Scotland’s path to net-zero

Zero Waste Scotland's report, 'The path to net-zero' demonstrates how the public, private and third sector can rebuild a greener, stronger economy after lockdown to meet our collective obligation to end the climate emergency.

All public bodies nationwide have been tasked by the Scottish Government to develop their own net-zero plans to meet its key pledge to end the nation’s contribution to the climate crisis by 2045.

Many businesses are doing the same to help meet the landmark target, resulting in numerous different plans and approaches as a diverse range of organisations seek to play their part in this vital global effort.

Through our discussions with other expert groups and stakeholders throughout Scotland, it is clear that, while many organisations want to meet their obligations to fight climate change, they are unsure of how best to do that.

Our new net-zero plan, ‘Our path to net-zero’, sets out five key steps which any organisation can follow, from companies to councils and charities, to help them work out the most effective ways for them to reduce their emissions by doing business differently.

Finding out the biggest cause of their carbon footprint is the crucial starting point for every organisation because there is no universal source or solution. Armed with that information, businesses and other bodies can then test, implement and share experiences of targeting their own greatest organisational emissions.

The five principles in our plan to guide organisations to net-zero are:

• All net-zero strategies must be evidence-led;
• They must achieve absolute emissions reduction;
• They must prioritise emissions reductions over offsets;
• Organisations need to go beyond net-zero to tackle their whole carbon footprint;
• To accelerate change, we must share our successes and failures.