Climate and Sustainability
'Scotland has everything it takes to show international leadership by charting a concrete path to carbon neutrality by 2045. With the 26th Conference of the Parties coming to the UK in 2021, it is time for Scotland to lay out this path.'
Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary, UN Climate Convention
Take a look below at all of the things that Edinburgh Science, and our partners, are doing to help combat the climate crisis including our exciting Climate Co-Lab Meetings (formerly Climate Opportunity Ideas Factory).
Plus, we've provided some tips to help you be a little bit greener at the Festival, on the go and at home.
- Climate Co-Labs
- The NetZeroToolkit
- Environmental Policy
- Programming for the Planet
- Greener Travel
- How You Can Help
We have a philosophical mission to help foster a scientifically literate society that understands the relevance of science to their everyday life and is able to make informed and rational decisions about the things that affect them. Many of the biggest challenges facing humanity have science at their heart and we see ourselves as a platform for debate and discussion of the science that impacts us most.
We create work with this in mind, from education programmes that invest in developing young people, to events that ask audiences how we might work together – across boundaries, borders, disciplines and cultures – to help build a better world.
Festival Key initiatives
- We programme events and activities that highlight environmental issues and encourage debate and discussion
- We use e-tickets across all of our activities and events, dramatically reducing our paper waste
- We use energy efficient LED light fittings throughout the delivery of our events
- We are Zero Waste Scotland compliant, separating 100% of recyclable waste in our office space
- Environmental sustainability is embedded in all staff training and features in our employee handbook
- We respectfully request that all Festival guests prioritise trains over planes for UK travel
- We have digital copies of all our programmes on our website and we encourage customers to return paper brochures for use by others
- Our online recruitment process saves paper and postage by enabling electronic applications and communications
- We work with our Transport Partner Lothian Buses to provide travel information to our visitors and encourage the use of public transport
- We recycle and reuse office furniture
What’s Next?
We are assessing our achievements so far and looking for ways to improve year on year, not just in our Festival operations, but in our wider year round work. Through our networks and programme we will also continue to encourage debate, communicate and share best practice around environmental sustainability.
