A new scheme aims to encourage people to take the “Weight Watchers” approach to lowering their carbon footprint.
The Galloway Footsteps project will encourage people to make small, manageable changes that result in real environmental benefit and carbon reduction.
And it centres around a sustainability calculator called Giki Zero, which will allow people to track the changes they make.
The project, along with a monthly series of free events, is being delivered by the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme together with the council’s environment team, the Crichton Carbon Centre and Giki.
Galloway Glens team leader, McNabb Laurie, said: “This is basically Weight Watchers for carbon. Join us as we learn more about how the decisions we make influence our carbon footprints and track your progress as we reduce our environmental impact.
“Many thanks to everyone involved, particularly the council’s environment team and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
“November’s COP26 conference in Glasgow is an opportunity for us to challenge decisions we make in our lives, and the ability to measure the impact of these decisions on our carbon footprints is vital.”
The programme will cover what people buy and eat and what they do inside and outside the home. Each of the events will feature a key speaker and look at ways they can make a difference.
Then, using Giki Zero at https://zero.giki.earth/, people will be asked a series of questions to look at their footprint and suggest possible changes. The website will also encourage people to track their progress and reach an overall Galloway Footsteps team score.
The first online event will be at 7.30pm on Wednesday and looks at what people buy.
As well as being an introduction to the programme, it will feature a presentation from Anna Pitt of Zero Waste Week.
She said: “More and more people these days are realising that we have to reconsider the way we use resources.
“People are realising that the model we’ve become used to of take, make, dispose doesn’t work. So, we need change, and we need it now.
“We can do things differently and the more of us asking for things to be different, the sooner we’ll have the solutions for sustainable living.”
Free spaces can be booked by searching Eventbrite for Galloway Footsteps and a member of the Giki team will attend each one to offer help and support.
Future events will be held on the first Wednesday of the month.
Helen Keron, from Galloway Glens, said: “Sometimes its easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the carbon problem, but the reality is that we can all help, in small but important ways that really do add up.
“These events are designed to both inspire you and to give you the concrete information you need to make the choices that work for you and for our environment.”
