as the host city. Claire Mack, Chief Executive of
Scottish Renewables, said: “COP26 is a fantastic opportunity for Scotland and Glasgow, which is already aiming to become the UK’s first net zero city. “With an abundance of renewable energy resources – not least the River Clyde, which holds the potential to produce enormous quantities of low- carbon heat – and some of the most ambitious climate change targets in the world, Scotland is well on the way to achieving its 100 per cent renewable energy target. “Our renewable energy industry is looking forward to working with the world’s leading climate change experts to make sure that the COP agenda is followed by concrete action as we continue the global fight against climate change.” Ideeas Ltd is one local business hoping to benefit from the impact of the conference on public awareness of climate change and sustainable development. Managing Director Steve Taylor is an environmentalist and economic development advisor who specialises in developing and implementing sustainability projects. Best known for his work with music festivals, he has been Sustainability Manager for events including T in the Park, TRNSMT and Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games Festival.
Steve said: “COP26 offers a great opportunity for the city of Glasgow and local businesses to show off our current sustainability credentials. With 30,000 delegates, and potentially several thousand protesters, it’s important to demonstrate that we in Glasgow are taking the climate emergency seriously. Glasgow’s people are great at getting behind big events and we expect a positive response, particularly with the frightening examples of climate chaos such as the recent Australian bushfires on our minds. “We are keen to work with businesses
to help them reduce their CO2 emissions this year. It’s also a chance to publicly show some of our existing novel CO2-saving practices such as the recycling bikes and ambassadors that we currently use to enable food waste to be removed by zero emission cargo bike rather than gas-guzzling lorries.” Ideeas Ltd worked with Big Green
Feet Community Interest Company on a pilot project to collect food waste from restaurants in Giffnock, on the south side of Glasgow, by bike. The food was taken to the Young Enterprise Scotland training centre at Rouken Glen Park and turned into compost. This project is now being developed with charity SoulRiders, which has received funding from the SP Energy Networks Green Economy Fund to launch a fleet of e-cargo bikes to collect waste in the Pollokshields area.
is much more to be done. “We are seeing more big companies setting environmental targets and making environmental improvements, which is great. At the same time there is a wider public concern about corporate greenwashing. All this aside, there is an opportunity here for SMEs to make the biggest difference as they make up the largest percentage of our businesses in Scotland. “Our company is really clear on its
carbon reduction plan, and is succeeding in providing specialist environmental services (ornithology, ecology and peat) for renewables projects, but many other SMEs are understandably focussing all their energies on winning new work, and do not have the resource to commit to carbon reduction plans. SMEs need help and support in order to change their business models.” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has just launched a £6 million Low Carbon Challenge Fund to support SMEs to grasp opportunities around climate change. The Scottish Enterprise administered fund will be open to public, third sector and academic institutions working to create opportunities to advance the low carbon capabilities of SMEs. The First Minister said: “Star
Refrigeration is a great example of how tackling climate change can also be good for jobs and business. As we prepare to host the UN Climate Change Summit, it is fitting that Scottish companies are providing practical
Scotland was one of the first countries to acknowledge that we are facing a global climate emergency and we have legislated for the most ambitious carbon reduction target”
Greenwashing or real action? The UK’s largest companies are making moves to be more environmentally friendly. Vegetarian food giant Quorn is going to include the carbon footprint details of every product it sells on the packaging, Tesco is removing plastic wrapping from its multipack tins, removing 350 tonnes of plastic a year from the environment, while Microsoft has committed to being “carbon negative” by 2030. Kirsty MacArthur, Director of specialist environmental consultants MacArthur Green, says there
solutions to the environmental issues our world faces.” Star Refrigeration Ltd is the largest industrial refrigeration company in the UK and has also developed its own water source heat pump through a subsidiary company Star Renewable Energy. Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive
Steve Dunlop said: “This support for SMEs is intended to support the development of new low carbon solutions to harness opportunities and move from a climate emergency to a climate opportunity. “Scottish Enterprise is working with partners to meet Scotland’s net zero target and ultimately provide the right environment for businesses to focus on more sustainable ways of working and the Low Carbon Challenge Fund is part of that.” With the aim of supporting Glasgow’s
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