1. To advance community development and to advance environmental protection within Scotland, and in particular (but without limiting the generality of that aim) through:-
(A) Providing and/or assisting in the provision of support and advice for social economy organisations within the voluntary sector which are based in Scotland, with a view to improving their financial sustainability and maximising their contribution to society through (i) more effective approaches to the creation and development of sources of self-generated income (and particularly sources of self-generated income which fall within the renewable energy sector) and (ii) more efficient use of energy and/or the installation of renewable energy technologies;
(B) Encouraging and supporting knowledge and skills development within communities falling within Scotland in the field of renewable energy and wider, generic competences such as community consensus-building, project development, financial and other aspects of management, and investment;
(C) Providing, and/or assisting in the provision of, grants, loans and other forms of financial support or investment which facilitate the investigation, appraisal, development and/or implementation of projects which will represent sources of self-generated income of the nature referred to in paragraph (A) above, and/or the participation by social economy organisations based in Scotland in such projects;
(D) Assisting communities based in Scotland to develop and control distributed renewable energy generation, thereby enhancing their energy security and sustainable use of energy;
(E) Generating awareness and commitment in communities based in Scotland for the sustainable development and use of renewable energy;
(F) Providing and/or promoting educational activities, to widen knowledge and awareness within communities based in Scotland on issues of energy security and on the environmental impact of energy choices; and
(G) Empowering communities based in Scotland through training, networking and financial support, thereby enhancing their awareness, capacity and confidence in leading their own sustainable development.
2.To prevent and/or relieve poverty within Scotland, and in particular by providing advice and/or financial support to assist in resolving problems of fuel poverty through improved approaches to energy conservation and use.
