Cairngorms park body to measure its carbon footprint

Published on Tuesday 1 May 2007 00:20

SCOTLAND'S largest national park is taking action to tackle the threat posed by climate change.

With the UK's biggest area of arctic mountain landscape and home to 25 per cent of the country's threatened bird, animal and plant species, the Cairngorms is seen as an area with much to lose from temperature changes.

It could also be hit economically, with warmer weather affecting snow cover for skiers.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority is now taking steps to measure its carbon footprint for the first time and then attempt to reduce it.

The authority will team up with the Aberdeen-based land-use researchers, the Macaulay Institute, and Aberdeenshire Council for the project, to be funded largely through the Scottish Executive's environmental and rural affairs department.

In June, the partnership plans to publish the level of greenhouse gas emission within the national park, how these can be reduced and how the park proposes to deal with the effects of climate change.

Fiona Chalmers, the authority's integrated land management officer, said: "There is little doubt that climate change will have an impact on the natural heritage of the Cairngorms National Park, particularly the fragile arctic alpine communities that depend on winter snow cover and cold temperatures.

"All our partners are agreed on the need to tackle that threat and protect the park and its special qualities. Before we can do that, we need to understand the carbon footprint of the park and measure our collective progress in reducing emissions."