Fyne Homes, the Argyll and Bute housing association, has received over £200,000 from the Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund. Fyne Homes intends to use the money to deliver its Towards Zero Carbon Bute project, aimed at reducing carbon emissions on the Isle of Bute.

Towards Zero Carbon Bute is one of 24 projects to receive funding in the third round of grants from the Climate Challenge Fund, which is aiming to help Scotland play a leading role in the international fight against climate change.

The community led programme will begin in April this year and run until March 2011. As well as engaging with the local community Fyne Homes will work closely with the Caledonian Environment Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University who will provide important technical support to reduce carbon emissions on the Isle of Bute.

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As well as the employment of one project manager the funding will be used for a number of other specific activities to help improve the environment and promote sustainability on the island.

Efforts to reduce carbon emissions will focus on travel. Local businesses will be approached with a view to examining their travel patterns and it is hoped that travel plans will be created to outline how businesses can reduce the distance they travel. A study will also be conducted to examine the feasibility of an electric car hire scheme and also introduce the use of bio-diesel to power some of the islands vehicles.

It is also hoped the grant money will help to promote and maximise the use of video conferencing. This will cut down the distance businesses have to travel but ensure important business relations can be maintained with mainland business communities.

A proportion of the funding will also be channelled into existing Fyne Homes projects which aim to reduce carbon emissions, including Bute Produce and the Bute Community Recycling Programme.

Peter McDonald, New Business Director for Fyne Homes said: "We are delighted that Fyne Homes has received funding to help reduce the island’s carbon emissions. The funding will help significantly to deliver a number of important community programmes to help us reach our targets over the next 28 months.

"We recognise that this is a huge challenge but with the support if the Climate Challenge Fund and added support for government initiatives such as the Energy Savings Trust we hope that we will be able to make some significant changes to the island’s carbon emissions."

(GK/JM)