Welcome to the Autumn edition of Green Times showcasing the latest environmental news, events, projects, and volunteering opportunities in Aberdeen. This edition will look back on highlights from Autumn and the last few months.
We would love to hear about your projects and events and anything you have going on. To submit an article contact greentimes@aberdeencity.gov.uk
City-wide Climate Pledge and Routemap Launched
During COP27, the Net Zero Aberdeen routemap, Aberdeen Adapts framework and the Aberdeen Climate and Nature Pledge were launched at the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) Energy Futures Conference on 17 November 2022.
Net Zero Aberdeen is the city-wide routemap, setting a pathway for Aberdeen to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045. It is supported by six theme strategies developed by different organisations; Mobility, Buildings & Heat, Circular Economy, Energy Supply, Natural Environment and Empowerment. Aberdeen Adapts is the city-wide climate adaptation framework, setting the direction for adaptation work, to prepare and ensure we are resilient to the effects of climate change.
Public versions of the Net Zero Aberdeen routemap, enabling strategies, and refreshed Aberdeen Adapts Framework were recently added to the Net Zero Aberdeen website.
The Aberdeen Climate and Nature Pledge has been created to give businesses, organisations and individuals a platform to play their part and make a commitment to Aberdeen’s journey to net zero, climate resilience, and nature restoration. Early signatories of the pledge included the Lord Provost on behalf of the Council, AREG, and NESCAN Hub.
Please visit the Aberdeen Climate and Nature Pledge to make your pledge and join our city-wide journey!
Plant a tree in 2023!
Trees provide food and habitat for wildlife and help to keep our air clean. Additionally, they look beautiful and mark the changing of the seasons with their autumn colours and spring flowers.
Tree planting is best undertaken during the winter months anytime between November and the end of March. So now is a good time to plant that tree you have been thinking about planting or make plans to plant a new tree or several! Even small gardens can accommodate our native rowan or hawthorn. For larger spaces consider planting a native oak, Scots pine, or birch.
You can find out about free trees for schools and communities on the Woodland Trust Website.
The benefits of planting native species
- Supporting our local wildlife: Native trees are better at providing essential habitat and a food source for our native insects, birds, and other animals.
- Help to combat climate change and reach our net zero target by 2045: Planting trees, including native trees, helps to combat climate change. Long-living trees like oaks and Scots pine are more effective at storing carbon dioxide but planting trees of any size will contribute to reaching our net zero target by 2045.
- Reducing the impact of localised flooding: Trees intercept rainfall, slow down surface water run-off and help to prevent flooding.
Aftercare
Selecting a native tree that thrives well in your area will establish more quickly and require less maintenance. To help you choose a tree to plant, have a look around your area to see which native trees are thriving well.
You can find out about buying native trees on the Woodland Trust Shop.
Duthie Park Rangers Awesome Autumn sessions
During the October school holidays, the Duthie Park Ranger Service run 12 fun-filled sessions for nursery and primary aged children. In total, 122 children attended the free sessions with their families and took part in running games, hunts, crafts, and even bulb planting! The younger children learned about nocturnal animals, autumn, and the changes that this season brings to our wildlife and environment, and also made some autumnal leaves that are now on display at the David Welch Winter Gardens entrance. The 8-12 year olds focused on identifying fungi, learning about owls, and even dissected some barn owl pellets to see what animal bones were hiding inside!
Everyone had fun and some fantastic feedback was received from the parents: “We thought this was a wonderful class. The staff were so calm and great with all the kids. We’ve been back to see our leaves in the Winter Gardens windows which is also such a lovely thing to do”
Water Cycle Week
To support their science learning at school, 6 primary classes from Aberdeen City schools visited the David Welch Winter Gardens in November and took part in sessions organised and run by the Duthie Park Ranger Service. The P5/6/7 pupils learned about the water cycle and the states of water and conducted experiments to test how water moves through plants and through different sediments. They also had the opportunity to explore the Arid and Tropical glasshouses and learn about the different adaptations that plants have evolved to survive in those challenging climates.
Winding up before the winter
Autumn is generally the time for harvest, preparing the beds for winter and winding down till the next growing season. It wasn’t the case for Cultivate Aberdeen so far! Indeed we had a busy few weeks to prepare a collaborative project with CFINE working on an intergenerational project. We had our first meeting with the P6 class from Tullos Primary and we are planning two more activities with them before the Christmas holidays.
In the meantime, we have Aberdeen Foyer on site for two weeks, who are doing community gardening as part of their REACH employability programme. They are helping creating beautiful spring beds using the daffodil bulbs we have received from ACC.
We had two corporate teams at the garden: Vital Energi helped us installing two 1m3 water tanks and Vysus Group helped creating wild flower patches and weeding the raised beds .
We were also featured in the SHMU’s new documentary ROOTED along with other community gardens.
Sadly, though, our old shed was destroyed by the latest winds so we are on the lookout for a new one.
Please feel free to join us to our gardening sessions 11-1pm on Sundays.
Aberdeen City Council win ‘Best Practice Award’ for Council Climate Change Plan at Scottish Renewables Net-Zero Energy Transition Awards
The Scottish Renewables awards were launched to celebrate the achievements of individuals, companies, and groups across the renewable energy supply chain, and the Best Practice Award recognises the strategies and methods set out to meet net-zero targets.
The Council Climate Change Plan sets net-zero emission targets for assets and operations as well as measures to build climate resilience.
Projects include the hydrogen refuse collection vehicle, HECTOR; the transition to hydrogen, electric and dual-fuel vehicles in the council’s transport fleet; and the development of low carbon buildings.
However, the Council Climate Change Plan is not all about innovative technologies. Projects also focus on an expanding programme of tree planting, creating naturalised grasslands and wildflower meadows, and the development of green infrastructure on council land for water management and increasing biodiversity.
Read more about the win on our news page.
Communities spring into action
Aberdeen will enjoy a bonanza of spring flowers as communities plant thousands of bulbs.
In a frenzy of autumn activity community groups, churches and schools will take to the outdoors to plant crocus and muscari bulbs. Planting Spring bulbs will help give bees and butterflies and other pollinating insects a head start next spring by providing an early food source.
Working in partnership, Aberdeen City Council’s Environmental Services supplied the bulbs, while enthusiastic volunteers provided the manpower.
With over 100 groups throughout the city involved in planting 150,000 bulbs it is sure to be a colourful spring.
Environmental Manager Steven Shaw said “the hard work and commitment of these groups, schools and individuals is fantastic and makes a huge difference to the greenspaces and our service will continue to encourage and support community bulb planting across Aberdeen. As winter approaches it is great to know that new shoots will appear in spring and bring fantastic colour to the city.”
Aberdeen City Council Awarded ‘Fleet Operator of the Year’ at Transport News Awards
The award recognised Aberdeen City Council’s commitment to sustainable fleet vehicles including reducing carbon emissions through the deployment of road sweepers. The first sweeper was converted to dual fuel, which allows a controlled quantity of hydrogen to be burned directly in the engine in combination with diesel. Once the nine-strong fleet is all converted, it has the potential to save almost 30 tonnes of CO2, contributing to cleaner air for the city, and taking another significant step towards net zero as a Council and a City.
As part of the Council Climate Change Plan, the Council continues to grow its electric and hydrogen fleet, and, as well as small vans that are electric or hydrogen, the fleet department has introduced dual fuel HGVs, and refuse vehicles, and road sweepers over the last two years.
Read our news page for more information.
Read more at Net Zero Aberdeen and view the Council Climate Change Plan.
Almost 100 new Gold Standard council houses finished
Aberdeen City Council is building 2,000 new council homes to address a shortage of affordable social rented housing in the city.
The 92 newly built Council homes at Auchmill near Bucksburn, as part of the Council Climate Change Plan, are designed to Gold Standard which include water saving measures, outdoor space, storage for bikes, prams or mobility scooters and electric vehicle charging facilities. Home office spaces and excellent digital connectivity are included.
The homes provide energy efficient technologies such as district heating that make homes more energy efficient and cheaper to run.
District heating provides heating and hot water which reduces carbon emissions by up to 10%, compared to individual gas boilers. Tenants will have more certainty on their heat price and it is projected tenants will make energy cost savings.
The long-term vision is to decarbonise energy centres in the city, using waste heat and hydrogen.
At the same time as the Council transitions to low carbon technology, opportunities are emerging to support city wide emissions reduction through The Net Zero Aberdeen Route map. Developed collaboratively, it sets out a pathway towards Aberdeen becoming net zero by 2045.
Buildings to provide heat through Warm Spaces Initiative
Progress has been made in supporting individuals and communities in Aberdeen through the Warm Spaces initiative.
Aberdeen City Council’s Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee welcomed an update on progress, that showed that Warm Spaces are available in the Central Library, 16 Community Libraries and 4 Learning Centres.
With the cost of energy rising and growing fuel bills contributing to the cost of living, the Council’s already heated buildings have opened their doors to welcome individuals, families and communities to stay warm, share space and potentially so much more.
Warm Spaces refers to public spaces that welcome people and provide a safe space to come and stay warm without judgement, as well as offering access to facilities such as:
- Print and digital resources.
- Programmes of events and activities to inspire people of all ages and abilities.
- Free period products, including reusable products, in partnership with CFine, and.
- Free toothbrushes and toothpaste to under 5’s in partnership with Childsmile.
Communities, Housing, and Public Protection Convener Councillor Miranda Radley said: “It’s so important that our already heated buildings across Aberdeen help in supporting individuals and local communities in keeping warm this winter.
“This is a challenging and worrying time for many and we need to ensure that support is available for those who may be struggling with the rising cost of living.”
There are currently 30 Warm Spaces already open, with partnerships being explored to extend this across the city.
Community and cultural facilities have also been invited to host Warm Spaces, including Aberdeen Art Gallery, the Music Hall and leased community centres.
Visit our Warm Spaces page for full details.
News Updates and Events
- Check out the latest Aberdeen Countryside Rangers Volunteering Events
- Paths for All What’s On Training and Events guide
- Aberdeen City Council embraces Scotland’s Climate Week
- Launch of new trail guides including Seaton Park and ‘the best of Aberdeen’
- Ian Findlay Path Fund Launched
- Aberdeen electric bike hire scheme launched in the city
- Aberdeen celebrate top prize and multiple wins at Beautiful Scotland Awards
- Submit your Biological Records through NESBReC
- Find your local social Health Walk - short, safe, social, fun and accessible low level walks led by trained volunteers.
