Stirling is aiming to become the UK's first carbon neutral city using £1.25m in funding announced today from the Big Lottery Fund and the Scottish Government to the community led Going Carbon Neutral Stirling (GCNS) project.

The ambitious project, which is also supported by Stirling Council, aims to work from the

Speaking on the Kings Knot, in the shadow of Stirling Castle, Dharmendra Kanani, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director announced £500,000 from the BIG's Investing in Communities portfolio to support this project. He said: "It's not simply the green credentials of their project which make it so valuable but it's aspiration to include everyone and belief that it can and will include everyone, bringing together people who perhaps have never met before to make a huge difference.


"We believe our funding will not only enable the people of Stirling to live a more sustainable lifestyle but also bring communities that perhaps would not have come together before to do so more effectively."

GCNS will be administered through Keep Scotland Beautiful. The group's Chief Executive John Summers OBE said: "This project offers an exciting and unique opportunity to engage with the public, businesses and communities across the Stirling area to make a real difference in reducing carbon dioxide emissions."

Supporting today's announcement Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said the WWF Scotland are delighted that Stirling's exciting attempt to become the first Scottish city to go carbon neutral is receiving such widespread support and backing.

"WWF received a terrific response from the public when we visited Stirling recently as part of our campaign to collect consultation responses backing a strong Scottish Climate Change Bill. We look forward to a strong Scottish Climate Change Bill providing an excellent framework which supports policy change and practical action to cut Scotland's emissions by 80% by 2050," Mr Dixon added.

(GK/JM)