GCNS covers the Stirling district, from Crianlarich and Killin in the north to Strathblane in the south. ‘If you live out of this area but would like to get involved, please feel free to create your own Carbon Cutter Plan. Call us on 01786 477175 for further information, help or support.

In brief, it means working towards a point where we are not adding to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If any carbon dioxide is realised it would be balanced out by savings made in building new low-carbon technologies such as renewable energy or insulation.

Importantly GCNS is about supporting the local community to decide what a carbon neutral Stirling should be. However, important parts of this low carbon future vision usually include improving existing housing and commercial buildings so that they are more comfortable to use and cheaper to run. The majority of our energy would come from low-carbon resources such as wind turbines and solar panels and our transport system would be cheaper and more efficient.

Food and waste could be dramatically different too, with packaging being minimised and recycling being maximised. Importantly landfill and the local pollution it brings would be a thing of the past. Much more food would be local with a massive increase in allotments and local producers.

Going Carbon Neutral Stirling (GCNS) is a four year project which aims to engage 35,000 people across Stirling District in a community wide effort to reduce carbon via the GCNS Carbon Cutter Plan (CCP). The CCP helps reduce carbon in all of the key areas of emissions including home energy, transport, waste and food. The actions are straightforward to begin with but, incrementally, and with support from GCNS, they’ll become more challenging and thought-provoking and will (we hope) culminate in groups working towards bigger carbon reduction projects such as insulation, community growing projects and renewable energy. We’re currently working with a range of community groups and local businesses as well as local schools, churches, the Thistles Centre and Stirling Council.

But we cannot do this alone. We do need help from government – and big business - to get really big changes happening. GCNS is therefore working with both local and national government bodies to promote sustainable infrastructure and ‘big ideas' such as community food growing and Stirling-wide energy efficiency.

While it is far easier for governments to tackle issues on a grand scale, to see big issues become a reality at any great speed, there has to be a public demand for the government to act.

Advancements in technology do make reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. For example better insulation and increases in fuel efficient car engines mean less fossil fuels are used. Yet with more houses and cars being built these increases in efficiency can be insignificant. Also even in the most efficient house in the world, without the knowledge of how to use it and its appliances, energy would still be wasted.

GCNS has a catalogue of over 200 actions to choose from when designing a Carbon Cutter Plan. These actions range from the straight forward e.g. turning out lights to the more challenging e.g. become vegetarian/vegan a day a week. We think there is something for everyone (whether you’re new to carbon cutting or not) and, because GCNS recognises we all lead busy lives, groups are encouraged to regularly repeat actions to help them become part of your daily routine.

Over the course of the project groups who do work their way through all the actions will be supported in tackling harder issues they might want to address such as obtaining renewable energy, setting up car sharing schemes or community growing projects.

With over 200 actions to choose from we believe there is something for everyone to try – even dedicated carbon cutters like the GCNS team are constantly finding out about new actions to try at home and work! But if you think you’re already doing all the actions then please contact us, not only would we love to profile you on our website as an example of low carbon living BUT we would like to discuss with you the possibility of becoming a "Green Champion" in your community.