Our sustainability ambition

We have a vision for a clean, green and sustainable Scotland.  A Scotland whose citizens are engaged and empowered to take action on local, national and global sustainability issues.  We are committed to combatting the climate and nature emergencies, tackling litter and waste and improving places and enhancing our rich heritage.  We aim to achieve this by encouraging positive behaviour change and inspiring action that will improve the environmental sustainability of Scotland and the health and wellbeing of the population.

We recognise that any future development and growth must be achieved in a way that does not negatively impact on the environment and society, but instead increases natural and social capital rather than depletes it. 

Our work is fully aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and we encourage everyone to use these as a framework to help create a more sustainable planet for all.

Our Net Zero ambition

A transition to Net Zero by 2045, the legally binding target set for Scotland, is an integral aspect of creating a sustainable future for us all.  As an environmental charity, we aim to lead by example, encouraging others to follow and learn from our transition to becoming a Net Zero organisation. 

We know we won’t always get it right but we will learn and adapt as we transition and use our knowledge to help others carve a path to net zero.  A lot of the innovations, solutions and technologies required for a Net Zero Nation are yet to be created or invented and we are optimistic that Scotland and other nations will find a way for us to thrive in a net zero world whilst ensuring that eco-systems, biodiversity and nature are restored to their fullest levels of richness and health.

Having made excellent progress through our carbon reduction initiatives since 2016, we recognise that more needs to be done and that the world, and how we live and work, has changed significantly since we were rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are rapidly approaching 2045, and the urgency to take real action is increasing, so we will do all we can to play our part. 

Established from our new baseline, we have adjusted our net zero ambition to mirror the 2045 target set in Scotland. This has been done to reflect the pace of development in infrastructure which supports the journey to net zero, across Scotland, and our reassessment of our ability to include Scope 3 emissions. 

We remain committed to driving down our emissions and streamlining our activities wherever possible.  As we continue to learn, adapt and adopt good systems across our work practices, we will continue to push ourselves to reach Net Zero ahead of 2045.

We want to work with, and through, our supply chain and wider stakeholder network to establish better sustainable procurement approaches.  We aim to do this in a just way and will strive to work with our stakeholders and across our value chain to help them understand more about climate change and how they can achieve carbon neutrality.

Our immediate priorities include: 

• Monitoring our targets and reducing our emissions, to achieve net zero by 2045;
• Maintaining and achieving our ISO14001 accreditation;
• Maintaining our Carbon Literate Organisation Platinum accreditation;
• Providing activities, campaigns and services to help people and organisations combat climate change;
• Creating a carbon literate Scotland;
• Reviewing and reporting on our progress to all stakeholders; and
• Communicating our achievements and learnings through our impact reports.

We will consider off-setting through supporting certified carbon offset projects based in Scotland, but only as a way of minimising our footprint as we transition to net zero and have fully decarbonised our activities. 

We will report transparently, openly and honestly about our progress to net zero and will work with all our stakeholders to protect and enhance the social, natural and environmental sustainability of Scotland.

Together we can combat climate change and help progress Scotland’s just transition to

becoming a Net Zero Nation.