THE Outer Hebrides Climate Hub is preparing to welcome Gaelic speakers from across the Outer Hebrides and Scotland to the world’s first Gaelic Climate Convention.
Hosted in partnership with Climate Hebrides, a community interest company that aims to tackle climate change in the Outer Hebrides, the convention is set to bring Gaelic speakers of all abilities together to discuss key terminology within the climate debate.
The convention will take place on Wednesday, November 8 at Cnoc Soilleir, South Uist, and will also be livestreamed.
The hub was established to raise awareness and develop actions on climate change in the Outer Hebrides. The organisation said: "Land and language hold an important relationship to the people of the Outer Hebrides, which is why language is a vital part of the climate discussions."
The Scottish Government’s Just Transition Plan and ideas towards net zero in the Highlands and Islands will also be addressed.
Alasdair Mackenzie, director at Climate Hebrides said: “We support communities within the Outer Hebrides to address climate change by helping them navigate a path towards energy and climate sustainability. The Outer Hebrides Climate Hub was established to develop tangible climate change actions that align with our communities’ concerns.
"The Gaelic language has always played a crucial role within our communities, but the need to bridge the gap between language and climate change has become increasingly prevalent. A discussion surrounding the language adopted to address these complex climate issues was needed. The Gaelic Climate Convention enables these talks to take place whilst putting climate change at the forefront of our communities’ agenda.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Meeting our climate ambition means a rapid transformation in the way we live, work and do business. A just transition means becoming a net zero, climate resilient economy in a way that seeks to tackle inequality and injustice. It means communities, workers and businesses across Scotland being involved in shaping the manner of our transition.
"We have committed to delivering Just Transition Plans for sectors, sites and regions throughout Scotland. The National Just Transition Planning Framework, published in 2021, outlines our approach. This emphasises a commitment to wide engagement and the involvement of those who stand to be most impacted by the transition, including communities, businesses and workers.
"Sectoral plans for Transport, Land Use & Agriculture, Built Environment and Construction and Energy will help to provide greater certainty for workers, businesses, and communities on what the journey to net zero means in practice.
"Conventions like this one help to create spaces for communities to engage with the development of sectoral Just Transition Plans. The convention will be part of a wide range of discussions and activities helping to shape draft Plans, which will be published for consultation in 2024.”
