DUNBAR’S DunBear sculpture will be lit up green to mark the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow.

The five-metre-high steel sculpture of a brown bear was designed by Andy Scott, who also designed The Kelpies, and was unveiled in 2019 as the focal point for the area to the rear of the town’s Asda store.

The sculpture is a tribute to John Muir, the Dunbar-born naturalist and conservationist who emigrated to the USA. He travelled extensively in the country, helping to form the Sierra Club which has gone on to be one of the largest environmental organisations in the world.

Now, the sculpture will turn green ahead of the conference, which starts on Monday.

Ken Ross, from Hallhill Developments Limited, which has plans to transform the area into a low-carbon mixed-use development, said: “Being in such a prominent position at the gateway to Dunbar, the stunning DunBear sculpture provides the perfect opportunity to commemorate key events such as COP26, one of the most important global meetings ever to take place in the UK.

“It is also fitting that it should be part of our low-carbon community of DunBear Park, which through significant investment will adopt the latest low-carbon technology, with renewable heat and power generated onsite, delivering on our ambitious goal to be an exemplar low-carbon development.

“The DunBear not only celebrates the work of one man but also reminds us we can each make a positive contribution to climate change and reduce global warming for future generations.”