The first energy company in the UK to generate 100% green electricity, one of Scotland’s leading environmental organisation and Scotland’s public sector climate change network have joined forces to help accelerate climate action, and they are looking for your help.
With just under a year to go until the UN’s 26th Climate Change Conference (COP26), ScottishPower, WWF Scotland and the Sustainable Scotland Network are launching their Climate Collaboration Challenge on 16 November, calling on communities, public bodies and businesses across Scotland to come together to spark innovative ways of tackling climate change.
Dr. Sam Gardner, Head of Climate Change and Sustainability at ScottishPower, said: “We know that the only way we can truly tackle climate change is by working together, but sometimes identifying who to work with or where you can access funding can be a stopper on some ideas that have truly great potential.
“In teaming up with WWF Scotland and the Sustainable Scotland Network we hope that we can help facilitate conversations, drive forward ideas and ultimately come up with innovative plans that can be put into action to make a real difference to our planet.”
The trio hope to combine the energy, skills, resources and knowledge of businesses, industry, public agencies, financial institutions and civil society from across the country.
The launch event will take place virtually and will include speakers; Nigel Topping, High Level Action Champion for COP26, Roseanna Cunningham, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, ScottishPower’s CEO, Keith Anderson, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Leader, Climate and Energy Practice, WWF International and Kathryn Dapré, Chair of Sustainable Scotland Network.
Following on from the event, there will be opportunities for those in attendance to attend future workshops and discuss the issue they are hoping to tackle, what actions they are hoping to take and how they can collaborate to make their idea a reality.
Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland said: “We’re already feeling the impacts of climate change here and around the world, and it’s vital we accelerate action to slash our emissions. By holding these events virtually, we hope to bring people, companies, and other organisations, whose paths may not usually cross, together.
“It would be really meaningful if we could join up a wide range of different ideas from right across Scotland to deliver real solutions to the problems driving climate change.”
Kathryn Dapré, Chair of the Sustainable Scotland Network, stated “This initiative reflects the vital importance of collaboration in tackling climate change. Scotland’s public sector bodies will be critical in enabling the shift to net zero emissions and securing the opportunities of a green recovery from the current public health emergency”.
Glasgow Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stuart Patrick said: “COP26 is a truly global event where we have a unique opportunity to showcase what Glasgow and the whole of Scotland is doing to combat climate change and highlight our innovations and collaborations to a worldwide audience. We believe we can enhance business competitiveness and economic growth through sustainability and by being a global leader in circular principles. It is imperative and beneficial for businesses to adopt circular practices and introduce brilliant solutions and partnerships that help tackle the climate emergency, and the Cop 26 Climate Collaboration Challenge is a fantastic initiative aimed at helping achieve that throughout Scotland.”
Glasgow Science Centre has been inspiring and motivating people of all ages to engage with science for almost two decades. At the city begins its countdown to COP, the educational charity hopes that the Climate Collaboration Challenge can provide the motivation needed to get all sectors involved in finding ways to tackle climate change.
Emma Woodham, Glasgow Science Centre’s Climate Change Programme Manager, said: 'Our aim is to provide a platform for people of all ages and background to engage with COP26. Partnerships are key to achieving this, and we are excited by the cross-disciplinary approach taken by the Climate Collaboration Challenge and look forward to hearing more.”
If you would like to get involved in the Climate Collaboration Challenge please view the WWF Scotland & ScottishPower challenge and repsond by 13th November.