Scottish Funding Council renews EAUC Scotland funding for 2025/26

26th March 2025

We are pleased to announce that EAUC’s funding bid for the next phase of its work in Scotland has been approved by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). We will continue to deliver our "Supporting a step-change towards environmental sustainability at Scotland's Universities and Colleges" programme from 1st April 2025 up to September 2026.

On 31st March, we will reach the end of the second year of our “Supporting a step-change towards environmental sustainability at Scotland's Universities and Colleges” programme. This outcome agreement, funded by SFC, has enabled EAUC Scotland to collaborate with and support the Further and Higher Education sector in its sustainability journey. Since April 2024, we have delivered 31 events, training sessions and webinars reaching over 723 people. We have produced vital new resources for the sector, including the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Guide and Template, Commuting Survey Guide and Tool, Sustainability in College Learning and Teaching: Research Report and Guidance for Scottish colleges and universities: Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Reporting. We are confident that this programme has helped further the understanding of the significant role the sector has in responding to the climate emergency and has provided relevant knowledge and tools to support sector staff in improving sustainability within their institutions and communities.

This next SFC-funded programme will focus on supporting effective leadership and action to enable Scotland’s colleges and universities to respond to the climate and ecological emergencies, while also recognising their social context. Key projects for the year ahead include:
 

• Creating climate risk profiles for institutions
• Publishing a sustainable catering guide
• Producing a climate risk and adaptation communications pack
• Launching an Education for Sustainable Development pilot support programme
• Develop guidance around Education for Sustainable Development in colleges
• Delivering the EAUC Scotland Conference

The successful £147,000 bid is a result of work undertaken with SFC over the past six months to develop new ideas to deepen the sector’s response to the climate emergency. This process was informed by feedback from members through our regional workshops, events, surveys and through our Advisory Group and engagement with sector partners. 

Responding to the confirmation of funding, Matt Woodthorpe, Scotland Programme Manager at EAUC, said:

“It’s fantastic that EAUC’s partnership with the Scottish Funding Council continues into 2025 and 2026, a partnership that started in 2008.

The last two years of the Step-change towards sustainability programme have been incredibly busy but also, crucially, impactful. The next phase of the SFC-funded programme recognises sector sustainability opportunities and needs in the 16 months ahead, on the backdrop of a new national adaptation plan, the publication of draft updated statutory guidance for public bodies, and education for sustainable development increasingly being embedded in quality assurance frameworks and guidance.

As a result, this is a critical time for sustainability in Scotland and we look forward to working with the college and university sector, SFC and wider partners to deliver long term environmental, social and economic benefits for individual FHE institutions and their staff and students, and in turn the communities they serve and Scotland as a whole through this ambitious new programme.”

Martin Boyle, Chief Operating Officer at the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“We’re committed to supporting progress towards a more sustainable future. In the past year EAUC Scotland has once again been ambitious and energetic in driving forward its environmental sustainability programme for tertiary education.

I’m really pleased SFC is able to extend its funding for a further 16 months and I’m confident that our ongoing investment will continue to make a difference in tackling the climate and ecological emergencies.”

The Outcome Agreement will soon be available to download below. If you have any questions about the new programme, please get in touch by emailing [email protected].