Another year for carbon project

SHETLAND’S carbon reduction officer has been given one more year in post with a £63,615 grant from the Scottish government’s Climate Challenge Fund to focus on transport.

Harriet Bolt, who has been working with Shetland Amenity Trust for the past two years, only found out yesterday that her job would continue after the end of this month.

Ms Bolt said for the past two years she had been doing general work with businesses, groups and individuals to help them reduce their carbon footprint, and was glad to be able to concentrate on one issue for the next 12 months.

“I am so pleased, because the project has finally built up a bit of momentum and it’s good to see that carrying on for another year and to focus on one area,” she said.

Amenity trust environment officer Sita Hughson said they would be working with transport partnership ZetTrans and the Shetland Bike Project to encourage sustainable transport in the islands.

Projects will include encouraging children to cycle to school, making it easier for local authority staff to cycle to work and introducing bicycle maintenance classes to schools.

“We looked at what was being done by other groups and doing something that would complement what was already being done in Shetland,” Ms Hughson said.

The government announced it was funding 130 projects throughout Scotland as part of the latest £8 million round of funding.

A government spokeswoman said that there had been more than 300 applicants, and that more than one bid had been submitted from Shetland.