scotland Beautiful
Caro / Kemp / Keep Scotland Beautiful
Jaye / Renold / Shrub Co-op
Jess / Acton / Food Sharing Edinburgh
Aidan / Tracey / Home Energy Scotland
David / Hodson / Tweeddale Youth Action
Joe / Thompson / SHRUB Swap and Reuse Co-op
Johanna / Carrie / Transition Edinburgh Pentlands
Ian / McIntosh / West Lothian Financial Inclusion Network
Peter / Airlie / MyAdventure / Chain reaction
Tracy / Ford / WLFIN
Gail / Wilson / Stop Climate Chaos Scotland
Cecilia / Idang / Greatway Foundation
Timie / Olatunde / Greatway Foundation

Welcome and Introductions

Attendees introduced themselves and what their project was doing.

Home Energy Scotland – Dagmara Opilka

Dagmara gave us an overview of what HES does, the support it can offer, and how she has worked with CCF groups in the past. As well as energy advice, she highlighted work of Resource Efficient Scotland, renewables advice and FuelGood training. Any group can organise for a day’s FuelGood training – contact Dagmara for more info.

A question was asked about visual aids for groups. Energy Savings Trust has lots of short videos on its YouTube channel that could be useful. See

Thematic Discussion

There was a guided discussion in groups to help determine how the network would operate.

Energy

  • All groups do home visits
  • Common challenge of people agreeing to invite you into their home.
  • It would be useful to share resources (e.g. forms, etc.)
  • It would be useful to have an average consumption for different types of typical housing in Edinburgh – would be great to say ‘this is what typical energy bills are for your type of house – talk to us if it’s more than this we could help you’. Question of whether energy suppliers could provide this by area.

Re-Use and Food Waste

  • Lots of different audiences for groups
  • Outdoor and community cooking events are popular. Could we arrange for a demonstration by those who do this for other CCF groups?
  • Student volunteers are transient – could projects pool resources on this to mitigate for ‘lean’ times?

Transport

  • Many groups are aimed at youth/young people.
  • Common issue is that the people they are working with don’t drive or have cars so the carbon savings are hypothetical future ones.
  • Chain Reaction can offer training to groups to deliver training (train the trainers)
  • Engagement is a common barrier.
  • Collecting info for carbon calculations is difficult and accuracy is an issue with children!
  • FROM the CCF – guidance on the sociology/psychology of questionnaires and design of questionnaires.

Next steps

  • Making connections and sharing resources, news of funding and events, etc. would be a definite benefit.
  • We want to share email addresses as a starting point for this.
  • Meet-ups at each-others’ projects rather than meetings would be preferred. We got 3 volunteers to host meet ups from each of the theme groups. It was agreed however that all projects would be invited and welcomed to any of the meet-ups (e.g. energy projects welcome at travel projects!)
  • SHRUB, St. Columba’s and Transition Heriot-Watt have all volunteered and will suggest dates in September/October.