Scottish Climate Emergency College Statement

17th May 2021

Scottish colleges have come together to support a new, ground-breaking statement of commitment on the Climate Emergency.

The Scottish Colleges’ Statement of Commitment on the Climate Emergency highlights how college staff and students are working together to achieve a more sustainable future for Scotland. It includes 10 key actions, which have been developed to support Scotland’s efforts to achieve net-zero climate emissions by 2045, and Scotland’s colleges are aiming to achieve net-zero by 2040, or earlier.

The statement was released by College Development Network after collaboration with EAUC-Scotland, Colleges Scotland, Scottish Funding Council and a wide range of Scottish Colleges. The full statement can be read here but the 10 key aims are listed below.

1: Support Scotland’s efforts to achieve net-zero climate emissions by 2045 or earlier if possible, with Scotland’s colleges aiming to achieve net-zero by 2040 or earlier.

2 Embed environmental sustainability in our institutional strategies and set measurable targets.

3 Address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in our strategies.

4 Share best practice within and beyond the college/university sector.

5 Deploy our expertise and experience to combat climate change.

6 Contribute to public debate on climate change and use the power of our example to encourage others.

7 Work with Scottish industry, employers, public sector bodies and others to improve working practices and find practical solutions to climate change and to make our planet safe for future generations.

8 Encourage, where appropriate, colleges to adopt the UK HE/FE Climate Commission’s ‘Climate Action Roadmap for FE Colleges’.

9 Each college will publish action plans to address on-campus and supply chain emissions, setting out what steps they will take over a five-year horizon and beyond where possible, and what they aim to achieve to address the climate emergency.

10 Educate staff, students, employers and communities on the impact their daily lives and working practices have on the environment/climate. While working with our partners, local employers and communities to ensure everyone is aware of their personal responsibility to our planet.

CDN have also released a video which can be viewed below: