Appendix A - PKC CCAP Year 4 Annual Report
Perth and Kinross Council · 25 February 2026
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Appendix A Annual Climate Action Update Year 4
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Introduction This report highlights Perth and Kinross Council’s commitment to climate change and reports back on the delivery of fourth year of our Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. This report highlights some of the impactful work the 30+ teams across the Council that have been delivering on climate action over the past year to help address the climate and nature crisis as well as more widely helping residents to live life well. As has been seen by events over the last few years, climate change can no longer be thought of as a future risk but is a real and pressing emergency. While the Council is balancing many priorities with limited resources, many of the actions in the plan have had and will have the ability to deliver wider benefits and address other Council priorities around poverty reduction and economic growth. We are striving to lead by example and this year we achieved 16% year-on-year reductions in our Scope 1,2 and 3 emissions. Improving how we manage the waste achieved significant savings. We continued to green our fleet and piloted alternative fuels in our heavy goods vehicles. We also improved the efficiency of our estate, including the opening of Scotland’s first Passivhaus leisure centre. We also used our control and levers of influence to drive area-wide action. We facilitated free home-energy advice to over 1600 households, grant-funded over 40 businesses to support their ambitions to green their businesses and increased the cycling skills of over 2,000 school children across the area. Recognising the importance of community action, we made 22 community Nature Restoration Fund grants, helped refresh our climate commission – SHIFT and supported Climate Connect- a new network for community climate action to launch. While it is important that Perth and Kinross Council plays its part its reducing emissions, there is a certain amount of change already locked into the system. These changing climate patterns and the resultant water shortages, wildfires, flash flooding and more prevalent storm events are already impacting on Perth and Kinross. Recognising that many of these risks do not end at local authority boundaries, this year we jointly launched Climate Ready Tayside in partnership with Dundee City and Angus Councils. At the other end of the spectrum, we know it is our communities that experience the impacts and often are best placed to respond. We have nearly doubled our number of community resilience groups up to 63 and increased the resources and training we are able to offer. In order to meet our decarbonisation targets and keep pace with the changing climate risk, the pace of change needs to accelerate. This will require a consistent policy framework, long-term resources to be secured, the creation of the right enabling
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environment for others to take action and bringing our residents and businesses along with us. Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan The Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (CCSAP) was unanimously approved in December 2021 and then updated as part of the annual reporting process in November 2022. This report provides the update on PKC’s climate action, covering the fourth year of delivery, from October 2024 – September 2025. Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) in December 2022 recognised ‘Tackling climate change and supporting sustainable places’ a one of the key corporate priorities identified in the new Corporate Plan. This further strengthens PKC’s commitment to addressing the climate and ecological emergency, as outlined in its (CCSAP). The CCSAP is divided into long-term objectives, Council Commitments and eight thematic plans.
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Table 1 Objectives and commitments
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Overall Highlights The Council has made noticeable progress this year against all six of our overarching objectives and 27 Strategic Commitments, the highlights of which are detailed below. 1. Achieving Net Zero aligned with the Paris Agreement and the Scottish Government Targets, with the ambition of achieving them sooner. We reduced the Council’s own emissions by 16% year-on year. Our upgraded Building Management system software reduced energy consumption by 3,000MWh in its first year, with annual financial savings of circa £100,000. We opened Scotland’s first Passivhaus Leisure Centre - Blairgowrie Recreation Centre and Perth High School our first Passivhaus secondary school. We piloted the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) in our Refuse Collection Vehicles and have committed to expand this to all RCVs by the end of 2025. This will improve air quality and save 700-1000 tonnes of CO2e annually PKC secured £1.1M funding from Transport Scotland for EV charging points. A private operator will be appointed to install 64 charging points over 3 years across PKC. 2. Building a more resilient Perth and Kinross We launched Climate Ready Tayside together with Angus and Dundee Councils in spring 2025. This new regional adaptation partnership will address cross- boundary risks and share best practice. (Resilience) An Ash Dieback programme to screen, monitor and remove diseased trees commenced in summer 2025, with over 1,000 trees already surveyed. (Resilience) Work has started onsite to build the £40.8m Comrie Flood scheme designed to protect 189 homes and businesses. (Resilience) We are taking a proactive approach to landslip risk with 39 at risk infrastructure and greenspace sites identified with inspections underway. We are one of the only local authorities in Scotland to do this. (Resilience) The number of Perth and Kinross community resilience groups this year has nearly doubled this year to 63. We have supported them by providing over £220k in grants, £80k in equipment and training in how to use key tools like box walls. (Resilience)
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3. Delivering a fair transition and a green recovery We lowered the energy costs for our Council tenants by improving energy efficiency. There has been a reduction in number of PKC Domestic properties at EPC Bands E and F achieving and all should achieve EPC Band D or above for Dec 2025 and increase in properties with EPC Bands B and above. The PKC Green Capital Development Grant Fund awarded grants to 31 businesses, 23 of these businesses that have completed their projects and collectively leveraged an additional £5,241,000 of private investment into the P&K economy from the £451,000 they received (Business and Industry) We developed the legal, planning, design and infrastructure aspects of the proposed Perth Eco-Innovation Park (PEIP) as a Net Zero exemplar and beginning to prepare marketing materials for the site (Business and Industry) 4. Preventing an ecological emergency and enhancing biodiversity We are a founding partner for the Leven Landscape Enterprise Network to help leverage private sector investment to make the Leven landscape healthy and productive while benefitting the environment, boosting biodiversity and uplifting local communities. The Council’s £20k of NRF match funding helped leverage in £155k of private investment (Land Use). With our Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) allocation, 22 projects were funded in Year 4 to deliver restoration by both the Council and our communities These include woodland planning, INNS control, farmland biodiversity, pond creation, pollinator planting, and tree nursery development. (Land Use) We are developing Nature Networks for key ecosystems - public engagement in spring 2025 had over 70 people contributing. (Land Use) We planted over 3,100 trees this year across Council parks and maintained open spaces that will boost nature, sequester climate and provide amenity for our residents and visitors. (Land Use) We nearly doubled the area managed for our Grow Wild programme to 120ha 5. Engaging and empowering our children and young people Our 3rd Annual Youth Climate Conference focussed on Green Skills & Careers, with 90 pupils and teachers from secondary schools engaged (Education & Engagement). We launched a Schools Recycling Project to invest in internal recycling resources and fit-for-purpose solutions to improve recycling rates in schools and
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completed Phase 1 (Bertha Park High and cluster primaries) (Education & Engagement). We had successful engagement with schools for energy audits during holiday shut down. Eight schools were chosen for project. Perth Grammar School reduced their holiday consumption by 70% compared to the previous year; Blairgowrie High School managed a reduction of 26% on the previous year (Buildings and Energy). We had successful engagement with pilot eight schools for energy audits during holiday shut down, with the following year-on-year savings: Perth Grammar School - 70% reduction Blairgowrie High School - 26% reduction We increased the annual number of pupils trained to Bikeability Level 2 by 500 this year, with 2110 P6 and P7 pupils trained. (Transport) 6. Empowering our communities We supported the creation and launch of Climate Connect Perth & Kinross, a community network, funded by the Scottish Government, designed to bring together all groups carrying out climate actions across Perth and Kinross (Education & Engagement) We are supporting 12 communities to become Biodiversity towns and villages. We supported over 1,638 households with free home energy advice and support for Council tenants and Perth and Kinross residents; We commenced a mattress recycling project in conjunction with PUSH in Perth using funds from the Recycling Improvement FundIn its first six months of operation 197 mattresses have been diverted from disposal and have found new homes.
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Climate Action Plan Progress Our Climate Action Plan has 186 actions spread across the eight thematic areas. The status of these is shown in Figure 1. There is a year-on-year improvement when comparing to September 2024, with five actions moving out of the red category and 17 additional actions moving to green status. Figure 1 Full PKC CCSAP Action RAG Status as of 30 September 2025 71, 38% 68, 37% 17, [PERCEN TAGE] 28, 15% Status of CCSAP Year 4 Actions (as of 30/9/25) Green Amber Red Complete To ensure that the most important actions were prioritised, the Council designated 25 top priority actions. These were re-prioritised by Council members in October 2024 The top priority actions focus on three main areas achieving area-wide emissions reduction, reducing the Council’s own emissions and building resilience to climate change across Perth and Kinross. The overall progress of these actions is shown in Figure 2, with details of the progress of each action detailed in the relevant thematic section. Figure 2 Top 25 Priority Action RAG Status (September 30 2025) 11, 44% 14, 56% CCSAP Status - Top 25 Actions A G
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Challenges and barriers Several cross-cutting challenges or barriers applicable to the wider programme delivery have been identified: Shifting and uncertainty of government targets and the associated regulatory requirements has an impact on the ability to align work and convince others to act. Resource and skills gap within both the Council and wider supply chain to be able to scale up at pace to meet Net Zero targets and the lack of trust in the supply chain following a number of recent scandals around external insulation, etc. Challenges in recruiting and retaining internal staff with the required skills, knowledge and experience has been time consuming and led to delivery delays. Data timeliness and availability is a challenge to understand the effectiveness of our actions and make appropriate adjustments. Several of the key datasets have 1-2 year compilation windows. The need to identify and unlock funding opportunities to ensure future targets are achieved, in an uncertain funding landscape. This often requires the Council to have developed projects to a ‘shovel ready’ stage prior to bidding and often only cover capital costs. The portrayal in the media that climate action does not have popular support. This is in contrast to the Scottish Climate Survey (2024), which found that 72% of Scots feel that ‘Climate change is an immediate and urgent problem’ and a further 13% felt that ‘Climate change is more of a problem for the future’. These views are even in stronger in Perth and Kinross at 83%/10% respectively. In addition to these, specific challenges and barriers for each theme of the action plan are discussed in the relevant thematic section later in this report. Performance Seven high-level key performance indicators (KPIs) have been established to give an overview of the Council’s progress towards net zero. All KPIs showed year-on-year improvement. It should be noted that due to the lag of the data sources being published, the values for the first three KPIs are for 2023. Our performance data highlights that while we are trending in the right direction, the need to accelerate the pace of action to remain aligned to the Paris Agreement and national targets.
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Table 1 Year 4 KPI Data KPI Target Current value % change over previous year Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas emissions (kt CO2e - Net) 75% reduction on 1990 levels by 2030 and zero net emissions by 2045. 1180 (2023) -3% Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas per Capita emissions (t CO2e - Net) 75% reduction on 1990 levels by 2030 and zero net emissions by 2045. 7.7 (2023) -4% Perth and Kinross Area-wide CO2 emissions (kt CO2e - Net) 376kt CO2e by 2030 (75% reduction on 1990 levels) 634.9 (2023) -2% Perth and Kinross Council Scope 1,2, and 3 emissions (t CO2e) Net zero by 2045 23,457 (24/25) 16% Carbon Disclosure Project (City Score) ‘A’ by 2024 A (2024) A % of Climate Change Indicators showing positive change 100% 75% (24/25) 5.6 percentage points Climate Change Grant Funding secured (£k) No target set £2,234.53 (24/25) -35% Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas emissions (ktCO2e) Figure 3 shows recorded greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2023. This shows a 3% decrease in emissions year-on-year. This continues the downward trend experienced since 2005, the first-year comparative data is available. This decrease matched the overall Scottish trend. While emissions in 2023 continued to decrease we are still significantly above the estimated trajectory needed to reach Perth and Kinross Council target of 75% reduction by 2030 and currently we have achieved a 47% reduction on 1990 levels. It is important to note that as the Council’s climate change action plan was approved in December
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2021, so any changes attributed to this plan are likely to only minorly be reflected in the data. Of our three main emissions categories: Transport sector emissions decreased by 1.3%, reflecting a hopeful cap to the post-Covid-19 emissions rises. Land use emissions increased by 2%, while similarly land use sequestrations (reductions) also increased by 2%. The increase in sequestration potential was a positive change as it reversed a three-year decrease. Agriculture emissions had been following a decreasing trend, but a slight increase (0.7%) was recorded for 2023. There were bigger changes in our small emissions categories with Commercial emissions decreasing by 12%, Waste emissions by 10%, Domestic emissions by 3% and wider-public sector emissions also by 3%. Figure 3 GHG Territorial Emissions for Perth and Kinross, DESNZ 20251 Perth and Kinross Area-wide territorial greenhouse gas per Capita emissions (tCO2e) As shown in Figure 4, since 2005, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Perth and Kinross have been steadily reducing since 2005, with the exception being 2021 (Covid recovery). This year there was a 4% reduction. This is higher rate of decrease than for the overall emissions due to the fact that the national dataset used showed a population decrease in 2023 for Perth and Kinross. This per capita emissions decrease is slightly more than the Scottish average (2.8%) Scotland, but we have continued to
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remain higher than the Scottish average in terms of overall emissions as would be expected for a local authority with a more rural population. Figure 4 Per Capita GHG Emissions (DESNZ, 2025) Perth and Kinross Area-wide CO2 emissions (ktCO2e) This is the CO2 only element of the wider Greenhouse Gas emissions so many of the sub-categories show similar trends. Figure 5 shows a steady reduction in recorded CO2 emissions from 2005 until the Covid recovery bump in 2020, with an 8% increase in 2021. Emissions decreased again in 2022 and similarly in 2023 with a 2% decrease compared to 2022 levels. Emission levels are currently 14% higher than they would need to be on trajectory for a PKC’s current target of 75% reduction by 2030. Figure 5 Perth and Kinross CO2 emissions (DESNZ, 2025)
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Perth and Kinross Council Scope 1,2, and 3 emissions (tCO2e) As can be seen in Figure 6, in 2024/25 a carbon footprint of 23,457 tCO2e was recorded. This shows a significant 16% year-on-year decrease. Progress has been made in all areas (Transport, Energy use and Waste) reported. The largest emissions reduction can be attributed to the new residual waste contract that replaced landfill with Energy from Waste. It came into effect in August 2023, with 2024/25 being the first full reporting year. There has also been a 2% reduction in electricity consumption, despite the Council’s increased Internal Floor Area linked with the addition of Perth Museum and Bell’s Sports Centre. Lastly, emissions arising from the Council’s own fleet have also decreased, partly due to switching from highly polluting large cars to smaller and greener options, but mainly, due to using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a fuel alternative for Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs). The HVO trial for six HGVs throughout 2024/25 drastically cut overall HGV emissions by 21% compared to 2023/24. Since 2015/16, the Council has reported its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions as part of the statutory Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Compliance Reporting process and the emissions reported are as per those annual reports. More information on the Council’s carbon footprint can be found in the Perth and Kinross Public Bodies Climate Change Statutory Reporting 2024/25. Figure 6 Perth and Kinross Council Combined Scope 1,2 and 3 emissions Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) City Score PKC retained its top ‘A’ ranking in 2024 after we first made the ‘A-cities List’ in 2023. The CDP City Score is an independently audited assessment of climate action progress to assist organisations in measuring and managing their risks and opportunities on climate change. Perth and Kinross Council’s CDP score has been improving since its first
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submission year in 2019 from a ‘D’ to ‘C’ in 2021, ‘B’ in 2022 and A for the past two reporting years. Retaining an ‘A’ ranking is important in demonstrating area-wide climate action leadership, recognising the effort made by PKC to reach its climate objectives. Percentage of Climate Change Indicators showing positive change 71% of the Climate Change indicators show positive change. This has increased by 5.6 percentage points compared to Year 3, when 65.4% showed positive impact. In addition, a further 7.5% have not showed any change due to data availability, mainly, in relation to gaps in publication dates. Climate Change Grant Funding secured (£k) In 2024/25 the Council secured £ 2,234.53M of Climate Change related grant funding. This decreased by 35% compared to the amount received in 2023/24. A significant percentage of this reduction was due to securing the £2.36M from the Recycling Improvement Fund which enabled our Twin-Stream recycling transformation in 2023/24. Additionally, there was no funding awarded for Nature Restoration Fund in 2024/25.
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Governance Strong climate change governance remains foundational to Perth and Kinross Council’s ambitions for climate action. Over the past four years, significant progress has been made embedding climate action into our corporate governance systems, ensuring it is prioritised in our Corporate Plan and integrated into strategic and financial decision- making. Our governance theme focuses on six key areas: Accountability Business and Performance Management Decision Making Finance People Procurement Highlights Highlights this year include: Digital Carbon Footprint: We started to understand the climate impact of our data services, with a carbon footprinting exercise undertaken on our Microsoft Cloud services. Related to this we brought in email retention periods and ran awareness campaigns to help remove unnecessary data retention. Impact and Value Assessment Toolkit: We continued our rollout of our Impact and Value Assessment Toolkit to enable early identification of climate change, sustainable development, equalities, finance and legal risks and opportunities and made it mandatory for all committee reports from January 2026. Procurement Innovation: The Procurement Team are working with Services to identify pilot projects to include requirements relating to Climate Change. Specifically around Climate Change Action Plans within Structures Contracts. This will be used a pilot to learn and roll out to other suitable tenders. Climate Literacy: We appreciate that Climate Governance needs to start from the top and have rolled out Climate Literacy training to 52% of the executive team and senior managers, and continue our focus on elected member climate literacy now at 70%
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Delivery The Year 4 Action Plan identified 24 Governance actions. As of 30 September 2025, 87% of the actions can be classified as on-track (Green or Amber) in terms of progress. While Governance actions have a comparatively low resource need with respect to other thematic areas, there are several challenges linked to changing the culture, mindset, policies and procedures of a large organisation. These include staff capacity and prioritisation, appreciation of how climate action relates to a wider number of services and workstreams, as well as the lengthy processes involved in changing Council policies and procedures. The wider rollout of carbon literacy training across the senior leadership due to be completed next year will hopefully help address some of these challenges. Procurement is a key area for focus. While there is ambition within the procurement team to do more, the delivery is limited due to the constrained resources available within the Procurement team as a result of increase in workload due to other Transformation workstreams and a significant increase in contracts this year. Review of Top Priority Actions There were two Top Priority Governance actions for Year 4. Action Number Action RAG Status Comments G2 Mainstream climate change: into committee procedures and council operations G From January 2026, completion of the Impact and Value Assessment Toolkit which includes Climate Change Screening has been required for all committee reports. G22 High Emission Category Strategies A Sessions planned for using the Prioritisation Tool to assess risks and opportunities for identified categories. Due to staff capacity, this has been delayed Q4 25/26 to Q1 26/27. Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: IVA Screening: Between January and November 2025, 199 papers were screened, identifying 245 positive climate actions Procurement Outcomes: The Flexible framework has been completed and an action plan completed to bring the organisation to a foundation level across all
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sustainable procurement criteria. Categories for the Prioritisation tool have been identified. Key Contracts have been identified and work has commenced on. Performance Progress against Statutory Targets There are no Statutory targets in relation to Climate Governance, but we are required to report on our actions, priorities and Climate Change Assessment Tool (CCAT) Overall Score in relation as part of our Public Bodies Climate Change Reporting duty. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment % of Members and senior officers who have undertaken Climate Literacy training 32% 100% of Elected Members 100% of the Strategic Leadership Forum by 2026 - 50% 2025 % of staff who have climate change included in job description 71% All non-Education stuff Climate Change Assessment Tool (CCAT) Overall Score 71% 74% 85% by 2026 Focus for upcoming year Leadership, Accountability, and Decision-Making Focus: Embedding climate action into all council decision-making processes and committee procedures. Strengthening leadership and accountability for climate governance across the organisation. Actions: Ensure mandatory use of the Impact and Value Assessment Toolkit for all committee reports from January 2026, with regular audits to monitor compliance. Monitor and report on the climate impact of key decisions, enhancing transparency and accountability.
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Complete climate literacy training for all elected members and senior officers, and extend to wider staff group Workforce Engagement and Capacity Building Focus: Building climate literacy and awareness throughout the workforce. Integrating climate responsibilities into job roles and organisational culture. Actions: Update job descriptions to include climate change responsibilities for all relevant roles. Track and report progress on climate literacy training, aiming for 100% completion among elected members and senior officers by year-end. Provide ongoing support and resources to staff to embed climate action as business as usual. Procurement and Financial Integration Focus: Aligning procurement practices and financial planning with climate objectives. Developing strategies for high-emission procurement categories. Actions: Finalise and implement category strategies for high-emission procurement areas, using the Prioritisation Tool to assess risks and opportunities. Pilot and scale procurement projects that prioritise low-carbon and sustainable goods and services. Advance the development of Whole Life Costing approaches, applying them to major capital investments and procurement decisions. Integrate climate risk and opportunity assessments into financial planning and budget allocation. Data Management, Performance, and Reporting Focus: Improving the quality and usefulness of climate-related data and reporting. Tracking progress against key performance indicators and statutory requirements. Actions: Refine data collection and reporting processes, including digital carbon footprinting and procurement data. Launch targeted initiatives to improve climate data quality and availability. Use insights from the Climate Change Assessment Tool (CCAT) to identify areas for improvement and monitor progress towards Council targets. Regularly review KPIs, including CCAT scores and staff engagement metrics, to inform ongoing improvement. Engagement with Services and Partnerships Focus:
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Extending climate governance initiatives to new Council services and external partnerships. Fostering collaboration and sharing best practice. Actions: Develop a tailored climate governance engagement plan for the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), including training and toolkit adoption. Engage services in climate governance initiatives, ensuring climate action is embedded across all operations. Foster collaboration across departments and with external partners to drive innovation and share best practice.
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Education and Engagement The Council have committed to improving the education and engagement surrounding climate change and climate action. This includes extensive training and engagement opportunities for staff and elected members, close working and empowerment of community groups and action and providing opportunities and support for local residents and businesses. Highlights Highlights this year include: Increasing the number of Elected Members who have completed Carbon Literacy Training has increased from 42% to 70% and extension for senior management Carbon Literacy Training to now cover all Strategic Leadership Forum members (123 people) of which 55% will be trained by the end of 2025. Successfully hosting the 3rd annual Youth Climate Conference focussed on Green Skills & Careers. This involved 90 pupils and teachers from secondary and through-schools. 16 different organisations, businesses and further education providers represented. Completing Phase 2 of Net Zero Living Innovate UK funded project to create the foundations to launch a retrofit one stop shop. £80k of seed funding secured with further funding applied for to move the project forward to a testing stage Support the creation and launch of Climate Connect Perth & Kinross, a community network, funded by the Scottish Government, designed to bring together all groups carrying out climate actions across Perth and Kinross
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Delivery As of 30 September 2025, all actions can be classified as Green or Amber in terms of progress. In the Year 4 Action Plan identified two Education & Engagement actions as top priority. These actions focus on public engagement and empowerment of community groups; giving young people a voice and resources to tackle actions. The main challenges associated with delivering Engagement & Education are communication and collaboration among Council teams. Whilst inter-departmental teams are working well together, there are still some challenges connecting with embedding change in schools, school communities and the curriculum. Work to improve on collaboration and prioritising climate action is underway. There has been a big up-take in the number of Headteachers attending the Carbon Literacy Training which sets out clearly how climate action is positively intertwined with improving buildings and addressing the cost of the school day. While surveys show that 82% of Perth and Kinross residents think that Climate Change is an important issue, the efficacy of individual or even Council-level actions can be harder for many people to appreciate when considering it as a global challenge. What has become more apparent this year through wider research and public feedback and conversations is the need to make it clearer for people how climate actions do not just reduce emissions but can help people live life well locally. Review of Top Priority Actions The Top Priority Actions for Year 4 were: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments E9 Review school operations and practices to ensure our schools lead by example G Recycling Project underway; Schools energy improvements continuing with successful holiday switch-off campaigns; Eary Years Bikeability project started; Youth Climate Conference hosted E13 Deliver community and householder education and engagement G Regular updates of website and socials; promotion of climate action activities; delivery and support of fares, litter picks workshops; close working among PKC teams; delivery of community-focused projects and participatory budgeting; delivery of community energy event
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Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of actions taken under the Climate Action Plan Actions. Successful engagement with schools for energy audits during holiday shut down. Eight schools were chosen for project. Perth Grammar School reduced their holiday consumption by 70% compared to the previous year; Blairgowrie High School managed a reduction of 26% on the previous year Completion of Phase 2 on Innovate UK Pathfinder Project - Extensive resident and business engagement on retrofit one stop shop business model and knowledge hub and creation of scalable processes as part of IUK project completion. Performance Progress against Statutory Targets There are no statutory targets for the Education and Engagement theme. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment % of Members and senior officers who have undertaken Climate Literacy training 32% 47% 100% of Elected Members 100% of the Strategic Leadership Forum by 2026 - 50% 2025 % of staff who have climate change included in job description 71% 71% All non-education staff Climate Change Assessment Tool (CCAT) Overall Score 71% 74% 85% by 2026 Focus for upcoming year The focus on the upcoming year will remain on the roll out of the Schools Recycling Project. Each school cluster requires a bespoke approach due to the variety within our education estate. The focus will remain introducing lasting and sustainable processes
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and resources which will capture recycling through our schools and divert from disposal. To compliment the ongoing recycling programme within schools, a closer working relationship with our ECS colleagues will continue to aid in the adoption of Learning for Sustainability across the curriculum. Opportunities for collaboration and learning will be shared to ensure schools can make the most of the expertise that exists within the Council. For the wider community, a focus will remain on engagement, particularly through the Climate Connect platform to champion local actions and sharing good news stories. Progress will also be sought to be made in refining and launching a retrofit one stop shop to serve as a catalyst for improving home energy efficiency.
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Buildings and Energy Within the Energy and Buildings theme, work against the key themes identified within the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan has been progressing over the past year in relation to: Moving forward with actions from the LHEES and LAEP for the wider Perth & Kinross area Improving energy efficiency in housing stock area wide Developing a decarbonisation pathway for the Council’s Domestic and Non- Domestic estate portfolio. Progressing energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects using existing budget allocation. Highlights While good progress has been made across the theme, a few highlights of the year include: Supporting over 1,638 households with free home energy advice and support for tenants and residents by working with SCARF; a new contract has been agreed that will continue this support to the end of March 2026. ECO4 workstream delivering energy efficiency measures utilised ECO Funding of £3,062,614 and 173 installations with 537 individual measures installed. These measures contribute to the decarbonisation of privately owned properties across the wider Perth & Kinross area. Completing two major Passivhaus replacement buildings. These include Scotland’s first Passivhaus Leisure Centre - Blairgowrie Recreation Centre and Perth High School our first Passivhaus secondary school. The Passivhaus standard ensures both quality and energy efficiency are achieved. Delivery of an initial domestic pilot project looking at the 4-in-a-block archetypes and potential energy efficiency measures. Data from these properties will now be reviewed regularly and used to inform future plans.
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At Arngask Primary School, we replaced an inefficient hot water system with a thermal energy storage unit which utilises innovative phase change material. This blended £41,052 of match funding through the Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation with continued use of PKC internal capital funding. Working in partnership with Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) & Edinburgh University on and InnovateUK funded project to develop and deliver a decarbonisation toolkit. The project secured £100k of external funding and showcases the needs and benefits of public/private partnership working. Delivery The 2024/25 Action Plan identified 23 Energy and Buildings actions; as of 30 September 2025, 4 (17%) are Complete, 8 (35%) are Green Status, 9 (39%) are Amber status and 2 (9%) are classified as Red. In terms of progress, 91% of the actions can be classified as Complete, Green or Amber. Progress on several key area-wide delivery actions from the LHEES and LAEP are underway including the Heat Network Support Unit funded strategic Heat Network development and exploration of Strategic Energy Partner. These actions continue to support the detailed planning for decarbonising the Council’s Non-Domestic & Domestic estate. The main challenges associated with delivering the Energy and Buildings actions are: To identify and unlock funding opportunities to ensure future targets are achieved. Resource and skills gap within the supply chain to be able to scale up at pace to meet Net Zero targets. Challenges in recruiting and retaining internal staff with the required skills, knowledge and experience. Uncertainty due to changes in legislation not yet being agreed. Consultation on the replacement for EESSH2 – know as the Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS) and consultation on the Heat in Buildings Bill both closed in November 2023; and no further guidance has been provided since this time. The Council has limited levers for getting private individuals and businesses to undertake retrofit within their own properties. To support action, we fund free home-energy advice, undertake awareness campaigns and have been developing a One Stop Retrofit Shop.
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Review of Top Priority Actions The Top Priority Actions for 2024/25 were: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments B1 Develop and deliver the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) G Annual report on LHEES taken to CC&S Committee on 10 November. Good progress was made on key actions: - Perth Heat Network - Strategic Energy Partner - Estate decarbonisation - Community energy (Scalable cities) - Public engagement B2 Develop and deliver a programme to ensure all existing Council houses are brought up to EPC B by 2032 G Phase 1 of consultancy project with ARUP was presented on in Nov 2024 Ongoing work programme to ensure upgrades of all E&F properties by the end of the year. Pilot projects are being developed for two archetypes from the existing housing stock to trial potential measures to decarbonise these. Exploring the possibility to develop rural HN in hard to decarbonise locations by combining with non-domestic workstream B11 Develop options, costs and funding avenues for PKC Estate Portfolios to reduce greenhouse gas emissions A High level options appraisal provided by ARUP and investigating more detailed pathways to reach Net Zero B13 Develop and invest in local district heat/communal heat/electricity networks where viable which use alternative non-direct emissions heat sources G Close cross Service working required and partnership with Community Planning Partners. Private sector or Aleo required to deliver/operate heat network. Only Perth has density/anchor loads for large scale district heating network B21 Replace all Oil-fired heating systems with non- direct emissions heat source, A Utilising existing internal funding up to 2026/27 to undertake initial Non-Direct Emissions heat source projects. External SG part-funding has also been secured
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from Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation fund in 25/26 for one of these projects. Further funding streams to be explored to undertake additional projects. Outcomes The following positive outcomes as a result of Priority Actions include: Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 16% within the Non-Domestic PKC estate over the last 4 years. Our upgraded Building Management system software reduced energy consumption by 3000MWh in year 1. This also produced financial savings of circa £100,000 and will ensure a return on investment within 3 years. PKC have funded over 6,500 households to receive free home energy advice over the life of the Climate Action Plan. Last year this led to estimated annual bill savings of £179,216 and £4,760 reduction in fuel debt. Successfully delivered pilot project at Auchtergaven Primary school to remove oil fired heating system and install a non-direct emissions heat source. This resulted in a reduction in energy consumption of 49 % and improved energy use intensity of 84 kWh/m2a. £100k of Strategic Heat Network Unit funding awarded by the Scottish Government to procure a partner to deliver heat networks. HEEPS-ABS grant funding award of £1,942,800 received from Scottish Government for 2025/26 for delivery of energy efficiency measures in Domestic privately owned properties. CAN DO Green Heat Retrofit Innovation Challenge funding awarded by Scottish Enterprise to the value of £50,000 to undertake a Feasibility Study to develop a project for a pioneering green heat solution. Lowering the energy costs for our Council tenants by improving energy efficiency. There has been a reduction in number of PKC Domestic properties at EPC Bands E and F achieving and all should achieve EPC Band D or above for Dec 2025 and increase in properties with EPC Bands B and above. Performance Progress against Statutory Targets There are several statutory targets in relation to the decarbonisation of the Energy & Buildings theme as follows. I. 68% reduction in emissions from buildings by 2030 with respect to 2020 levels: on-track 3.4% reduction in 2024/25 from 2023/24.
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III. Social housing to be EPC D by December 2025 and EPC B by 2032: on-track Increase in EPC Band B and above properties from 7.07% in 2023/24 to 8.05% of housing stock in 2024/25. Decrease in EPC Bands E, F & G properties from 3.88% in 2023/24 to 2.55% in 2024/25. IV. Development of Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Strategies (Strategy & Delivery Plan) by end of 2023: this target has been met; the final LHEES was presented to Council and received approval in November 2023. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Total area-wide Carbon dioxide emissions from domestic sources (kt CO2e 232.6 218.7 Scope 1 and 2 Emissions from Non -Domestic Council Estate (tonnes CO2e) 9,264 8,976 Annual emissions of 4,396 tonnes CO2e by 2030 PKC Non-Domestic Energy Consumption (kWh) 50,481,05 1 48,173,891 Target: 3% year-on-year savings On-track 3.4% reduction in 2024/25 from 2023/24 Heating oil consumption in PKC non-domestic estate (kWh) 1,806,3721,532,193 All sites with oil as a heat source to be removed by 2030
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Renewable energy generated across the PKC estate, including from Low Carbon Heat Sources (MWh) 2831.08 2599.07 Renewable energy shall be installed where can maximise production. % Council housing meeting the Energy Efficient Standard 2 for social housing (minimum EPC B) 7.07% 8.05% EESSH2 standards of 100% of Council Housing to meet EPC B by 2032 Percentage of households in fuel poverty 32% 35% 5% by 2040 Annual data has only been published at a national level - data has been extrapolated to PKC based on the ratio of the Scottish to PKC levels of fuel poverty that were last both measured in 2019. Highly linked to energy price cap. Much of this is beyond PKC control but demonstrates the importance of all energy efficiency measures the council is taking. Percentage of households in extreme fuel poverty 27% 28% 1% by 2040 Number of P&K households provided with energy efficiency and/or low carbon heating advice (PKC funded) 2205 1638 1290 for 2024/25 Focus for upcoming year The focus for the upcoming year is the delivery of the actions in the plan that will include the following: Selection of a Strategic Energy Partner and working with them on the continued development of a Perth City Centre heat network and wider decarbonisation priorities.
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Provide a detailed and prioritised decarbonisation plan for the Council’s Domestic and Non-Domestic Estate; plan should take into account lessons learned from pilot project delivery. Work toward targets indicated in aforementioned Corporate Key Performance Indicators (KPI). Undertake statutory duty in relation to public sector Non-Domestic buildings and the compilation of Building Assessment Reports (BAR) in accordance with Heat Network Regulations. Continue our work to replace all oil-fired boilers within our estate. Two new actions have been added into the Climate Change Action Plan for next year. Firstly, to develop rural heat networks at sites beneficial to PKC’s domestic and non- domestic estates, recognising the potential efficiencies by addressing both together in locations where the Council has clustered domestic and non-domestic buildings. The second new action is to develop a programme of sites under PKC ownership for renewable energy generation. This will help the Council lower its emissions and maximise its potential energy returns.
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Transport There continues to be ongoing work across the Council and through collaborative work with partners to deliver on key themes of the Climate Change Strategy: Increasing active transport Accelerating the EV transition Improving public transport provision Reducing vehicles in town centres Ensuring resilient transport systems However, the collective action from interventions delivered both by the Council and external bodies has not led to the targeted transport emissions reduction in Perth and Kinross, which remain significantly off track. Highlights Highlights this year include: Fleet: Good progress has been made with Refuse Collection Vehicles, which have started using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and all RCVs will be using HVO by the end of 2025. A business case has been developed for phased addition of electric vehicles to the pool car fleet. Public Transport: The Transport Transformation Project has commenced, a 3- year project which will set the strategic direction for public transport and propose a new model for in-scope transport by March 2027, including public bus service provision, transport for school, health & social care & looked after children, plus communications. Community transport: PKC has disposed of 6 Council minibuses to Community Groups in Perth and Kinross to support them with the transport requirements of their group. In addition, PKC has long term loaned three 8-seat Multi-Purpose Vehicles to rural community transport groups in Kirkmichael, Muthill and Aberfeldy to enable them to provide local solutions to their community’s public transport needs. Reducing vehicles in town centres: A study has been completed for Perth Circulation Plan. It outlines how city centre roadspace could reallocated in a coordinated way to reduce through traffic and deliver connected sustainable transport network improvements, including a new cycle network separated from traffic.
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Public Electric Vehicle Chargers: PKC and Angus Council secured £1.1M funding from Transport Scotland for EV charging points. A private operator will be appointed to install 64 charging points over 3 years across PKC (in urban and rural areas). They will also take over operating our public EV charging network. Air Quality: Crieff Air Quality Management Area was revoked in December 2024 and a 5-year Air Quality Action plan was approved in August 2025. Delivery The Year 4 Action Plan identified 32 Theme actions that are still live, with a further 6 completed. As of 30 September 2025, 69% of the live actions can be classified as Green or Amber in terms of progress. The main challenge associated with delivering transport emissions reductions are: delivery of larger scale sustainable transport capital projects are dependent on securing external funding from Transport Scotland. This has the specific challenges are that funding governance and access arrangements are still in flux, funding awards are now usually mid-way through the financial year or later, and a lack of multi-year funding awards. All funding is single year, whereas many infrastructure projects take multiple years to deliver This creates challenges for programming, resourcing and delivery General mismatch, across the public sector, between the pace and scale of proposed interventions (and associated resources) required to hit transport emissions reduction targets and those that are being delivered. Delays at a national level with introducing proposed high impact measures, such as transitioning vehicle excise duty into a per mile driven charge Nervousness to propose and deliver the challenging interventions needed to achieve transport behaviour change by the public which limit car use in the short term Lack of focus on the importance of 2030 climate targets and associated urgency required.
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Review of Top Priority Actions Progress against the Top Priority Actions for Year 4 is summarised as follows: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments T10 Transition Council vehicle fleet to electric and alternative fuels G Good progress is being made in line with the Fleet Decarbonisation Strategy T18 Investigate options for new Park & Ride sites A Land secured through planning process. Developing strategic business case for new park & ride sites, alongside review of existing Park & Rides site usage T3 Develop a new Active Travel Strategy A Lead Officer for the Mobility Strategy has begun development, progress had been delayed while this post was vacant T32 Develop a new Public Transport Strategy G The Council’s Transport Transformation Project has commenced and will deliver on this action, reporting in March 2027 T7a Deliver the Council-wide EV Charging Expansion Programme G Secured funding to install further 95 charging points over the next 3 years. Private operator of our charging point network to be appointed, who will be able to install more at their discretion Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: Estimated annual CO2 emissions savings of c750-1000 tonnes per year from Refuse Collection Vehicle fleet transition to using hydrotreated vegetable oil instead of diesel, reducing Fleet emissions by approximately 4%. £1.9M secured from Transport Scotland Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF) for Perth & Kinross Council and Angus Council to install electric vehicle charging points. £680,000 funding secured from Transport Scotland Bus Infrastructure fund for bus infrastructure and bus priority on South Street, Perth and design of multimodal corridor improvements along Dunkeld Road
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Received £193,000 from the Scottish Government Air Quality Grant for 25/26 projects. Performance Progress against Statutory Targets Previously there had been a 75% transport emissions reduction target and a 20% vehicle mileage target, both by 2030. In 2024 the Scottish Government agreed to remove these, but the replacement targets have not yet been put in place. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Perth and Kinross area wide carbon territorial dioxide emissions (ktCO2e) 498.3 493.8 (2023) Target of 158kt CO2e based on 75% reduction in transport emissions by 2030 in relation to 1990 levels. With a 1% annual reduction, this KPI remains significantly off-track. The Council has many levers, but limited direct control over transport emissions. Total car kms (millions) 1759.4 1824 Target of 1,496 – a 20% reduction on 2019 levels by 2030 Number of public EV charging devices 50kW and above 78 87 Public EV charging devices per 100,000 population 125.5 133.9 % Council fleet vehicles that are electric or other zero direct carbon fuel technologies 4% 4.45 % Number of exceedances of 1 1
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Scottish Air Quality Strategy Objectives in Perth & Kinross Focus for upcoming year The first focus for the upcoming year is to complete priority plans and strategies as outlined in the Climate Change Action Plan, namely an Active Travel Strategy and Corporate Travel Plan. The proposal for Perth Circulation Plan will also be finalised along with a review of Park & Ride provision. A strategic approach for behaviour change interventions to encourage uptake of sustainable transport options will be developed, to focus existing funding on the most impactful interventions. Also transport theme KPIs will be reviewed, in parallel with developing the monitoring and evaluation framework for the Mobility Strategy. In terms of delivery, it is anticipated that the first elements of the Perth Circulation Plan will begin to be delivered, though there are risks associated with political and public approval which could delay the project. In addition, new electric vehicle charging points will be installed as part of the 3-year programme and it is expected more electric and HVO-run vehicles will be introduced into the PKC Fleet. The priority actions for next year include: Develop a Perth and Kinross Active Travel Strategy Develop a PKC Corporate Travel Plan Develop and implement Phase one of the Perth Circulation Plan
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Circular Economy and Waste The Council has continued to work with Householders, Communities and Businesses to promote the services provided whilst raising awareness of recycling and reduction opportunities. Key action areas include: Circular Economy Strategy Circular Economy Business Opportunities Schools Recycling Project Operational Asset Review Highlights Highlights this year include: Circular Economy Strategy: Circular Economy Consultation document and Waste Management Plan Final update were drafted and are due to be presented to Climate Change and Sustainability Committee in February 2026. Circular Economy Business Opportunities: Work has been underway in relation to the Clean Growth Axis, a digital project development support platform founded on agreements with key statutory agencies, industry organisations, and academia; Project Beacon is progressing the development of an advanced plastics facility; and a further Circular Economy Business engagement session is due November 2025. Schools Recycling Project: Confirmation to commence the Recycling in Schools Project with £103k approved budget and a dedicated fulltime Officer to undertake this to 2027. The first 2 clusters of Bertha Park & Crieff High School, (along with the inclusion of Perth High school) are well underway. The focus being to improve the recycling infrastructure in PKC learning establishments and to promote positive behaviours with staff and pupils. Operational Asset Review: Conclusion of the Operational Asset Review – Phase 2 establishing the impact on waste & recycling collection services of depot rationalisation options, understanding the impact on the number of collection resources required to complete collections across the authority area to determine the viability of each scenario.
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Delivery The Year 4 Action Plan identified 17 Theme actions. As of 30 September 2025, 100% of the actions can be classified as making progress - with 7no. Green, 6no Amber and 3no. complete. The main challenges associated with delivering the circular economy and waste CAP actions include: Policy uncertainty: Whilst some national priorities and implementation dates have been agreed (Digital Waste Tracking and the re-instatement of the Deposit Return Scheme - DRS), there is still much uncertainty relating to the impact of these policies on Perth and Kinross Council waste and recycling operations, and the services that we provide. Similarly, a number of national policies have yet to be determined including: a new code of practice for household waste and recycling services (which may include statutory targets); a review of food and organic wastes; a review of textile recycling, and the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme to energy from waste facilities. Energy from Waste facilities: The ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste comes into force from the 1st of January 2026. The industry is experiencing a gap in energy from waste processing capacity in Scotland and this presents a risk of non- compliance with the ban for local authorities and waste management companies alike. SEPA has announced that there will be some flexibility in enforcement, but nevertheless, officers are taking steps to ensure that PKC is fully compliant with the ban. Public engagement: there is more to be done to help members of the public understand how they can engage correctly with the waste and recycling services that we provide, and to ensure that these services are simple, easy to understand and are accessible to all members of society. Review of Top Priority Actions The Top Priority Actions for Year 4 were: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments W2/W20Establish a baseline for the Circular Economy Route Map, work with the Resource Management Association Scotland (RMAS) to decarbonise and liaise with the G Good progress is underway engaging with businesses and organisations to establish Circular Economy working.
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Business & Industry Group W8/W21Ensure alignment with Scottish Government Legislation and Climate Change Route Map/Develop a Waste & Circular Economy Strategy to align with the Circular Economy Bill G Draft PKC CE Strategy reflects the priorities and timelines as detailed in the Scottish Governments CE Route Map, will be developed once national updates are announced. W16 Development of a Resource Management Plan for Education & Children’s Services G The Recycling in Schools Project commenced in 2024/25 with bins being delivered to the Bertha Park cluster September/October 2025, with the next cluster phase Crieff being late 2025, this is being complemented with education and awareness sessions. W17 Asset Management Review of Waste & Recycling Infrastructure Complete The project is now complete, however, there is an expectation that further work will be required of a detailed Depot and Waste Transfer Station Feasibility to consider the implications of each short-listed infrastructure rationalisation option. Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: With the twin stream roll out now having been in place for a full year, contamination rates for both grey (container mix) and blue (paper/card) are 14% and 3% respectively for 2024 continuing to be lower than before the service commenced at 19%, signifying positive engagement. This has also resulted in £200k of additional income for the Council. PKC received funding through the Recycling Improvement Small Grant Fund of £24,873 grant money which resulted in the commencement of the mattress recycling project in conjunction with PUSH in Perth. Since its introduction in March 2025 197 mattresses have been diverted from disposal and have found new homes up to 29th August 2025.
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Stich It, Don’t Ditch It Event, held in September 2025. Mary V Morton and Jeanna Wigger interacted with an audience of 21 following the launch of their recently released book, detailing a simple guide for hand-sewn repairs and question and answer session. Along with this other repair and reuse projects being undertaken in the Perth & Kinross area were discussed. Litter picking event held in the North Inch Community Campus in April 2025 recognising the work undertaken by 37 litter picking hosts and volunteers keeping our communities' litter free. This was a well-attended event with a speaker from Keep Scotland Beautiful addressing local and national issues with lively discussions. Issuing additional Food Waste Hubs, resulting in a further 585 Perth City Centre households having access to the food waste service. Performance Progress against Statutory Targets There are several statutory targets in relation to the decarbonisation of the Waste Theme sector as follows. The target of 60% of household waste by 2020 progressing to 70% of municipal waste by 2025 was dropped by the Scottish Government in 2024, however a record of this figure is still retained for 2024, this is awaiting verification.
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Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Perth and Kinross area wide territorial carbon dioxide emissions (ktCO2e) 84.7 76.2 Whole Life Cycle Emissions for PKC Collected Waste (kt CO2e) 135.6 131.65 Total household waste generated (tonnes) 71373 71804 Variable annually Total household waste landfilled as % of all household waste 27.1 6 5% by 2025 Significant improvements due to new residual waste contract Total household waste recycled/composted as % of all household waste. 51.7 50.9% 70% by 2025 Note this KPI target has been removed by the Scottish Government. % of households with access to food waste collection 80.9 83.6 82.2% of households Quantity of food waste collected in residual waste (Kg/HH/week) 1.67 1.06 Reduce food waste by 33% from the 2013 baseline by 2025 (1.86kg/HH/week) % Residents satisfied with their local refuse collection service 82.3 82 At least 90% per year % of households served by twin stream recycling 94.6 94 98% of PKC households by 2025 Expansion has happened to some new build and rural areas, but bins have been removed in some areas with high contamination Grey Bin Recycling contamination rate (%) (Changed from DMR) 16.05 14.26 Remain under 20%
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Focus for upcoming year The focus for the upcoming year Finalise the Circular Economy Strategy following consultation. Textiles Communications Plan – Work ongoing to highlight the carbon impact of textiles and to raise awareness of the wider environmental impacts. Food Waste Action Plan - continue the work started this year with the focus for the rest of the year promoting recycling, with 2026 highlighting reduction. Packaging Extended Producers Responsibility (pEPR) projects delivery, which includes the procurement of a digital reuse platform to work with businesses and third sector organisations to encourage reuse and repurpose, embracing a circular economy, achieving best use of assets and reducing our carbon footprint. Digital Waste Tracking – due to commence in 2026, this aims to bridge the information gap with mandatory waste tracking, tracking waste from origin to destination, tackling illegal behaviour which threatens retaining resources in use for longer and the quest for a circular economy. The priority actions for next year include: W2/20 - Engagement with businesses and organisations will continue through 2026 to develop Circular Working with local industry, including participation with the Tay Cities Region Deal. W16 - Continuation of the Recycling in Schools Project W5 - DRS – Work will commence in 2026 to determine the potential impact for PKC ahead of the October 2027 implementation. W11 & W19 - Commencement of the Good Food Nation Strategy in early 2026.
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Business and Industry Emissions from business and industry is an area that the Council has limited direct influence over but can play an enabling and influencing role. On a positive note, overall GHG emissions from industrial and commercial sources in Perth and Kinross are reducing. Our work this past year had a significant focus on collating information, targeting key emitters and broadening the membership of the group to include some top 100 businesses. Key actions included: Collating information on carbon reduction plans from key employers and inserting data onto our ‘Top 100’ companies database and CRM system; Promoting joint strategic projects with the Transport Group to decarbonise transport especially on electric and hydrogen vehicles; Promoting joint strategic projects with the Building and Energy Group to decarbonise buildings; Refreshing the group to include several co-optees from industry including SSEN, Stagecoach and Highland Spring to ensure that the group can remain in touch with challenges that businesses face Highlights Highlights this year include: Developing the legal, planning, design and infrastructure aspects of the proposed Perth Eco-Innovation Park (PEIP) as a Net Zero exemplar and beginning to prepare marketing materials for the site Identifying and promoting green job opportunities with key employers and their supply chains Assessing the implications of the UK Modern Industrial Strategy and the focus and funding available for energy transition
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Delivery The Year 4 Action Plan identified 17 Business and Industry Actions. As of 30 September 2025, 5 are Green, 11 are Amber, and only 1 was Red. The main challenges associated with delivering the Business and Industry theme are: Engagement with smaller businesses for whom current economic conditions are not favourable in terms of costs of materials and pressures caused by increased energy prices. The lack of available incentives in terms of support from UK Government or Scottish Government grant schemes for energy efficiency or renewables generation The need to present a coordinated approach across the Council in terms of services supporting businesses. The need to attract more businesses to the area with a focus on energy transition and Net Zero. Review of Top Priority Actions There was one Top Priority Action for Year 4 from the Business & Industry Theme: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments B14 Develop Perth West and Perth Eco Innovation Park as a national Net Zero exemplar for decarbonisation of transport and energy A Design works for access and infrastructure/services to the site are well progressed. A Masterplan for the site is scheduled to be completed this month in preparation for a further planning application and Heads of Terms for transfer of the land to the Council are nearly completed. Marketing work to attract business to the site is in preparation. Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: Continued decrease in CO2 emissions from business and industry. In 2024/2025, 23 businesses have benefited for an amount of over £451,000 from the PKC Green Capital Fund financial support. There are an additional 8 businesses with ongoing projects with an additional £142,000 of Green Capital
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Fund support committed. This has leveraged an additional £4,600,000 of investment into P&K Positive engagement with larger businesses who have now joined the group with a willingness to share ideas and explore new opportunities Performance Progress against Statutory Targets There are no overarching statutory targets in relation to the decarbonisation of the Business and Industry sector as follows, but many sectors and industries have set targets. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Number of registered businesses in energy (including renewables) growth sector 140 145 +10% per year % of businesses (250+ employees or largest energy demand (+0.5M) with a set target for reducing carbon emissions 17% 17% 100% by 2027 Number of businesses supported through PKC Green Recovery Capital Fund 22 31 20 per year Focus for upcoming year The focus for the upcoming year is: To continue to engage with business and industry through co-optees to the Group so that it can benefit from ‘real world’ experience and tackle challenges that all businesses face in tackling Net Zero. Target work areas around priority sectors in terms of CO2 emissions. Provide further support to smaller businesses to help reduce emissions, tackle continuity and resilience issues and ensure local businesses are prepared for the effects of climate change. Assess opportunities for new projects and funding linked to energy transition and Net Zero.
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Focus on agricultural and estate businesses to assist them in meeting climate targets; promote sustainable farming and land management practices; and realise opportunities for renewable energy The priority actions for next year include: Developing the planning permission and marketing of the PEIP site to the commercial sector to help attract eco-oriented businesses. Launch of the Clean Growth Axis - This is a digital support platform to facilitate the growth of sustainable industries in PKC through agreements with statutory bodies, academia, and industry organisations. Two projects are being trialled through the process before formal launch in March next year. Continuing to track and record on the Top 100 companies database those that have carbon reduction and resilience plans and explore support available for those without.
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Land Use Land use including agriculture is responsible for over half of Perth and Kinross’s GHG emissions 53%, as well as acting as a large carbon sink in Perth and Kinross and removing 42% of the GHG’s produced. It is the area that we have the least direct control over and most limited levers of change, but also critical to achieving our climate ambitions. Within Perth and Kinross Council, work against the key land use themes identified in the Climate Change Strategy has progressed over the past year in relation to: Strengthening Planning Rural Land Use and Carbon Sequestration Biodiversity Greenspace Highlights Highlights this year include: Nature Restoration Fund £278k was awarded in 2025, with additional underspend funding available. Of 44 applications totalling £638k, 22 projects were funded. These include surveys, woodland planning, INNS control, and farmland biodiversity. Other activities involve bioblitzes, pond creation, pollinator planting, ranger rope training, and tree nursery development. Leven LENS Leven LENS partnership agreements were signed in 2025. Our £20k investment helped leverage in additional £155k of private funding to the Leven Catchment for improving in-field and edge measures: autumn cover crops, wildflower/grass planting, new hedgerows, and riparian/tree planting near rivers like Gairney Water. Nature Networks Public engagement in March–April 2025 identified nature-rich sites for mapping. Using the AECOM tool, initial woodland, grassland, and wetland corridors were created across Perth and Kinross. These outputs need manual refinement. A prioritisation framework will guide new corridor mapping, starting with woodland and expanding to other habitats. LDP3 The LDP3 Evidence Report was returned to the Council due to insufficient Education data and lack of clear timescales for some themes. A revised report will go to Council on 10 December 2025 and be submitted to DPEA by year-end. Policy preparation and SEA work continue, with stakeholder engagement planned for early 2026.
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Biodiversity Towns and Villages The project continues to work with existing communities. Inchture held a biodiversity mapping session in September and is becoming a Biodiversity Village, with Abernyte showing interest. The Caring for Biodiversity Project supports approximately 15 care sites with pollinator, swift, and bat improvements. Work is progressing with the greenspace team and new officers. Delivery The Year 4 Action Plan identified 20 Land Use actions. As of 30 September 2025, 90% of the actions can be classified as Green or Amber in terms of progress. The main challenges associated with delivering Land Use actions are: Resource constraints (both financial and operational) Balancing strategic planning with on-the-ground delivery Staff capacity and continuity with key roles undergoing transitions Review of Top Priority Actions The Top Priority Actions for Year 4 were: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments L24 Review and revise our Forestry and Woodland Strategy (FWS) as part of LDP3 process. Consider how the FWS can support and encourage private landowners to plant “the right tree, in the right place” to help tackle the climate change and biodiversity crises. G FWS under development - intention to bring this to E&I Committee in Jan 26
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L25 Undertake an Open Space Audit and produce an Open Space Strategy A A survey of over 500 open spaces has been completed to inform the Open Space Quality Audit. Key sites have been assessed, with smaller sites to follow. Strategy drafting will begin after audit completion, supported by policy review and engagement analysis. Area strategies are being developed for LDP3. L1 Work with Perthshire Nature Connections Partnership to identify and develop landscape scale pilot projects with partners. A In early 2025, PNCP supported Nature Networks engagement and strategic planning. The River Almond Headwaters Project is no longer a focus, and developer contribution work is paused. PNCP’s Conservation Officer retires in November; recruitment is underway. A Species Rich Grassland funding bid is progressing. Partnership support and events continue. Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: PKC has received £189,000 from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund for the 2025-2026 funding cycle. Received both revenue and capital funding for the first time, enabling broader project delivery. Current progress on 42% of Local Biodiversity Action Plan actions (up from 25% last year). Continued reduction in chemical weedkiller use, especially in cemeteries. Wildflower, bulb, and tree planting underway; community-led site improvements ongoing. Local Nature Conservation Site assessments progressing well, with consultation planned for Q1 2026. Tree Planting Strategy prepared for committee in Q1 2026. Leven LENS partnership agreements signed and first round of trades agreed for 10–15 farms, with PKC directly funding £20k to four farms. Progress against Statutory Targets There are several statutory targets in relation to the decarbonisation of the Land Use sector as follows. The Scottish Government has set several statutory targets related to land use. These are mainly at a national level rather than at a local authority level. However, local authority action will be required to meet these targets. The national targets include: Creation of 18,000 Hectares of new woodlands annually by 2032.
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250,000 Hectares of peatland restored by 2030 – Perth and Kinross has approximately 10% of Scottish peatland. At least 20,000 Hectares of peatland restored annually by 2032. Key Performance Indicators In the latest data (2023) Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) accounted for 33% of the total area-wide greenhouse gas emissions (667.3kt CO2) while it was responsible for sequestering 42% of total GHG emitted (-844.1kt CO2e), leaving a Net - 176.8kt CO2e). Agriculture accounted for 35% of total area wide greenhouse gas emissions (414.4 kt CO2e). There was a 0.9% increase in agriculture emissions between 2022 and 2023. KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment % Of the total land area and total number of hectares of Perth and Kinross covered by woodland (including subset breakdown) 99,220 18.5% 103,861 19.6% National target to increase forest and woodland cover to 21% of total area of Scotland by 2032 Total area-wide LULUCF greenhouse gas emissions (ktCO2e) 675 667.3 To increase the woodland carbon market by at least 50% by 2025 Total area-wide LULUCF sequestration carbon dioxide emissions (ktCO2e) -834.4 -851.9 Total area-wide agriculture greenhouse gas emissions (ktCO2e) 411.5 414.4 Amount of land protected for nature within Perth and Kinross council Boundary 33.5% 19.2% Protect at least 30% of Scotland’s land for nature by 2030 decline due to an error calculating the baseline value. This double-counted sites with multiple designations. Local Biodiversity Sites have not been included as they are still to be confirmed. Number of trees planted on Council land and maintained open space 2,512 3,182
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Number of community volunteering hours in biodiversity related projects 1786.5 1934 % of PKC's Local Biodiversity Action Plan Actions that are on track or completed 25% 42% By 2032, the natural environment and landscapes around us will have undergone significant restoration, with a sustainable land use system that prioritises nature and biodiversity Area grassland managed by PKC for biodiversity improvement objectives (ha) 21.7 66.27 Focus for upcoming year Actions this year will primarily focus on the following work: Complete site survey programme for Local Nature Conservation Sites and undertake public consultation. Finish mapping our Nature Networks using a prioritisation framework for woodland, grassland, wetland, peatland, and heathland habitats. Monitor and support delivery of the 22 Nature Restoration Fund projects and allocate the 26-27 Nature Restoration Funding. Continue to support Leven LENS project with funding and explore expansion of the scheme to additional farms. Submit revised LDP3 Evidence Report to DPEA following Council review in December 2025 Advance the Forestry and Woodland Strategy (FWS) with draft going to committee early 2026. Apply SFRA findings and SEA checklist to ensure flood-safe site selection in LDP3. Complete Open Space Quality Audit, including site visits to ~200 smaller sites. Draft Open Space Strategy based on audit results and engagement analysis. Progress Green Network planning, focusing on active travel routes and Nature Networks linkages. Roll out Tree Planting Strategy, aligning with ash dieback and tree management policies. Continue Grow Wild programme, including planting, community engagement, and machinery trials. Support new biodiversity officers in delivering communications and site improvements through 2027.
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Climate Resilience The climate is already changing in Perth and Kinross – precipitation patterns have started to alter; temperatures have risen, and more extreme weather events have been occurring. PKC’s Climate Risk and Opportunity Register identifies the highest risks linked damage from flooding to houses, businesses, and bridges and other infrastructure and the wider disruption this causes. The other top risks relate to the loss of nature, biodiversity and ecosystems and the wider impacts these losses bring. The Council is working to build resilience to these risks and wider risks and adapt to the current and expected climatic changes. The Council’s climate resilience and adaptation work has progressed in relation to the five key areas: Resilient organisations Resilient and empowered communities Resilient ecosystems Resilient infrastructure Flood risk management. Highlights Highlights this year include: Work on the Comrie Flood Scheme has started on site – work is due for completion in autumn 2026. With the scheme measures have been taken to protect and enhance biodiversity and engage with the local community including the use of localised nature-based solutions, such as root wads and allowing community benefit projects to choose the scheme vegetation. Comrie Flood Protection Scheme Construction Progress: Water of Ruchill Rootwads
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Climate Ready Tayside was launched together with Angus and Dundee Councils in spring 2025. This new regional adaptation partnership will address cross-boundary risks and share best practice. Three stakeholder working groups have launched to focus on Nature Based Solutions, Communication and Engagement, and Health and Community Resilience. An Ash Dieback programme to screen, monitor and remove diseased trees commenced in summer 2022, with over 1,000 trees already surveyed. For the first time this year, we took a proactive approach to landslip risk with 39 at risk roads and greenspace sites identified with inspections underway. We are one of the only local authorities in Scotland to do this. The number of Perth and Kinross community resilience groups this year has grown this year to 63. The Council has supported them by providing over £220k in grants, £80k in equipment and training in how to use key tools like Box walls; all to help support the important work these groups do. Delivery The Year 4 Action Plan identified 33 Resilience actions. As of 30 September 2025, just over half of the actions (51.5%) of the actions can be classified as fully on track with another 38% showing some positive progress (Amber actions). There were two (6%) red actions for this theme – both are due to staff capacity. There are several challenges associated with delivering Resilience actions. Resourcing is a key challenge – most notable the lack of clarity from the Scottish Government over the funding of flooding schemes impacting on delivery of both Cycle 1 and 2 schemes. There are also significant costs linked to implementing scour protection and addressing ash dieback. On the staffing side, both staff capacity and available technical skillsets are limiting delivery. Building individual and community ownership for resilience is another challenge. While the Council has significant role to play, especially through the delivery of key schemes, we also need individuals to play their part. This both by taking property level action and also for large landowners to be managing their land to promote wider resilience. These complementary scales of action are needed to minimise the risk that anyone in Perth & Kinross will experience the devastating impacts associated with flooding or other extreme events.
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Review of Top Priority Actions The Top Priority Actions for Year 4 were: Action Number Action RAG Status Comments R12 Develop and implement scour protection programme for key Council assets G Scour assessment programme is ongoing, with several high-priority road bridge scour mitigation schemes now identified. These have been added to the already substantial backlog of works facing the team. R24 Continued delivery of Flood Risk Management Cycle 1 Projects and commence Cycle 2 projects A Positively Comrie Flood Protection Scheme has commenced construction and there were several new studies commencing throughout 2025, but South Kinross was delayed by the need to go to a Local Authority Hearing (October 2025) and uncertainty over Scottish Government funding is delaying wider scheme delivery. R20 Support community resilience groups to build proactive resilience G Number of community resilience groups has nearly doubled to 63. We gave out £220k grant funding and £80k equipment and are working on developing a vulnerable persons register. Outcomes Positive outcomes as a result of Delivery of the Climate Action Plan Actions include: Improved public safety and protection of public and private property through taking action on flooding, scour and ash dieback. The Scottish Government awarded Climate Ready Tayside £51k for delivery of Year quick wins in 2025/26. Performance Progress against Statutory Targets Flooding is one of the main physical climate risks to Perth and Kinross. Under the Flood Risk Management Act 2009, we have a duty to deliver Flodd Risk Management Plans and report on our progress every three years. In November 2025, we assessed 70% of
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the PKC actions in the flood risk plan are completed or on track. The next progress report is due in 2028. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, Perth and Kinross Council has a legal duty to contribute to the delivery of the Scottish National Adaptation Plan 3 (SNAP3) and its objectives. SNAP3 does not include specific targets applicable to local authorities, however, it does set the target for there to be regional adaptation partnerships across all of Scotland by 2029. As a Council we have a duty to take action to contribute to SNAP’s five outcomes: 1. Nature connects across our land, settlements, coasts, and seas. 2. Communities are creating climate-resilient, healthy, and equitable places. 3. Public services are collaborating in effective and inclusive adaptation action. 4. Economies and industries are adapting and realising opportunities in Scotland’s Just Transition. 5. Scotland’s international role supports climate justice and enhanced global action on adaptation. Key Performance Indicators KPI Previous Value Current Value Target and comment Annual Scotland Adapts Capability Framework score 9/16 12.7/16 Target for this year was 9.1, so value exceeded. Note: the SACF was modified this year, so it is not possible to direct year-on- year comparisons. Number of community groups engaged in proactive climate resilience work 33 63 An additional 30 community resilience groups were formed this year. This exceeds our target of 53 based on 1 per community council area. While the overall target is exceeded, there remain some key areas without groups. Percentage of flood risk management in FRMP 85% £58.6M Comrie Flood Protection Scheme is due to complete Oct 2026 and makes
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actions that are on track up the bulk of the spend over the next 12mths. South Kinross Flood Protection Scheme needs to complete the Local Authority Hearing to progress to Detailed Design. All Cycle 1 Actions are underway, some Cycle 2 Studies with more to come over the next 12mths, and a couple of Cycle 3 Actions have progressed early due to Council funding allocations. Number of Bridge Scour Assessments Undertaken 11 13 Target: 100 over 5 years (TBC on overall assessments needed) Focus for upcoming year The focus for Year 5 will remain on assessing and delivering key risk mitigation measures linked to flooding, scour and ash dieback. Supporting community resilience and building wider regional resilience are also core focuses. Securing the resources to deliver these will be a necessary priority. This requires lobbying the Scottish Government, exploring Council capital funding as well as external funding opportunities. One additional Resilience action has been included this year – R36 - Development of a property flood resilience scheme. This recognises that many properties are can most efficiently reduce flood risk at an individual property scale, but households may need support in implementing protective measures. The Top priority actions for next year, remain those as selected by Members in 2024: R12 Develop and implement scour protection programme for key Council assets R24 Continued delivery of Flood Risk Management Cycle 1 Projects and commence Cycle 2 projects R20 Support community resilience groups to build proactive resilience.
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