What have ELCAN and the Climate Hub been up to?
ELCAN is a network of 100+ community projects and organisations in East Lothian, building community through climate and nature action. Part of the Scottish Government-funded community climate hub programme, ELCAN exists to support through providing grassroots organisations with opportunities for funding, networking and influencing policy.
ELCAN Events
We offer a diverse programme events of based on our thematic focuses: biodiversity, food growing, community owned energy/heat, and policy influence.
Over the last three months the Climate and ELCAN members held 22 events attended by 400 participants,
Our engagements have included action-orientated focuses on biodiversity enhancement (ponds, rivers, natural flood management, hedgerow surveying and restoration); food growing initiatives like regenerative and nature-friendly farming, and small-space food growing; a climate-and-poverty election hustings; an Ocean screening and panel; three South East Scotland Energy Learning Network webinars; three open-office/co-working sessions; the ELCAN SCIO launch; and national shared-ownership evidence and proposal-development work. Activities combined site-visits, practical training, peer learning, policy engagement, public discussion and partnership development.
The following is a snapshot of proudest achievements and most impactful projects from across the network in the past few months, April through June 2026.
ELCAN Support & Movement Building
The ELCAN exists to support and build momentum for grassroots community climate and nature action. Between April and June 2026 examples of this has included:
- Seed funding grants awarded to 3 ELCAN groups.
- Supported individual ELCAN members, e.g with project-development and recruitment support and the Fraser Centre’s Reuse Fair.
- Collaboration with Haddstock, including a drop-in Climate Bazaar and 3 ticketed events.
- Hosted screening of Ocean by David Attenborough and panel discussion.
- Held three open-office co-working sessions for climate and community groups.
Climate Awareness Raising
The Network exists to raise awareness for local climate and nature issues, and for community projects tackling them. Recent examples include:
- East Lothian Vision pamphlet created and poster in 12 bus stops across East Lothian
- Local directory of climate support for school Learning for Sustainability project
- Discussion with ELC staff on Biodiversity Literacy staff training
Biodiversity
As one of the key pillars, selected by our members, nature and biodiversity action has been a focus of the Network. Examples of recent biodiversity actions and interventions include:
- Biodiversity Collective grown to 81 people. Events on ‘All about Ponds’ and natural flood management.
- East Lothian River Connections network grown to 27 people. Meetings on supporting local projects.
- East Lothian Biodiversity Partnership – championed creation of subgroups and are co-/leading: Freshwater Networks, Trees and Woodland and Farm & Healthland.
- East Lothian Hedgerow Restoration project has 11 landowners engaged, 128 volunteers; and workplan for Autumn/winter work.
- Supported Climate Action East Linton’s No Mow May initiative.
Food
Sustainable growing and food systems is another focus of the Network. Examples of recent achievements include:
- Food Growers Collective grown to 51 individuals. Held gathering: Growing in Small Spaces, 16 attendees
- Future Farm East Lothian – 2 events with farmers on regen and financial profitability and understanding how biodiversity can improve farm efficiency and resilience
- Set up FFEL advisory group, made up of local farmers.
- Met with MSP Paul McLennan and Nature Friendly Farming Network to discuss how to influence parliament policy and nature aligned farming. Parliamentary roundtable planned.
Energy
With a huge amount of renewable energy developments in underway in East Lothian and across Scotland, energy is becoming a bigger part of the Network’s focus. Especially fairer, more sustainable routes to community energy. Recently this has included:
- Three Energy Learning Network webinars on community owned heat networks, with 29 attendees.
- Contributed to Lothian Heat CIC and CommonWatt CBS to support development.
Policy
Helping communities engage and shape with climate and nature policy – both locally and nationally – is one of the roles tasked of the Community Climate Hub programme. With a Holyrood Election and several emerging climate and nature issues, there were many opportunities for the Network to support the community be heard in Q1. These included:
- Hustings on Climate Change and Poverty, 102 people attended.
- Created a Party Manifesto Comparison 2026: Climate, Nature & Cost of Living flyer
- ELCAN Decision to oppose proposals for all hyperscale data centres (including Dunbar and Cockenzie) until robust assessment of the impacts carried out.
- Begun discussion with ELC on reducing Glyphosate use in parks and playing fields.
- Asked ELC planning department to include hedgehog highways in planning conditions.
- Signing national letter opposing development of the Cambo oil field.
- Became sole external member of the Council’s ‘Climate and Nature Emergency Group’
