Training for the construction industry to help combat the climate crisis…

In collaboration with McLaughlin & Harvey, GRAHAM, McAleer & Rushe, and Henry Brothers, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has developed Climate Emergency Training to help the construction sector take action to tackle the climate crisis.

Keep Scotland Beautiful is now rolling the training out to employees from each of the four organisations to enable them to reduce carbon emissions at both a business and individual level.

The training looks at how the construction sector will be impacted by climate change, the practical actions needed to reduce emissions and future-proof each organisation, the science of climate change, and the significant changes we will all need to adapt to as Scotland moves to a low carbon future.

John Logan, Group Environmental Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, said:

“We are pleased to further our commitment to sustainability and combat climate change with our collaboration with Keep Scotland Beautiful. The development of the training shows that collaboration rather than competition is key to driving change on this critical issue. McLaughlin & Harvey is committed to adapting to support a UK low carbon economy, and will achieve Net Zero by 2030 while reducing annual emissions. The Climate Emergency Training has provided our staff with the practical tools to make the significant changes needed in our efforts.”

Lianne Taylor, Head of Environment at GRAHAM, said:

“At GRAHAM, we recognise the important role that all of our employees will play in decarbonisation and the transition to a low carbon economy. This is why we have prioritised the roll out of Carbon Literacy Training as a vital tool in helping us to collectively tackle the climate crisis head on.

“GRAHAM was delighted to collaborate with Keep Scotland Beautiful and other contractors in taking a leading role in the development of Climate Emergency Training for the construction sector. So far, we’ve delivered the training to our board and senior management, and we’ve planned that by the end of next year, our entire workforce will be carbon literate – a clear sign of our commitment to climate action and the delivery of lasting impact.”

Charlene Millen, Environment & Sustainability Manager at McAleer & Rushe, said:

“McAleer & Rushe are delighted to collaborate with Keep Scotland Beautiful and our fellow peers in leading the development of Climate Emergency Training for the Construction sector. Implementing this bespoke carbon literacy training is fundamental in increasing awareness and understanding of this critical issue as we move towards a low carbon economy. This training gives us the support we need to embed the necessary changes throughout our organisation.”

Charlene Clinton, Henry Brothers Quality and Environment Manager, said:

“This Carbon Literacy Training is an important aspect of educating our employees to understand how they can assist the company’s Journey to Net Zero Strategy and how they can make an impact both at work and at home. Within our strategy Henry Brothers have set ambitious targets for the next 9 years, including a commitment to a 50% reduction of emissions by 2030 and an investment in a long term off-setting scheme, setting out an action plan which will be monitored on an annual basis.”

Catherine Gee, Deputy Chief Executive for Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:

“We are delighted to have developed our Climate Emergency Training for the construction industry. The climate crisis and Scotland’s journey to net zero is going to require everyone, and importantly businesses and organisations, to adapt and change their way of working and we are extremely pleased that these businesses within the construction sector are taking steps to play their part. We hope that others within the sector will follow in their footsteps and learn how to adapt their ways of working to reduce their emissions and provide a better future for our country and our planet.”

In May 2019, the Scottish Government declared a climate emergency and has pledged to drastically reduce emissions from Scotland in the next 10 years. This will mean new legislation and technology that will bring significant changes to the way that we do life and business in Scotland.

Keep Scotland Beautiful is the only Carbon Literacy Training Organisation in Scotland, and as part of the training, each participant will receive a certificate of Carbon Literacy from the Carbon Literacy Project and the opportunity to apply for Carbon Literate Organisation status.

The training is available for all businesses within the construction sector and interested organisations should contact Keep Scotland Beautiful to find out more, or visit: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/climate-emergency-training