Here in Orkney, we’ve worked in harmony with our natural resources for centuries, understanding sustainability long before it became a buzzword, or the critical requirement for our planet that it now is.
We might be a small community, but we punch well above our weight in the energy world, applying characteristic islands ingenuity in the quest to secure a greener future for our community.
Whether it’s our long track record in harvesting the power of the wind, our global lead in wave and tidal energy research, our ingenious projects involving hydrogen – to name but a few of our low-carbon achievements – Orkney’s innovative approach to sustainability has been attracting global media attention for some time.
Orkney has already featured in the Leonardo DiCaprio produced and narrated climate change documentary, Ice on Fire, and will this week be the focus of a major ITV broadcast – Orkney: Britain’s Green Islands.
And now, as the COP26 talks get underway in Glasgow, Team Orkney has been seizing the opportunity to engage directly with the climate movers, shakers, scientists and activists attending what is potentially an eleventh-hour event for humanity - with local industry leaders and politicians invited to take part in numerous speaking engagements and conference events to share Orkney's story and expertise.
Meanwhile, back in Orkney, COP26 is being marked with a series of online ‘COP in the Community events aimed at bringing the community together to lead the fight against climate change.
Organised by OIC, COP in the Community will focus in on four key themes around climate change in Orkney – nature, energy transition, transport, and adaptation.
The four webinars, held between 7pm and 8pm from 1 – 4 November, will feature key speakers from across the climate change sector in Orkney and will give people the opportunity to hear more about projects that are happening locally, ask questions and discuss key issues in more depth as a group.
To book visit the COP in the Community EventBrite page.
You can learn more about Orkney’s renewables story and how the islands could potentially lead the way for a green global recovery from our short film.
And, if you’d like to see how local businesses are going low-carbon and harnessing the power of our natural resources to make a living, sustainably, we’ve got a series of renewables stories to watch and read here.
