Parliament event to explore islands’ response to climate emergency

SHETLAND Islands Council’s environment and transport committee chairman Ryan Thomson will speak at a parliament event exploring how island communities are dealing with the climate emergency.

Thomson will be one of three speakers at Scottish Islands on the front line of climate emergency, which forms part of the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics.

The online event will take place on 23 October at 2pm.

Also due to speak is Dr Sandy Kerr, who is programme director at the Heriot Watt International Centre for Island Technology in Orkney.

He also has research interests in marine planning and community benefits of renewable projects.

Also on the panel will be Camille Dressler, who is involved with the Scottish Islands Federation and the European Small Islands Networks.

She was also involved in the community buy-out of the island of Eigg in the 1990s.

The event will be chaired by Orkney MSP Liam McArthur, who is deputy convener of the parliament’s rural affairs, islands and natural environment committee.

People can book a place here.

Meanwhile six projects from Shetland have been awarded funding from a Scottish Government programme to support island projects with an emphasis on building community resilience and reducing emissions.

This article was amended to reflect that the council’s climate change strategy team leader Claire Ferguson has been replaced on the panel by councillor Ryan Thomson.