THE National Park has received £1.6 million to help speed up its progress to becoming 'net zero'.
A £1,129,200 grant from the Scottish Government will enable works this winter at the park's headquarters in Balloch, the Loch Chon campsite, Balmaha Visitor Centre and Duncan Mills Memorial Slipway.
Meanwhile, £300,000 from Transport Scotland’s Switched On Fleet fund is set to provide EV charging infrastructure at various sites to support the transition of the authority’s vehicle fleet to electric vehicles.
Six EV charging points will be installed next summer at the popular Tarbet visitor site as part of a comprehensive plan to transform the site into a sustainable travel hub.
Gordon Watson, chief Executive of the National Park Authority, said: “The scale and urgency of the climate and nature crises mean that significant change is required to protect the National Park’s people and places and ensure they can thrive in the future.
“It is important that we lead by example and this work to reduce our emissions allows us to get our own house in order as we start to consider wider ambitions for the whole National Park, as a place, to reach net zero emissions.
“We have already made progress in reducing emissions across our estate and this upcoming work to embrace renewable technologies for our buildings and facilities will take us a step closer to reaching net zero, our mission zero.”
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Work this winter includes a major upgrade to energy and heating systems at the park authority's HQ in Balloch – featuring solar panels, a solar carport, an e-bike station and air source heat pumps/heating system upgrades.
This will save an estimated 21tCO2e (carbon tonnes) per year, the equivalent of 90,000 miles in a petrol car.
The installation of solar panels and batteries at the park's Loch Chon campsite will save an estimated two carbon tonnes per year, the equivalent of 8,500 miles in a petrol car, and electrical upgrades will be made at its Balmaha visitor centre and the Duncan Mills Memorial Slipway in Balloch.
Vehicles used by the park's rangers are gradually being replaced with electric vehicles, including the addition of a fully electric boat to the National Park Authority’s marine fleet.
The park authority's National Park Partnership Plan is expected to be launched in the spring of next year, subject to approval by its board and by Scottish ministers, following a public consultation.
More information on mission zero can be found on the National Park Authority website at Lochlomond-trossachs.org/mission-zero
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