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Scotland

Supporting the construction industry in Scotland to deliver more sustainable projects; reducing carbon and waste, delivering value to the community and improving efficiency.

Working to build a sustainable Scotland

The Supply Chain Sustainability School in Scotland provides support to the construction industry to help build skills and knowledge in sustainability.

Scotland related resources

The School’s partners in Scotland are:

Algeco, Amco Giffen, Balfour Beatty, BAM, Certas Energy,  Kier, McLaughlin & Harvey, Marshalls, Mott McDonald, Morgan SindallMultiplexPortakabin, Reconomy, Robertson,SGN, Speedy Services, SP Energy NetworksSSE, Keepmoat  Scottish Water, Taziker and VGC, who are collaborating with other leading contractors, suppliers and industry stakeholders, such as BE-ST and Zero Waste Scotland to tackle the environmental and social sustainability issues within the Scottish construction industry.

80% of major contractors’ turnover goes to their supply chain, mostly SMEs. The School is funded by major contractors to help develop sustainability skills across Scotland. Our key areas of focus reflect national priorities on sites across Scotland:

  • Drive zero waste and carbon
  • Tackle modern slavery
  • Ensure responsible sourcing
  • Create a culture of fairness, inclusion and respect

View our Events page for opportunities to upskill through our free training opportunities from workshops to webinars. Type ‘Scotland’ in the resources bar on this page for a live update of all the Scotland Workshops and Webinars we have planned as they are announced. 

Scotland Webinars/Virtual Conferences:

  • RECORDING AVAILABLE SHORTLY Scotland’s Circular Economy & Waste Route Map to 2030 – Lunch ‘N’ Learn Registration Link

This 1 hour Lunch ‘N’ Learn led by Zero Waste Scotland, will give a high-level overview of the Scottish Government’s new proposals for the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, published in January 2024.

  • Wednesday 1 May 2024  10:00-11:00 Measuring and Building Diversity in Scottish Construction Webinar Registration Link

This session will take you through the results of the Sustainability Tool’s Diversity Survey in 2023, comparing the results in Scotland with the UK wide results as well as setting out how the School’s Fairness Inclusion and Respect Programme offers resources and opportunities to build diversity in your business.

  • Wednesday 15 May 10:00-12:00 Scaling Up Retrofit in Scotland: Opportunities in Non Domestic Buildings Virtual Conference  Registration Link

This 2 hour virtual conference will help you learn about the challenges and opportunities for the built environment industry to retrofit non-domestic buildings in Scotland to make them fit for the future. The Conference will hear from guest speakers including BE-ST, NatWest/RBS, BAM,  Robertsons and Kier looking at innovative projects across a range of sectors such as the public sector, tourism, arts, culture and community buildings.

Speakers will give key insights on why advancing retrofit is vital given that the UK Green Building Council estimates 95% of emissions from the built environment over the next 30 years could come from the buildings that exist today, citing that most of the effort to decarbonise should focus on energy efficiency retrofit of existing buildings. Good practise innovations will be shared by School partners.

  • Thursday 30 May 11:00-12:00 Getting to Grips with Plastic in Scotland Lunch ‘n’ Learn – with Zero Waste Scotland Registration Link

This 1 hour Lunch ‘N’ Learn will focus on the responsible use of plastics in the built environment, hearing from Zero Waste Scotland on ways to meet the challenges of the Plastic Packaging Tax and the single use plastic ban in Scotland.

View / Download Scotland Workshop and Webinar Resources:

All our webinars and virtual conferences are recorded so that you can watch them after the session and slides are available. For Workshops we share slides.   

Monday 15 January 2024 12:00-13:00 The Living Wage in Scotland: Motivations and benefits for the built environment sector Lunch N Learn Register Now  Watch the Recording  View the Slides 

Friday 8 December 2023 12:00 – 13:00 Environmental Compliance in Construction: Exploring new Environmental Clerk of Works Guidance in Scotland Lunch ‘n’ Learn Slides and Recording

25 October 11:00-12:00 Climate Adaptation in Scotland with NatureScot – Lunch ‘N’ Learn Recording and Slides

21 September 10:00-12:00 Decarbonising Steel: Shaping a Cleaner, Greener Industry Virtual Conference Slides and Recording

27 September 2023 1.00-2.00pm The Hydrogen Economy in the Built Environment: A Review of H100 Fife Webinar Slides and Recording

28 September 11:00-12:00 Biodiversity Enhancements in the Built Environment Sector in Scotland with NatureScot – Lunch ‘N’ Learn  Slides (Recording will follow shortly)

18 September 2023 1.30-3pm An Introduction to Biodiversity 2023 Slides

21 June 2023 1pm-2pm Net Zero, Carbon Reduction and Science Based Targets: Embodied Carbon and Footprintprinting and Recording Webinar Slides

28 June 2023  Designing Out Waste with Zero Waste Scotland Workshop Slides

24 May 2023 12 – 1pm Developing a Sustainability Strategy in Scotland Webinar Slides and Introduction to the Supply Chain Sustainability School & the Scotland Leadership Group Webinar Slides

24 May 2023  Introduction to the Supply Chain Sustainability School & the Scotland Leadership Group and Developing a Sustainability Strategy in Scotland Webinar Slides 

How the School helps businesses in Scotland

Our Scottish Partners talk about why they joined the Supply Chain Sustainability School and the impact that the School has had on their business in Scotland.

The value of the School in Scotland

What is different about sustainability in Scotland?

The School has developed specific resources to understand and address the sustainability priorities of the construction market in Scotland. There are some major differences in policy and legislation.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill was introduced by Scottish Govt on 13 June 2023. This Bill requires Scottish Ministers to introduce measures to help develop a circular economy. This includes:

  • Publishing a circular economy strategy

  • Developing circular economy targets

  • Reducing waste

  • Increasing penalties for littering from vehicles

  • Making sure individual householders and businesses get rid of waste in the right way

  • Improving waste monitoring

Tackling climate change is a key component of the Scottish Government’s aim to create a growing, sustainable and inclusive economy. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (the 2009 Act) set world-leading greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. In 2018 the Scottish Government introduced a new Climate Change Bill to make the targets even more ambitious. This includes amending the 2020 target to 56% and the 2050 target to 90%. It also sets interim targets of 66% for 2030 and 78% for 2040. Tackling climate change means adjusting to a more resource-efficient and sustainable economic model. In Scotland, this represents a real opportunity to capitalise on our advantages and the strong progress towards de-carbonisation that we have already made, and help Scotland be the most attractive place to do business in Europe.

The Scottish Government aims to make Scotland a zero waste society with a circular economy. This means minimising the population's demand on primary resources and maximising the reuse, recycling and recovery of resources, rather than treating them as waste. The Scottish Government's Zero Waste Plan aims to change how waste is viewed and managed in Scotland. Zero Waste means making the most efficient use of resources by minimising Scotland's demand on primary resources, and maximising the reuse, recycling and recovery of resources instead of treating them as waste. Zero Waste Scotland are one of the School's Partner and they have responsibility for meeting specific national targets set out in The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012:

 

  • send no more than 5% of remaining waste to landfill

  • reduce total waste arising in Scotland by 15% against 2011 levels

  • recycle 70% of remaining waste

  • match the EU ambition for all plastic packaging to be economically recyclable or reusable by 2030

Community benefit clauses provide a means of achieving sustainability in public contracts. They include targeted recruitment and training, small business and social enterprise development and community engagement.  The Public Procurement Reform Programme delivers value that goes beyond savings and benefits – improving supplier access to public contracts, particularly for SMEs; maximising efficiency and collaboration; and placing the local, social and economic aspects of sustainability at the heart of the purchasing process.

The conservation and enhancement of Scotland’s natural heritage is the responsibility of NatureScot, the public body who oversee the development and management of protected sites, species and scenic areas. Scotland has some of the wildest areas of the UK and is home to some unique and charismatic species such as red squirrel, beaver, osprey and wildcat. Around 20% of Scotland’s total area has a designation of some form. The Supply Chain School is working with NatureScot to communicate out some of the resources they have developed for organisations working in Scotland.

Scottish biodiversity policy is underpinned by the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. NatureScot’s corporate aims support biodiversity action, climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, and wider natural heritage protection and enhancement in Scotland. Our emphasis is on connecting people and nature, bringing progress to many Government priorities for a green recovery.

The Supporting Good Development team within NatureScot offer practical support for sustainable growth in Scotland by advising on the effects of plans, policies and development proposals on our natural heritage. We believe that engaging early on a proposal, before key decisions are made, delivers the best outcomes for people and nature. We have a statutory role in environmental assessment and we help others in their roles by sharing data, guidance and advice. Environmental assessment covers all statutory processes to identify, assess and mitigate impacts on the environment.

Trafficking human beings is an appalling abuse of human rights.  The Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act (Scotland) 2015 clarified, strengthened and brought together the existing laws on human trafficking to compliment that the Modern Slavery Act 2015 improved support and protection for victims, helped law enforcement target perpetrators and made sure those involved can be punished. The Act covers England and Wales, but some parts apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.  Trafficking can involve victims being sexually exploited or forced into the role of a servant, or trapped in forced labour, with nail bars, car washes and construction amongst the industries where potential cases in Scotland have been reported.  Figures from the National Crime Agency show there were 150 potential victims of trafficking identified in Scotland in 2016.

The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 builds on the work of Public Procurement in Scotland. It establishes laws about sustainable public procurement to maximise the social, environmental and economic benefits through effective and efficient procurement activity. Smart use of procurement can play a key role in promoting jobs and growth, encouraging innovation, boosting training and apprenticeship opportunities and helping small and medium enterprises (SME’s) third sector organisations and supported businesses to compete effectively for contracts.

The Real Living Wage in Scotland is currently £12.00 per hour (for adults aged over 18) and is based on cost of living. This is different from the National Living Wage which is £10.42 per hour for those aged 23 and over (October 2023). Over 470,000 people in Scotland don't earn the real Living Wage. 250,000 children in Scotland live in poverty despite having one person in their household in work.  In-work poverty remains a problem. Just over 10% of workers in Scotland are locked in persistent low pay, i.e. they are paid below the real Living Wage - 72% of them are women. Josepth Rowntree Foundation's 2023 report highlights key industries affected here

In Scotland, ministers are responsible for making building standards (equivalent to the building regulations in England) and the associated technical guidance documents. The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 grants this power.

The 32 Scottish Local Authorities act as verifiers administering the building standards system, granting permissions (building warrants) and completion certificates.

The Scottish Government Building Standards Division monitor the local authorities. The main purpose of the standards is to ensure that buildings are safe, efficient and sustainable. They do not control the building process, but outline the essential standards that are to be met during building works or conversions.

The 2006 Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act brought about the most significant modernisation of the planning system in Scotland in over 60 years.  Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) aims to increase sustainable economic growth, which is the main purpose of the Scottish Government. This means that the planning system should help build a growing economy, but at the same time protect our environment for future generations and make sure that communities can enjoy a better quality of life.  National and local planning policies now include community benefits as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications for renewable energy development. These benefits might include improve infrastructure, job creation and community or shared ownership schemes.

We reward and recognise companies based on their levels of engagement and interaction with the School. Below is an outline of our membership level achievement scheme:

  • Registered: Has created an account but has not undertaken an assessment or viewed any resources or attended any School training

  • Member: Used at least one resource in the past 12 months. This can be either: completing an assessment, coming to one of our events, or accessing an online resource

  • Bronze: Has completed an assessment in the past 12 months and has viewed 5 resources in the past 6 months

  • Silver: Has completed a re-assessment in the past 12 months and has viewed 5 resources in the past 6 months

  • Gold: Has completed a re-assessment in the past 12 months (with an increased knowledge score), has viewed 10 resources in the past 6 months, and has either completed a case study or spoken at an event

What are the key sustainability topics in Scotland?

The School has worked with our Partners to select a range of training resources for each level of learning as a recommended starting point for learners who are new to the School or who wish to refresh their knowledge on these five major issues:

Energy and Carbon
Biodiversity and Ecology
Biodiversity and Ecology
Biodiversity and Ecology
Energy and Carbon
Biodiversity and Ecology
Waste and Resource Efficiency

Waste and Resource Efficiency

Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Waste and Resource Efficiency
Energy and Carbon
Energy and Carbon
Energy and Carbon
Energy and Carbon
Energy and Carbon
Energy and Carbon
Energy and Carbon
Energy and Carbon
Materials
Materials
Materials
Materials
Materials
Materials
Energy and Carbon

Materials

Decarbonising Steel: Shaping a Cleaner, Greener Industry – Virtual Conference Recording

Video

Leading steel industry experts consider how to reduce carbon emissions through technology and innovation. 

Beginner
Duration 120 minutes

Fairness, Inclusion & Respect

Modern Slavery
Modern Slavery
Modern Slavery
Modern Slavery
Modern Slavery
Employment
Human Rights
Employment Conditions
Employment Conditions
“The School is an excellent source of knowledge that will enable construction suppliers form across Scotland to better understand the sustainability needs of main contractors and help us to deliver the social and environmental requirements of our clients.”
Martin Dick, Group Procurement, Supply Chain & Sustainability Director, Robertson Group

Our Partners

The School is a collaboration between clients, contractors and suppliers who have a mutual interest in building the skills of their supply chain. They pay for the School, so it's all FREE for you.