Our next Positive Climate Film Club screening will be on Tuesday 26th May 18.00-20.45.
This time it is a more serious evening with the People’s Emergency Briefing which is an up to date fact check on the latest scientific and ecological (nature) information within the climate and nature crises.
This briefing style film charts our UK and global situation across many different topics such as food, transport, weather patterns and nature health from experts in each field, followed by discussion by well known faces such as Chris Packham and Jennifer Saunders.
It will be an interesting night and we are inviting politicians across the parties to respond too.
Book your tickets early here – this will be at full capacity!
Edinburgh Remakery diverted 47 tons of e-waste from landfill in 2024, rising to 52 tons in 2025.
Refurbished devices are donated to people in digital poverty
Businesses benefit by having a trusted partner to wipe IT equipment and add to ESG credentials
Edinburgh Remakery’s contribution to tackling e-waste and digital exclusion has been recognised with the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2026.
It is one of just 185 organisations across the UK to be recognised with a King’s Award for Enterprise in 2026.
The prestigious award acknowledges Edinburgh Remakery’s outstanding achievement in sustainability.
The charity specialises in ethical IT asset disposal and the refurbishment of donated devices for people experiencing digital exclusion.
It previously won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2022.
Sustainability at the core
Edinburgh Remakery’s partners, and the public, donate unwanted devices that are professionally wiped, refurbished and then reused.
In 2024, the organisation diverted 47 tonnes of e-waste from landfill, preventing over 1.1 million kilograms of carbon emissions.
In the same year, through its Tech Gifting Programme, Edinburgh Remakery provided 295 refurbished devices to individuals across Scotland facing digital exclusion.
Tackling e-waste one laptop at a time
Elaine Brown, chief executive officer of Edinburgh Remakery, said: “The King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development is wonderful recognition of Edinburgh Remakery’s achievements and bolsters our credentials as a credible, impactful partner for businesses across the UK.
“We are tackling the fastest-growing waste stream in the world.
“Businesses trust us to ‘clean’ and wipe their donated laptops, tablets and other devices to industry standards and help those devices have a second life.
“We collaborate with charities to provide refurbished devices to people experiencing digital exclusion – it could be a desktop computer for a family, a laptop for an individual or a games console for a young carer.
“Since we entered the award, we’ve actually increased our output – in 2025 we diverted 52 tonnes of e-waste from landfill, a 10% increase in one year.
“We divert waste, create green jobs and tackle exclusion – one laptop at a time.”
EGS benefits for business
Elaine emphasised that Edinburgh Remakery has the capacity to deliver benefits for more UK businesses: “If you’re a business, you have tech. We should be the first choice of partner for any organisations that are disposing of electronic items.
“Working with Edinburgh Remakery bolsters organisations’ environmental, social and governance credentials by diverting waste from landfill and creating social good.”
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious business awards. Winners are allowed to display the King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years — a globally recognised mark of excellence.
Applications for the 2027 King’s Awards open today – 6 May 2026.
We are delighted to invite you to join us on Saturday, June 27th for this year’s climate festival at the Edinburgh Meadows from 12 – 7pm
Following last year’s theme of Root & Rise, we are left with the question: what makes a forest truly strong, resilient, and nourished? The answer lies beneath our feet, in mycelium.
Mycelium is an underground root-like network of entangled threads of fungi. It creates vast connections between plants and trees serving as a shared resource for nutrients, supporting growth as well as being a magnificent communication highway, sending signals and protecting one another.
Our 2026 theme embodies this ethos – supporting connection between ourselves, those around us and nature, expanding from local action to global solidarity.
A reminder that fundamentally, we are all nature. Facing climate challenges alone can feel overwhelming. But when we recognise how deeply intertwined we are, we also recognise our shared strength. Through collective action we can exchange ideas, re-energise, and cultivate meaningful change.
Whether you’re beginning your sustainability journey or deeply rooted in climate work, join us to build a hopeful and connected community – forming our own vibrant, intertwined network. Intertwined, we are stronger. Intertwined, we thrive.
Find out more about the day and how to get involved on our website:
We’re down to the final week of #SpringCleanScotland and we want to capture all of your brilliant efforts!
If you register your litter pick before midnight on Friday 24 April you’ll be in with a chance of winning one of four £100 Helping Hand Environmental vouchers!
We have one voucher for uniformed groups, one voucher for sports clubs and/or organisations, and two further vouchers for any group or individual who registers their pick. All previous registrations also count towards the prize draw.
Have you taken part in a litter pick recently?
Enter your event’s details on our website for a chance to win a #SpringCleanScotland prize!
Young people in Scotland are coming together to “grill” political parties in a special election hustings on their climate commitments amid huge fears about the climate crisis.
The youth-led event in Edinburgh TONIGHT – Wednesday 22 April – will be livestreamed nationwide with questions limited to people under 30 years old.
The organisers, the Scottish Youth Climate Coalition, say the climate and nature hustings in Edinburgh will be “an opportunity for young people to hear from potential MSPs about how they plan to handle our future.”
Young people are significantly less likely to vote than older people with IPSOS estimating just 37% of 18-24 years old voted in the 2024 UK general election, falling from 47% the 2019 General Election.
Research shows young people are the most worried about the future, with over two thirds of people aged 16-24 reporting that they feel worried about the future due to climate change. A similar number of yooung people say they feel their voices are not listened to by decision makers when it comes to climate.
The Scottish Youth Climate Coalition (SYCC) is made up of six of the largest youth climate organisations in Scotland – collectively representing thousands of young people aged 16-30.
The Coalition consists of Young Friends of the Earth Scotland, 2050 Climate Group, Teach the Future Scotland, Young Sea Changers Scotland, Green New Deal Rising, and People and Planet Edinburgh, with support from many smaller youth groups across the country.
The hustings will take place in Augustine United Church in Edinburgh tonight (Wednesday 22 April from 7 – 9pm).
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Youth Engagement Intern Kyle Downie said: “This is an opportunity for young people to grill those who wish to sit in the next Scottish Parliament about how they plan to handle our future.
“If politicians want our votes, they must be willing to show how they plan on meeting the many challenges facing young people in Scotland. From worsening climate impacts, to improving bus services, to protecting Scotland’s natural environment and seas, there are many questions we need answers to.
“It’s great to be able to bring the youth movement back together like this. As with any campaign, we’re stronger when we work together. And it’s important that this husting is youth-led, after all it’s our future these politicians are messing with!”
Charlotte Wilson organiser from the youth-led campaign for climate education, Teach the Future, said: “With 16 year olds able to vote in this election, we’re taking part to press candidates about their commitments to sustainable development, education, outdoor learning, global citizenship, and social welfare – collectively known as Learning for Sustainability – and pathways to green careers.”
Families across the country will be better protected from energy crises, as government moves to break link between gas and electricity prices
Families across the country will be better protected from energy crises, as government moves to break link between gas and electricity prices
New plans include long‑term fixed‑price contracts for renewables, protecting families when gas prices spike
Immediate action to tax excess profits through the Electricity Generator Levy by raising the rate from 45% to 55%, ensuring an increased proportion of the extraordinary revenue generated when the gas price spikes is available to government to support businesses and households with the cost-of-living
Comes as government doubles down on drive for clean, homegrown power with raft of measures to unlock public land, speed up planning and cut bills for families
Plans to better protect families and businesses by ending the unfair way international gas prices push up electricity prices across Great Britain take a major step forward today.
Instability in the Middle East has shown that Britain’s reliance on international fossil fuel markets leaves families and businesses exposed to volatile gas prices, driving the cost-of-living crisis even though much of the country’s electricity comes from cheaper renewables and nuclear.
When wars, geopolitical tensions or supply shocks abroad push up global gas prices, electricity bills rise with them, exposing families to crises they have no control over.
Over time, this problem is easing as new clean energy projects are built on fixed price contracts that protect consumers from gas price volatility. But a significant share of renewable generation – about 30% of Britain’s power supply – is still exposed to wholesale prices set by gas, leaving families vulnerable when international prices rise.
Therefore, to shield families from future crises, today the government is setting out new measures to ‘break the link’, reducing the impact that volatile gas prices have on the price of electricity. This will be done by:
Voluntary long term fixed contracts: offered to existing low-carbon generators not on fixed‑price contracts – covering around a third of Britain’s power supply. This will help protect families and businesses from higher bills when gas prices spike, with contracts offered only where they deliver clear value for money for consumers
An updated Electricity Generators Levy: immediate action to tax excess profits through the Electricity Generator Levy by raising the rate from 45% to 55%, ensuring an increased proportion of the extraordinary revenues generated when the gas price spikes is available to government to support businesses and households with the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East on the cost of living
Measures announced today will further reduce the share of electricity exposed to gas price shocks and provide generators the economic incentive to move on to fixed contracts not linked to volatile gas. The government is monitoring the impact of the current crisis on energy bills and will be ready to step in to provide targeted support where necessary.
Britain has already moved from gas setting the price of electricity around 90% of the time in the early 2020s, to around 60% today. Through the government’s clean energy mission, it is estimated gas will set the wholesale price around half of the time by 2030.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We need to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster – this will make energy bills more stable and take the pressure off family budgets.
“When global gas prices spike, people here shouldn’t be picking up the tab.
“Our focus is simple: easing pressure on household budgets now, while building a homegrown energy system that protects families from global instability in the years ahead.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “As we face the second fossil fuel shock in less than 5 years, the lesson for our country is clear: The era of fossil fuel security is over, and the era of clean energy security must come of age.
“That’s why we’re doubling down on clean power, to give our country energy security and bring down bills for good.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Hardworking British families and businesses should not bear the brunt of global gas price shocks while electricity generators are making exceptional profits.
“Alongside moving generators onto the competitive pricing assured through wholesale Contracts for Difference, increasing the EGL to 55% will help to break the link between high gas prices and high electricity prices – offering households and businesses stronger protection against future energy shocks.”
Further measures
Speaking today at the Good Growth Foundation, the Energy Secretary set out further measures to help cut bills for families and deliver more clean, homegrown power:
Bigger grants for households on heating oil and LPG
The crisis in the Middle East has impacted those on heating oil and LPG the hardest. The government is today announcing an increase to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant for properties heated by oil and LPG, taking the total grant to £9,000. This will help those households and small businesses in England and Wales most impacted by rising energy prices, particularly in rural areas, to electrify their heating and provide greater certainty over energy bills.
Further details on Transitional Energy Certificates
Today in advance of legislation, we are publishing further details on Transitional Energy Certificates to provide greater certainty and clarity for industry looking to invest in already-explored areas near existing licensed fields, supporting a fair and managed transition.
Faster upgrades for social housing
The government is already investing £1.2 billion to upgrade 100,000 social homes over the next 2 years. To accelerate further, the government is today providing an additional £100 million of funding for the Social Housing Fund, subject to final approvals, to support the delivery of up to a total of 57,000 solar installations for households this financial year. Through the Social Housing Fund and social housing regulations in the ‘Warm Homes Plan’, this will help households cut bills by hundreds of pounds and support up to a million homes reach EPC C.
Solar panels for schools and colleges
Building on the success of Great British Energy’s solar scheme, the government is backing the company to extend support for more rooftop solar installations on a further 100 schools and colleges this year. Up to £40 million of government investment, subject to final approvals, Great British Energy will deliver new rooftop solar and renewable schemes – helping the public sector cut energy costs and reinvest savings.
Public land
Driving forward plans to massively expand renewables across the Public Estate – including using brownfield land, industrial sites and railway sites to host solar panels and wind turbines. This could unlock up to 10 GW of capacity, even using only a fraction of government land, powering the equivalent of around 5 million homes.
Planning and land rules
Streamlining outdated rules to unblock the grid and speed up clean, homegrown power, through the biggest overhaul of planning, land access and grid connection processes since the start of the government’s clean energy mission — cutting delays for essential grid upgrades and renewables, and exploring new routes for developers to build and connect their projects faster.
EVs, heat pumps and solar
Plans to make it easier for people to switch to cheaper electric transport and heating, by making EV chargers, solar panels and heat pumps easier to install for renters, flat-dwellers and households without a driveway.
The government is exploring ways to ensure that low-income households can benefit from plug-in solar through our ‘Warm Homes Plan’ this year, and have earmarked up to £25 million with a view to piloting support for plug-in panels in partnership with local authorities and mayors: our vision is a street by street approach where tens of thousands of low-cost solar panels are delivered to those most in need.
Reformed National Pricing
Households and businesses will benefit from a cheaper, more efficient energy system through a new Reformed National Pricing Delivery Plan. The delivery plan shows how smarter planning and faster delivery of electricity infrastructure could unlock up to £20 billion in benefits between 2030 and 2050.
Wildlife experts have been left devastated by the continued intentional destruction of dune habitat on the Ardeer Peninsula in Ayrshire by its landowners – despite the dunes being ear-marked as part of a potential Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Local community groups and national wildlife organisations called on Scottish Government agency NatureScot to designate the special habitats of the Ardeer Peninsula as part of a Garnock Estuary SSSI back in 2022, building on a long-running local campaign to protect its wildlife.
As it stands, much of the Ardeer Peninsula remains under threat from a Special Development Order dating back to 1953 which removes the requirements for planning permission that are needed almost anywhere else in Scotland.
In a welcomed move, NatureScot has been reviewing the potential boundaries for a SSSI in recent years, a vital step towards protecting its mosaic of dunes, grassland, woodlands, scrub and wetlands
However, the local community has reported that despite NatureScot engaging with landowners about the potential designation, precious and irreplaceable sand dune habitat continues to be subject to sand extraction and further degradation through the dumping of soils, while large areas of biodiverse woodland have also been cleared.
Roger Hissett from the Ardeer Action Group said, “After more than a decade of campaigning by local naturalists it is tragic to see a developer determined to destroy the special and rare habitats and wildlife of this part of the Ardeer Peninsula.
“It is so sad that this attitude still persists into the 21st century just when the area is being considered for protection for the benefit of future generations.”
Rebecca Lewis, Buglife Scotland and Northern Ireland Manager said, “The Ardeer Peninsula has an important role to play in supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to reversing biodiversity loss and NatureScot’s strategic goal of protecting 30% of Scotland’s land for nature by 2030.
“We are delighted that NatureScot agree that it is worthy of consideration for SSSI notification, but the ongoing activity is a blow to the integrity of this nationally important wildlife site- which has been called Scotland’s best site for bees.”
It is hoped that some of the damage that has taken place could be reversed with appropriate management and funding. The Garnock Estuary, which includes the Ardeer Peninsula in Stevenston and Garnock East in Irvine, is a unique mosaic of dunes, grassland, woodlands, scrub and wetlands.
Although it has been modified by the site’s complex industrial past, it remains an incomparable haven for wildlife, including species that have been lost across much of the landscape.
It is home to over 1,000 invertebrate species, including at least 99 of conservation concern and some found nowhere else in Scotland. The estuary is one of the most important breeding bird populations on the Lower Clyde coast and supports at least 46 rare plants, including endemic sub-species and those for which Scotland has an international responsibility.
Recycling takeaway cups in Edinburgh is now easier thanks to a collaborative scheme Keep Scotland Beautiful has launched with the National Cup Recycling Scheme and City of Edinburgh Council.
Dedicated cup bins will be deployed on Market Street, Waverley Bridge and outside Haymarket Station to collect single-use cups in a new trial to test the effectiveness of on-street cup recycling and see if it is possible to boost the number of cups being recycled in Scotland – currently 4% – and prevent them from ending up as litter or in landfill.
Furthermore, the partners have teamed up with retailers including Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero, Greggs and McDonald’s to launch Take It Back in Edinburgh.
This is the first time our Cup Movement campaign has taken place in Edinburgh and will build on the previous success and learnings of trials in Glasgow and Dundee.
More than 30 stores in Edinburgh are participating in Take It Back, allowing customers to take a single-use cup back to any of the above retailers to be recycled.
Heather McLaughlin, Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Campaigns Manager, said: “Single-use cups make up a huge percentage of the items polluting Scotland’s environment.
“The reality is that these single-use products are already ending up as litter. We need to address our over consumption of single-use products and make an effort to choose reusable options.
“However, we know that reuse is not always possible or practical. This scheme will make it easier for people who use single-use cups to ensure they are recycled properly.”
Hannah Osman, National Cup Recycling Manager at Valpak Ltd, said: “Transport hubs are some of the highest footfall locations in Scotland, and we know from our data that a significant volume of single-use cups are consumed on the go.
“By targeting key commuter routes, this trial allows us to test how dedicated infrastructure in the right locations can capture more material and significantly increase recycling rates.
“Through this partnership, we’re using real-time data and evidence from previous trials to understand what works, measure contamination levels, track capture rates, and build a scalable model for on-street cup recycling.
“The goal is simple: make cup recycling visible, convenient and data-driven so it can be rolled out effectively across other cities in Scotland and beyond.”
Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, City of Edinburgh Council’s Environment Convener, said: “Increasing recycling rates in the city is one of our key priorities.
“It’s important we support targeted projects like this to make it easier for people to dispose of takeaway cups, which have become so popular in recent years and the prominent locations of these three new dedicated bins will hopefully do that.
“I’d also always encourage residents and visitors buying a regular cuppa to wherever possible take their own cup into takeaway stores to cut down on the need to use the disposable ones at all.”
Typical single-use hot drink cups cannot go into standard recycling bins or be recycled at home. To avoid cups ending up in landfill, it is really important to #TakeItBack. So, even if you forget your reusable cup, you can still help reduce the negative environmental impact of single-use cups if you #TakeItBack.
We’re delighted to share that LifeCare has successfully secured funding and installed a solar photovoltaic (PV) system at our much-loved community Hub in Stockbridge.
This exciting project, funded by the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), will allow us to generate clean, renewable energy on-site, helping to significantly reduce our energy costs and carbon footprint.
With over 47,000 visits to the Hub each year, this investment will have a lasting impact, not only on our building, but on the thousands of people who rely on our services.
Lowering our energy bills will allow us to reinvest more into what matters most: supporting local older people – including those living with dementia and those experiencing loneliness and social isolation – while continuing to deliver a wide range of accessible activities that bring people of all ages from within the local community together.
The funding has also enabled us to install battery storage, meaning we can store and use more of the energy we generate, further improving efficiency and resilience against rising energy costs.
Claire Montgomery, Communications and Fundraising Manager at LifeCare Edinburgh said: “We’re incredibly grateful to CARES for making this project possible, and to Culbertson Renewables Ltd for the fantastic work they did fitting the panels at The LifeCare Centre.
“This funding is not only helping us reduce our environmental impact, but it also means we can direct more resources into supporting older people across our community. It’s a win for both sustainability, and the people we’re here to support.”
This exciting project marks a key step in our commitment to sustainability and to supporting Scotland’s journey to net zero, demonstrating how community organisations can lead the way in tackling climate change while continuing to deliver vital frontline services.
We look forward to sharing the impact of this project and using this opportunity to raise awareness of renewable energy across our community.
