Stevenston features in a brand-new film which premiered at the a climate action event on Friday.

The new movie, created by filmmaker Bircan Birol, captures the work being carried out across nine climate action towns around Scotland.

It portrays the various challenges and opportunities for towns tackling the climate emergency from a community perspective.

The film was shown for the first time at the Climate Action Towns Gathering event in Stirling.

Councillor John Sweeney from North Ayrshire Council features and talks about the authority's work as part of the project, which is being led by Architecture and Design Scotland (ADS).

Friday's event brought together people from across the country to celebrate achievements and exchange ideas on how to take community action on the climate emergency. 

The Climate Action Towns project is funded by the Scottish Government.   

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition, Ms Mairi McAllan MSP, who addressed the Gathering via a video message, said: “The power to drive change lies with every member of society.

"The places we live will need to adapt to the changing climate and to find a sustainable path to reducing emissions.

"Each place will have its own challenges. It will have its own opportunities. 

“That's why projects like this are so important in raising awareness and enabling people to be actively involved.

"It shows the impact of working collaboratively and connections that are made by bringing together local authorities, local businesses and local people."

Architecture and Design Scotland’s Laura Hainey, who leads the work on Climate Action Towns, said: “The gathering gives us an opportunity to bring together participants from across the nine towns to network, collaborate and learn from each other.”  

“In our work we have taken a place-based approach, mapping the potential for climate action against our eight 'principles of a carbon conscious place' – which include a place designed for and with local people, a place of small distances, and a place that reuses, repurposes, considering whole-life costs.” 

The Gathering comes at the start of the third year of the project.

Other towns featured in the film include Annan, Alness and Invergordon, Benarty communities (Fife), Blackburn, Campbeltown, Drongan, Rankinston and Stair  and Holytown.

Find out more about the Climate Action Towns project at www.ads.org.uk/resource/climate-action-towns.