More than 30 environmental, cultural and heritage organisations are coming together in regions across Scotland to inspire public engagement and positive action in the run-up to and beyond the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, taking place in Glasgow this November.

Seven hubs known as ‘Climate Beacons’ were announced today and will take shape in Argyll, Caithness & East Sutherland, Fife, Inverclyde, Midlothian, the Outer Hebrides, and Tayside. Each Beacon is a partnership of two or more organisations from the cultural and climate sectors. The organisations, many of which have not previously worked together, range from museums, libraries and arts centres to environmental bodies, academic institutions and community trusts. They will bring together shared resources and knowledge to provide a welcoming physical and virtual space in their region for the public, artists and cultural sector professionals, environmental NGOs, scientists and policymakers.

Leading the initiative is Creative Carbon Scotland and Director, Ben Twist, said: “Tackling climate change requires us to find imaginative solutions to complex problems. Cultural buildings and events can provide an open and welcoming space for these challenging conversations, bringing people together to collectively think, imagine, feel and develop lasting connections that will strengthen future climate action.”

The seven Climate Beacons will operate in the lead-up to, during, and after COP26, each utilising their own expertise and responding to the needs of their local area and communities with planned themes including Scotland’s temperate rainforests, industrial heritage, water, adaptation to climate change, land use, biodiversity, green jobs, and the recovery from COVID-19.

Climate Beacons for COP26 aims to strengthen engagement with COP26 beyond Glasgow to the whole country and support the recovery of Scotland’s cultural sector from the impacts of COVID-19. The initiative will seize the chance to bring about lasting change within the cultural sector, society and policy in Scotland and provide an internationally inspiring example of Scotland’s climate leadership.

Supporting Creative Carbon Scotland and the initiative as co-ordinating partners are six leading sector organisations and development bodies: Architecture and Design Scotland, Creative Scotland, the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, Museums Galleries Scotland, the Scottish Library and Information Council, and the Sustainable Scotland Network.

Climate Beacons for COP26 is funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Change and Culture Divisions, Creative Scotland and Museums Galleries Scotland.

For more information about each of the Beacons, visit our dedicated Climate Beacons for COP26 web page.

Read the Climate Beacons for COP26 launch press release.

The post Seven Climate Beacons announced! appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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