Isle of Eigg Wins Green Prize!

Scottish island Isle of Eigg in the Hebrides has won a much coveted green energy prize.
Celebrating part of a £1 million prize, the community scheme has received £300,000 from NESTA in recognition of the work done to transform their community into a low carbon environment.

The project has seen 38 families combine their efforts in an attempt to halve their carbon emissions, with admirable results.

Led by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, the initiative involves a wide range of projects from installing insulation and solar panels to producing local food and developing low-carbon community transport.

The combined wind, solar and hydro-powered electricity supply has been dubbed Eiggtricity and has allowed its residents- who total 95 persons- to become almost entirely self-sufficient in electricity and heavily cut their use of coal and gas.

The islanders are attempting to live within a five kilowatt (kW)/household energy cap.  In giving the award, Nesta said that Eigg cut CO2 emissions in the past year by an amazing 32%.

Jonathan Kestenbaum, Nesta’s chief executive, said all three prizewinners had “exceeded our expectations”. He added: “The success of the project proves that when communities are incentivised, empowered and supported they become a compelling force in solving some of society’s biggest challenges.”

The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust was set up to secure island’s future and provides its small population with opportunity to grow under their own initiatives and efforts.  The organization recently received a £9,600 boost from the grant giving organisation the People’s Postcode Trust; an independent trust wholly funded by charity lottery the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Much of the Eigg woodlands were planted with non native conifers in 1983. This was a disaster for wildlife, the environment and the landscape. Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust is committed to a long term project to replace these exotic trees with native woodland and heath, and funding from the People’s Postcode Trust has this felling to begin.

Find out more about the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust here
And the People’s Postcode Trust here