Castle Douglas is to stage a major climate action event on Saturday as pressure grows to develop a greener fairer Scotland.
The ICAT22 – Industry, Community and Alternative Technology – gathering will discuss ways to boost sustainability at a local, national and global level.
Organised by Castle Douglas Development Forum (CDDF), the conference at the community centre will run from 1.30pm to 5.30pm and entry is free to all.
It will feature four chaired group discussions:
• Community ownership of land, chaired by Linda Gillespie, programme manager of the Community Ownership Support Service at Development Trusts Association Scotland;
• Generating energy from renewables, chaired by Jeremy Sainsbury, director at Natural Power and chair of South of Scotland Enterprise energy policy team;
• Local food production, chaired by Abi Mordin, founder member of Propagate and coordinator for Dumfries and Galloway Food Partnership;
• Informing and influencing decision makers, chaired by Rob Davidson, former deputy leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council.
ICATT22 organiser, Roland Chaplain, a Life Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, hoped the gathering would spark a wider debate about empowering communities to take action.
He said: “For me the purpose of events like the one we’re organising is to inform people about the choices we face.
“However, it’s also very much about providing mutual support and sharing practical ideas about what we can and must be doing locally, to play our part towards meeting this global challenge.”
CDDF communications officer Beth McKee, who is project lead of the Stewartry Community Garden at the community centre, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for people in the area to gather and discuss climate issues, and how we can go about making change.
“It all starts with us – the people in the community.
“We must take responsibility to make sustainable practices the new normal.
“As a young person, thinking about the future is sometimes very gloomy – but I think the anxiety about the planet’s state comes from a feeling of helplessness.
“And it’s through action that climate change becomes a less daunting thought.
My hope is that ICAT 2022 will become a small part of a much bigger process, where everyone takes action in this unfolding crisis.”
Anyone wishing to attend the event and be a part of a discussion group can contact CDDF Chair Carolyn Yates at cddfchairperson@gmail.com or phone 01556 503739.
