The new two year action plan for ‘Sustainable Development and Climate Change 2013-15’ has over one hundred great ideas happening right now to make Falkirk a greener place to work, live and visit.

And it’s not only Falkirk Council and other large organisations in the area that’s building sustainability into their work but local businesses, community groups and individuals are greening up their projects and plans to improve the local environment.

Members at today’s Environment and Community Safety Committee approved the new two year Sustainable Development Action Plan which includes Climate Change for the first time.

Councillor Doctor Craig R Martin, Convener of Environment and Community Safety said: “This plan shows how large public sector organisations can work alongside small groups and businesses to collectively tackle climate change and improve the Falkirk Council area for the better.

“It’s evident that more businesses, organisations and local groups are building sustainability into their work helping to create thriving communities across the Falkirk Council area more than ever.

“The Action Plan lists a wide range of projects to get underway over the next two years which will surely make a huge impact in terms of sustainable development and tackling the very real threat of climate change.”

Sustainable and climate change projects in the two year plan cover travel, managing resources, purchasing, coping with climate change and cutting energy use and include:

• Falkirk Council’s Carbon Management Plan - 38 carbon and energy reduction actions to reduce C02 emissions
• The Helix Beekeepers, a fully sustainable project which will see the production of local honey
• The roll out of a programme of community and householder education on waste by April 2015
• Maintaining over 250km of core path network
• A bike library in Grangemouth
• Design and construct 180 new Council owned homes using sustainable design.

The document is just a snap shot of innovative work being carried out across the area and new ones come on line every day. Work has already started on collecting information about new projects. Progress will be reported on to Committee once a year, accompanied by a newly revised action plan.