Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust

Residents of the Isle of Eigg are working together to create a green island by halving their carbon emissions. The initiative is being led by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust and involves a wide range of projects, from generating renewable electricity and installing insulation and solar panels to producing local food and developing low-carbon community transport schemes.

A community-led approach

Most of the island's 38 households have got involved with the Big Green Challenge project. Volunteer Lucy Conway explains that the high level of engagement they've achieved is down to the community-led approach they've taken. "Everything we do is driven by the community and we've made sure that there's something for everyone - whether they want to get involved in practical, hands-on activities or talk about climate change issues and whether their interest is in saving money, learning or simply having a good time."

The Eigg team also works hard to ensure that volunteers are given help and support when they need it. "Day-to-day life on Eigg is very different in the winter than it is in during the summer tourist season," says Lucy. "People are busy all year round, but face different demands on their time - so it's important that we understand what kind of commitment volunteers are able to give and make it as easy as possible for them to balance volunteering with their other commitments."

Sharing good practice

Eigg's volunteer 'Green Team' often receives invitations to speak at conferences and to make presentations to other groups and organisations that are interested in Eigg's approach. "It's fantastic to have so much interest in the work we're doing - we've had visitors to Eigg from as far afield as Ecuador, Galapagos and Alaska, as well as places closer to home such as Dundee, Birmingham and Edinburgh. But for us to attend a conference on the mainland involves at least two nights away from the island. We've had to learn how to manage these demands on our time and when to say no."

The Eigg team has set up the Islands Going Green online resource to share their knowledge and support other small islands that want to become more sustainable. The website showcases the work being done on Eigg and on other islands that they're working with, and aims to encourage others to follow in their footsteps.

Celebrating success

One of the lessons that the Eigg team has learnt is that it's important to take time out to reflect on your achievements and celebrate success. "It's all too easy to get bogged down in tasks and problems that lie ahead," says Lucy. "In July we organised a picnic as part of The Big Lunch, to celebrate all of the good things we've achieved. As well as being a lot of fun, activities like this help to re-energise the team and keep everyone excited about what we're doing together."

An update on the project and how it’s developed since launching can be read here.