Transition Heriot-Watt, a group set up by students and staff at Heriot-Watt University to promote sustainability, has won funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund. The project will encourage staff and students to consider more environmentally-friendly ways of travelling to and from the campus, such as car-sharing, taking the bus or cycling. Not only will this reduce carbon emissions, but it will help students and staff save money and in some cases, get fitter!

Various activities will be run at the campus to promote sustainable travel including: promoting a car-sharing scheme; running eco-driving workshops to demonstrate how to drive more efficiently; creating a map highlighting public transport and cycling routes to the campus; and running cycle workshops. Students and staff will be asked for their thoughts on travelling to and from the campus through a travel survey in May or June, and through various events.

Funding for the project comes from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, designed to help communities in Scotland to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The project will begin in April and last until March 2012. Transition Heriot-Watt will shortly be recruiting for a part-time Project Co-ordinator to run the project and two students to assist with delivering the project through part-time internships.

For more information email info@transitionheriot-watt.org.uk.