About Us
The Dundee Climate Leadership Group will provide active leadership on Dundee's Net-Zero challenge, leveraging expertise from across the city to engage and inspire collective ownership and a shared commitment to tackling climate change.
Background and Context
Dundee declared a climate emergency, recognising the serious and accelerating environmental, social and economic challenges faced by climate change. In response, a citywide Climate Action Plan was prepared that sets out a first set of ambitious actions in a long-term pathway to support Dundee in a just transition to a net-zero and climate resilient future by 2045 at the latest.
It is clear that the pace and scale of transformational change required to meet this challenge will also require collective leadership to support cross-sector collaboration in low carbon innovation, investment, behaviour change and ensuring a green recovery.
With this in mind, the Dundee Climate Leadership Group will provide active leadership on Dundee’s net-zero challenge, leveraging expertise from across the city in order to engage and inspire collective ownership and a shared commitment to tackling climate change.
Vision
The Group will support and encourage the City of Dundee in achieving the transformative change needed to ensure the net zero target is realised, engaging and collaborating with citizens as well as the private, public and community sectors to take climate action.
The Group will work within the strategic vision and objectives of the Dundee Climate Action Plan to:
- become a sustainable city and pass through a period of transition from a carbon-based economy to one that plays a leading role on Scotland’s goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 or sooner.
- Reduce the consumption of energy, promote energy efficiency and increase the proportion of power and heat from low and zero carbon technologies.
- Encourage active travel through walking, cycling and public transport and deploy sustainable alternatives to decarbonise.
- Manage waste sustainably by reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering waste to improve resource efficiency whilst working towards a circular economy.
- Ensure our communities, green networks and infrastructure are adaptable to a changing climate and reduce the risks and vulnerability to unavoidable impacts. The Group will work within the Dundee Partnership strategic vision of the city to:
- have a strong and sustainable city economy that will provide jobs for the people of Dundee, retain more graduates and make the city a magnet for new talent;
- offer real choice and opportunity in a city that has tackled the root causes of social and economic exclusion, creating a community which is healthy, safe, confident, educated and empowered;
- be a vibrant and attractive city with an excellent quality of life where people choose to live, learn, work and visit.
Purpose:
- To promote climate change leadership in Dundee, providing expert advice, challenge and encouragement in progressing the city’s contribution to tackling climate change.
- To monitor and drive progress of the Dundee Climate Action Plan in meeting the city’s net-zero targets and recommend innovative solutions that support a just transition to a net-zero future.
- Support partners to reduce carbon emissions from the key sectors of residential, commercial, industry, transport and the public and private sectors.
- To enable the provision of independent and expert advice on the most effective steps for meeting reduction targets in order to inform policies and actions of members and local stakeholders and decision-makers.
- To identify the social challenges and impacts of climate change on Dundee’s communities and ways to mitigate and improve them.
- To help build and support the case for project development and investment in low carbon and climate resilient projects in the city, supporting collaboration and business case development and project implementation.
- To embed best practice in public engagement on climate change and its impacts, in order to support robust decision making and local action.
- To support the exchange of ideas, research findings, info and best practice on carbon reduction and climate resilience.
- To identify and promote the exchange of best practice and lessons learnt with other cities in order to influence the required changes in Dundee.
Working Groups
Within the Dundee Climate Leadership Group the City has the following working groups.
Dundee Climate Leadership Group
Chair
Ronnie Quinn
Independent Consultant & part-time Advisor for Norwegian Energy Partners
Ronnie has over 30 years in the energy and renewables industries. He started as a solicitor, then moved to manage Scotland's electricity market. As Crown Estate Scotland's first Chief Executive, he initiated the ScotWind leasing round. Recently, he led NECCUS in supporting industrial decarbonisation and served on Scotland’s Just Transition Commission. Ronnie now chairs the Finance Committee at City of Glasgow College and Dundee Climate Leadership Group.
Cllr Heather Anderson
Vice Chair / City Convenor Climate, Environment & Biodiversity
Greig Coull
CEO
Dr Emma Fletcher
Director of Public Health
Professor Iain Gillespie
Principal and Vice Chancellor
Jonathan Guthrie
Director Public Sector Partnerships Scotland
Bryan Harris
Head of Innovation & Improvement
Simon Hewitt
Principal
Rose Jenkins
Director of Estates and Campus Services
Graeme Keddie
Director of Corporate Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement
Lynsey Penny
Managing Director
Robin Presswood
Executive Director of City Development
Gordon Reid
General Manager Zero Emissions
Susan Shepherd
Energy Manager
Colin W. Thomson
Regional Development Manager
Professor Nia White
Dean of Research and the Graduate School
Cllr John Alexander
Leader of Dundee City Council
Dr Isabel Bruce
CEO
Gillian Easson
DirectorAbout the Organisations
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Dundee City Council
Dundee City Council leads by example in tackling climate change, delivering national plans through influencing, and enabling positive behaviours; driving change; and acting as exemplars of climate action and low carbon innovation. The Council has a central role to play in climate adaptation and mitigation in Dundee, a creative and dynamic city in the North- East of Scotland.
Visit Dundee City Council Website -
Abertay University
Abertay University is a modern, friendly university in the heart of Dundee, with a strong focus on teaching and preparing our graduates for the world of work, combined with excellence in research and knowledge exchange.
Visit Abertay University Website -
DC Thomson
DC Thomson is one of the leading media organisations in the UK, with a proud heritage of creating trusted brands that enlighten and entertain audiences across the globe.
While our roots are firmly in publishing, with a portfolio of newspapers and magazines, DC Thomson has diversified into digital technology, radio, TV and events. Using audience insight and data, DC Thomson create content and experiences that connect with our customers and build loyal communities.
Visit DC Thomson Website -
Dundee and Angus College
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Dundee Science Centre
Dundee Science Centre is a charity and lifelong learning resource for the community. We are here to help families learn together, to support the formal schools curriculum and advance the science communication profession. With an emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity, our exhibitions provide an inspiring, hands-on learning experience for everyone to visit.
Dundee Science Centre is also a Green Tourism Gold Award Winner and conducts numerous outreach visits and festivals, together with our diverse digital offering, to help share the science behind climate, the environment, and the natural world to a variety of audiences across Scotland and beyond.
Visit Dundee Science Centre Website -
Hillcrest Homes
Hillcrest Homes was established in 1967 and is one of Scotland’s largest housing associations. Hillcrest Homes have over 6000 good quality homes at affordable rents across Dundee, Edinburgh, Angus, Perthshire, Fife and Aberdeen. Hillcrest aim to foster positive communities and improve the lives of our tenants and customers.
Visit Hillcrest Homes Website -
Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc
Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc is an ambitious joint venture between Dundee City Council, Michelin, and Scottish Enterprise, is a world class Innovation Parc focused on sustainable mobility and decarbonisation. With a 32-hectare site and excellent physical connectivity, MSIP offers dynamic space that can adapt to all sizes of business.
As well as large, flexible space, those that locate at MSIP will have access to an innovation campus, a Skills Academy, business support and competitive, green energy delivered from sustainable sources. Underpinning all activities at MSIP is a collaborative approach to achieve the goal of net zero.
Visit Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc Website -
NHS Tayside
NHS Tayside is an NHS board which forms one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services in Angus, the City of Dundee and Perth and Kinross.
Visit NHS Tayside Website -
Robertson Group
Robertson Group is one of the UK's largest family-owned construction, infrastructure and support services businesses. Together with our customers we invest, develop, construct and maintain across the whole built environment.
Visit Robertson Group Website -
Scottish Water
Scottish Water look after Scotland's most precious natural resource. From source to tap, Scottish Water are trusted to keep you supplied with world class water and care for our environment every minute of every day.
Visit Scottish Water Website -
Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks
Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks is the electricity Distribution Network Operator (DNO) responsible for delivering power to over 3.8 million homes and businesses across central southern England and the north of Scotland. The network serves some of the most diverse and unique geographies across the UK, and keep customers and communities connected whilst developing the flexible electricity network vital to achieving net zero.
Visit Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks Website -
Transition Dundee
Transition Dundee is a community-led social enterprise which aims to make Dundee a more sustainable, healthier and happier place to live through various climate focussed projects.
Many people are aware of the threats that climate change poses - but we are here to show there is hope, there are lots of things we can do to tackle it together and to make sure nobody is left behind in the transition to a more sustainable future.
As well as the newest project, The Wardrobe, Transition Dundee also run a very successful Community Fridge in the West End of Dundee and a branch of NeighbourFood – a weekly, online local food market, as well as running a busy programme of events and workshops on all things climate change.
Visit Transition Dundee Website -
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee has a clear mission – to transform lives, locally and globally, by the creation, sharing and application of knowledge. It does this through world-class teaching, pioneering research, and work that has social, cultural and economic impact.
The University sits at the heart of city that is in the midst of transformational change – highlighted by the opening in 2018 of V&A Dundee and the forthcoming arrival of the Eden Project – making it one of the best places in the UK to live, work and study.
Visit University of Dundee Website -
Creative Dundee
Creative Dundee believes that culture and creativity are essential catalysts for positive change. Creative Dundee amplifies and connects creativity in and around Dundee, and leads on collaborative projects which generate local, national and international opportunities for people, the city and the region.
Since May 2021 CULTIVATE has run, a regional peer-leadership programme that experiments with new ways of embedding creativity at the core of grassroots collective action for climate justice.
Visit Creative Dundee Website -
Scottish Gas Networks
Scottish Gas Network looks after all the pipes underground and up to your gas meter. While all the pipes and appliances inside your home are the responsibility of you or your landlord. The gas that flows through all the pipes belongs to your supplier, as well as your meter. If you have any questions about your bills or meter, they're the best people to help.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, our teams are working behind the scenes and out on the streets to keep you safe and the gas flowing to 5.9 million homes and businesses in the south of England and across Scotland.
Visit Scottish Gas Networks Website
