Tag: environment

Britain’s crowning glory – tons of cheap plastic coronation souvenirs set to hit landfill

Britain’s disposable society to strike again with single-use party favours

Saturday May 6th is the big day as King Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey, and the party is expected to last until at least Monday, with one of three bank holidays that month.

And there’s one group of people not looking forward to the aftermath at all – those hardworking teams from the UK’s waste and recycling companies charged with clearing up after the celebrations.

UK waste collection company Divert.co.uk says the worst part is going to be separating the recyclable rubbish from the stuff going to landfill and warns there may be record amounts of the latter.

“Every bank holiday brings a spike in waste,” says Divert.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall, “But we think we might be up to our necks in plastic waste come the Tuesday after the party. It’ll be like Christmas and Easter rolled into one”

The coronation will be, for most of us, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it is a very good excuse for everybody to have a good time away from – well – everything else.

The bad news for the British economy is that every bank holiday costs the nation approximately £3.9 billion* in lost productivity.

The good news, however, is that each holiday gives small businesses such as shops, pubs and restaurants a modest boost to profits of around £250, while people spend approximately £500m on leisure activities.

And suffice to say that as well as the boozing, barbecues and endless coronation quiches, there is going to be astonishing levels of rubbish to go with it.

“It’s going to be the street party to end all parties,” says Divert.co.uk’s Mark Hall, and the big problem is going to be a complete collapse of recycling across households and businesses.

“Nobody thinks about recycling during a celebration, so everything is going to end up in the same bin bag; and that’s going to end up in landfill. What a waste.”

Christmas produces about 688,000 tonnes of waste but Divert.co.uk thinks the coronation will be Christmas and Easter rolled into one.

“Rolled into one, put in big plastic sacks, and dumped in a hole in the ground at your town or city’s landfill facility,” says Hall. “Three-quarters of a million tonnes? Not out of the question in today’s disposable society.”

And that’s before we consider the cheap coronation souvenirs.

All the cheap plastic rubbish you can carry

“All that plastic bunting, those Charles and Camilla face masks, cheap imported crowns, the whole nine yards,” says Mark Hall. “And the sad fact is that it’s all going to end up in the bin.”

If last year’s Platinum Jubilee is anything to go by, there’ll be no end of trashy souvenirs that won’t make it past the first car boot sale, or the first charity bag to come through the front door.

There are whole lists of these things on the internet – Queen and Corgi car air fresheners, Platinum Jubilee leggings, and no end of tat embossed with the unfortunate words “platty joobs” – and it’s highly doubtful whether much of this rubbish has either survived or been sensibly recycled.

“Thank the stars that ‘corribobs’ hasn’t caught on,” says Hall, “but the fact remains that a lot of souvenirs and bunting at the cheap end of the market will prove to be a tremendous waste of resources.”

As a country, we should be doing better, Divert says.

But with the coronation and its long weekend being an enormous hit of the UK economy, the tens of thousands of tonnes of extra waste to be dealt with, and the possibility and the horror of the gift of Charlie and Camilla boxer shorts, is it all worth it?

“Of course it is,” says Mark, “We need the burst of national pride, and we need a party. Get out there and enjoy yourselves. But remember to separate your recyclables, in the name of the King.”

Trust in Scottish Water down the drain as Scots call for ban on bonuses

New data from Surfers Against Sewage reveals the extent of anger at polluting water companies, as charity prepares to mobilise public in first ever mass paddle-out protest later this month. 

·       A mammoth 83% of residents in the Scotland support a ban on bonuses for CEOs who fail to adhere to minimum environmental standards. 

·       Trust in water companies is at rock bottom, with less than a fifth (16%) of adults confident that Scottish Water is using their money to improve services. 

·       In response to rising public anger, volunteers backed by Surfers Against Sewage will coordinate a paddle-out protest against sewage pollution at Portobello Beach, Edinburgh on May 20, one of multiple events occurring simultaneously across the UK. 

·       Surfers Against Sewage is demanding calling for an end to sewage discharges into UK bathing waters and a 90% reduction in sewage discharges by 2030. 

New data from charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has revealed the extent of public distrust in Scottish Water amid ongoing outrage at the levels of pollution occurring in Scottish and UK waterways.  

The UK Government and regulators have also come under fire, with 7 in 10 (69%) saying the UK Government should be doing more to tackle sewage pollution. An even bigger proportion (80%) think water company regulators need to do more to make sure water companies reduce sewage pollution. 

The survey data also reveals the issues that are most likely to inform the public’s vote at the next election. A quarter (23%) of Scots report that environmental issues will be their most important factor for voting. Among these people, 6 in 10 (62%) said they cared about water pollution the most. 

SAS are seeking to convert public outrage into action by staging a mass paddle-out protest against sewage pollution, featuring simultaneous events at beaches and rivers across the UK on Saturday 20 May. 

Josh Harris, Head of Communications at Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Last year water companies paid out a combined £1 billion to their shareholders while dumping sewage into UK waterways almost 400,000 times.

“It’s time to put an end to this shameless profiteering. Water companies should not be allowed to profit from pollution, and our data shows that the public agree, with a huge majority calling for an end to industry fat cats pocketing bonuses whilst failing to meet minimum environmental standards. 

“And it’s not just the water companies that need to clean up their act. The Government and regulators should be enforcing high standards and holding water companies to account, but it’s clear to the public that they’re not doing enough. We’ve suffered decades of broken sewers because of our broken system, and now the public have had enough and are demanding an to end this sewage scandal.” 

The data also reveals the importance of river and sea spots for Scots’ physical and mental health.

Over half in Scotland (56%) say access to blue space is beneficial for their physical health, whilst nearly half (41%) go so far as to say that having limited access to blue space is detrimental for their mental health. Despite this, nearly two thirds (62%) say sewage pollution puts them off going in the sea and rivers in the UK. 

Josh Harris, Head of Communications at Surfers Against Sewage, continued: “We’re urging anyone who feels passionately about protecting our blue spaces to join us on 20 May as we rise up against the polluters and stage a mass paddle-out protest across the UK. Water companies are wreaking havoc on our precious rivers and seas, and we refuse to stay silent. Head to your nearest protest and make your voice heard.” 

At least 12 protests will take place across the UK on 20 May, at key locations covering each water company catchment. Swimmers, paddlers, surfers, canoers, kayakers, paddle-boarders, windsurfers and anyone who cares about the health of their local blue spaces will take to the water, beach or riverbank to make their demands heard. SAS are also urging the public to sign their ‘Dirty Money’ petition, which demands an end to water companies profiting from pollution. 

Kim Travers, a volunteer who is organising the paddle-out protest in Edinburgh, said: “We are calling for year-round water monitoring and an end to sewage pollution by 2030.” 

To mark the protests, SAS have worked with Niall Jones – a Cornwall-based product designer and owner of Benthos Surf – and creative agency Mr President to develop a surfboard to represent the extent of sewage pollution in UK seas and rivers.

Jones collected raw sewage from the sea and turned it into resin that soaked into the board, creating unexpected patterns. To maximise the impact of the design, he included two transparent windows in the top of the board that display the two litres of sewage water contained within. 

Mr President have created a video highlighting the extent of the sewage scandal in the UK, and featuring interviews with and footage of Ben Skinner, 11x European Longboard Champion, and other surfers riding the waves on the Floater. 

SAS’s new data comes just weeks after data from water companies and the Environment Agency revealed that sewage was dumped into UK rivers and seas in England, Scotland and Wales just under 400,000 times last year, despite 2022 being one of the driest years in decades.

Last year SAS found evidence of 143 ‘dry spills’ – sewage overflows that occurred when there had been no rain for two days – indicating potentially illegal activity by water companies.

The charity is calling for an end to sewage discharge into UK bathing waters and a 90% reduction in sewage discharges by 2030.

LIGHT POLLUTION: vast majority can’t see dark sky, finds CPRE Star Count

  • 75% of people are in areas with the worst three categories of light pollution 
  • Campaigners, including Chris Packham, call for action to ‘rewild the night sky’ to improve the health of people and wildlife 
  • Giving evidence to the House of Lords, CPRE identified key changes to national and local planning policy that, if implemented, could save councils hundreds of thousands of pounds in energy bills while improving the worst light polluted skies 

Light pollution affects the vast majority of the population, with three-quarters of people in the UK finding their view of the night sky obscured, new data has shown. The results of Star Count 2023, released today by CPRE, the countryside charity, find only five percent of people can enjoy the wonder of a truly dark starry sky. 

Almost 4,000 people took part in this year’s Star Count, the country’s biggest annual citizen science project of its kind, from 17-24 February. Participants were asked to report the number of stars they could see with the naked eye in the Orion constellation. The results show that, for just over half the population, their view of the night sky remains obscured by severe light pollution. The proportion experiencing ‘truly dark skies’ and ‘very severe light pollution’ – the best and worst categories – both increased by two percent. 

In evidence presented this month to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, CPRE recommended that local authorities should have legal powers to control light pollution through planning regulations. Outdoor advertisements are already managed in a similar way. Further to that, key changes to national and local planning policy were identified that, if implemented, should lead to a step-change in reducing light pollution, including policies to protect dark skies and intrinsically dark landscapes. 

Tom Fyans, interim CEO of CPRE, the countryside charity, said: ‘The night sky is becoming increasingly obscured by artificial light. Sadly, this means most people in the UK can’t see many stars at all, especially if they live near a big town or city. Yet, it’s a form of pollution that has been allowed to grow for years without any significant effort being made to control the damage it’s causing to people, nature and the environment.  

‘Local authorities could potentially save hundreds of thousands of pounds each year by not wasting energy on unnecessary lighting. It’s an opportunity begging to be taken. All councils are looking for ways to save money and reduce carbon emissions – by cutting light pollution they’d improve people’s sleep and mood at the same time. 

‘As anyone who has landed at an airport at night can attest, housing and roads cause the most light pollution. Local authorities and highways authorities are therefore responsible. They can take action by investing in well-designed lighting, that shines where and when needed. Dimming technology; switching off street lights, if and when they’re unnecessary, in the dead of night; or better designed directional lighting would make a massive difference.’ 

There is increasing awareness of the effect that light pollution has on people’s health and wellbeing. In a previous survey, CPRE found half of respondents said their sleep had been disrupted by light shining in through their bedroom window. More than one in ten people (14%) have slept in a different room to avoid light pollution and 3% have moved house to get away from light pollution. 

Artificial light is known to cause confusion to migrating birds, often with fatal outcomes. It interrupts natural rhythms, including the reproduction, feeding and sleeping patterns of pollinating insects, bats and nocturnal animals. In humans, studies show that exposure to light at night interrupts sleep and can disrupt the body’s production of melatonin, a brain hormone best known for its daily role in resetting the body’s biological clock. 

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Emma Marrington, landscape enhancement lead at CPRE, the countryside charity, said: “It’s great that so many people took part in Star Count this year. What is clear is that light pollution continues to affect people’s experience of the night sky. Action is needed now! 

‘A strong approach is needed by local councils to manage light pollution, by ensuring local planning and street lighting policies protect dark skies and intrinsically dark landscapes in their areas. We’re also calling for minimum standards to be introduced nationally for the management of external lighting to cut light pollution. 

‘This would be a hugely important step towards strengthened planning to ensure we get well-designed lighting that is only used when and where it is needed, protecting our existing dark skies for the benefit of current and future generations.’ 

CPRE is calling for stronger local and national planning policy to combat light pollution. The National Planning Policy Framework, where these policies are decided, is currently under review. Now is the time for the government to act.

One month until Glasgow breathes clean air

As Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone is due to start in a month’s time (1 June), campaigners and air pollution experts are highlighting how the city’s residents can look forward to breathing less toxic air.

The Low Emission Zone will restrict the most polluting vehicles, with drivers receiving a fine – similar to a parking or speeding fine – if a non-compliant vehicle enters the zone.

Glasgow has been slowly restricting more and more of the most polluting buses over the last few years, and this has already brought some big improvements to air quality in the city. Restrictions on cars and other vehicle types will begin on 1 June, which will bring the pollution levels down further.

Air pollution cuts short over 2,500 lives in Scotland each year and puts the population at risk of serious health conditions, like asthma, heart attacks, and strokes. It’s especially harmful to children, the elderly, and people living in poverty or made vulnerable from other health conditions.

Glasgow has higher rates of hospitalisation than the rest of the country for both children and adults with asthma, and people with COPD. Meanwhile it has the lowest level of car ownership, with only 31% of lower-income households having a car.

Gavin Thomson, Transport Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Glasgow has been breathing toxic, illegal fumes for years and that’s finally coming to an end. From June 1st, anyone in Glasgow’s city centre can breathe easier due to the Low Emission Zone which restricts the most polluting vehicles.

“We know that LEZs work because they’re in place across Europe, and Glasgow’s zone has already had a positive impact. We know the LEZ has a lot of support, as people are worried about the impact of air pollution on their health. And we also know that the zone will help the city address climate change, as we move to more sustainable modes of travel.

“With the Avenues project, which will introduce bike lanes, benches and street trees across the city, the changes to George Square and now the Low Emission Zone, Glasgow is changing. The city is becoming greener and healthier, and leading the way for Scotland’s cities.”

Gareth Brown, Chair of Healthy Air Scotland and Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Asthma + Lung UK Scotland said: “Air pollution can cause new lung conditions like lung cancer and worsening existing ones. With 1 in 5 Scots developing a lung condition like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – COPD – in their lifetime, for them, it can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks and exacerbations.

“Communities want bold action on toxic air and for governments to help them protect their health and their families. No one wants to see their loved one fight for breath just because the air they breathe is toxic.

“We need to make tackling air pollution a national priority. Low Emission Zones are just the start. We all need to think about how we live, how we work and how we travel. We need to incentivise the behavioural change needed to create a world of clean air and healthy lungs.”

Leanne McGuire, chairperson of Glasgow City Parents Group, said: “As parents, we are always concerned about any risks to our children’s health, and that includes air pollution.

“The introduction of the Low Emission Zones in Glasgow means that whether our children are walking or cycling to school, or enjoying a family day out in the city, we can feel more confident in the reduced levels of pollution they are exposed to.

“There are a number of schools in the city centre adjacent to a busy road. The LEZ will reduce the health risks to those schools, improving air quality, and creating a positive impact on pupils’ health.”

Dr Ruaraidh Dobson, Senior Research Analyst and air quality lead at Trilateral Research, said: “Glasgow has high levels of traffic pollution, particularly nitrogen dioxide. Low emission zones play a key role in changing that – they work to get cars off the road. That helps protect children from developing asthma and keep our communities healthy.”

United Kingdom? Wildflower seeds for every ENGLISH primary school class to mark the Coronation

All state funded primary schools in England will be sent wildflower seeds, inspired by His Majesty The King’s love of nature

  • UK Government has joined forces with the Eden Project to offer all state funded primary schools the opportunity to plant wildflowers to celebrate His Majesty The King’s commitment to fighting climate change
  • Planting wildflowers aims to inspire children to learn about nature and boost the biodiversity of the school estate, building on the plans to create a National Education Nature Park
  • Resources for schools also launched to help young people understand the historical significance of the Coronation

To mark the Coronation all state funded primary schools will be sent wildflower seeds that will empower children across the country to discover the joys of nature.

The government-funded project was inspired by His Majesty The King’s love of nature and aims to encourage children to learn about and improve the biodiversity of school’s green spaces, while making them nicer places to work and learn. Improving children’s connection to nature and spending time outdoors will also help to support their mental and physical wellbeing.

In a collaboration between the Department for Education and the Eden Project, over 200,000 seeds packets will be sent to schools, representing 40 hectares of new wildflower areas being planted up across England to support our pollinators. If planted together that would create around 40 rugby pitch sized wildflowers meadows – a small but vital step in boosting biodiversity.

To support schools to celebrate the Coronation, the Department for Education has also commissioned a series of lesson plans and other teaching materials for primary and secondary schools to explain the significance of this historical moment.

The charity Living Paintings has also designed, created and published a pack of tactile and audio resources that will enable blind and partially sighted children to learn about the Coronation, and the Eden Project has also created free lesson resources for schools and families to learn how to make eco-decorations for their Coronation celebrations using natural objects found in their surrounding green spaces.

Schools and other education providers can continue to improve biodiversity in the months and years to come through the National Education Nature Park – which brings together schools, colleges and other education settings into a vast virtual park.

It enables children and young people to get involved in taking practical action to improve the biodiversity of their green spaces, then mapping it online to see over time how the virtual park changes. The National Education Nature Park and Climate Action Award are open for registration from 18 May 2023.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: “Giving children the opportunity to plant wildflowers will not only make school grounds more attractive, it will also help the next generation understand the importance of improving our biodiversity, while celebrating His Majesty The King’s love of nature.

“To help young people understand the historical significance of the Coronation, we have also asked two history teachers and curriculum experts to produce lesson plans and other materials about the coronation and the history of the monarchy, which we are sending to schools.”

Dan James, Development Director for the Eden Project said: “It is crucial that we replenish our biodiversity across the UK – and even small steps can make a difference.

“Through the work of National Wildflower Centre, Eden Project works with organisations across the UK with projects to make new wildflower habitats that support wildlife and connect people to the natural world. This is a fantastic opportunity for the next generation to see the impact that wildflowers can have, even in small spaces.

“By encouraging our children to plant wildflower seeds we can work towards reversing the decline of pollinators that we are seeing across the UK which is so important for our future.”

The packets of seeds include native annual wildflower species; cornflower, corn poppy, corn chamomile, corncockle, corn marigold and night-flowering catchfly, which if sown this Spring, will be in bloom this Summer.

The wildflowers will provide food for a wide range of insects including bees, butterflies and other pollinators in school grounds across England. Each seed packet covers around 2square metres of blue, white, purple, red and yellow flowers that can be planted in pots, beds or borders to boost colour and biodiversity in school grounds across England.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has commissioned a film for primary school-aged children, explaining the history and significance of the Coronation.

This can be played in classrooms or assemblies and gives children the opportunity to discover the history and importance of the Coronation, the role of His Majesty The King, and the significance of the Monarchy around the world.

The National Education Nature Park is just one of many initiatives in the DfE’s strategy for Sustainability and Climate Change that will provide learners with the resources to live, learn, work and participate in a contemporary global society.

Through climate education, green skills and careers, the Department is helping to create a sustainable future through education, developing the skills needed for a green economy, and supporting our sectors to reach net zero targets.

Emergency: Lib-Dem calls to stop sewage dumping in the Water of Leith

The Water of Leith deserves better. It’s been a freshwater resource for centuries – ebbing and flowing across Edinburgh, connecting the Pentlands to Colinton, Saughton, Roseburn, Stockbridge, Canonmills, Bonnington and Leith. Our communities were literally built around it’s clean, fresh flowing water (writes Lib-Dem Cllr JACK CALDWELL).

It’s home to over 11 species of fish, thousands of plant species and is absolutely vital to Edinburgh’s local ecosystem, providing a biodiverse habitat for birds, otters and ducks.

So why have we let it fill up with untreated human waste?

There are 65 Combined Sewage Overflow Stations (CSOs) on the Water of Leith, 14 of which are between the Leith Shore and Warriston, a stretch of the river where you can typically find ducks nesting, or people simply enjoying public “green and blue space” as many of us escape from our gardenless flats.

As of January, none of these CSOs currently retain any data of how much sewage they pump out of them when the drains are overwhelmed by harsher weather, which is becoming more and more common due to climate change.

However 24 of Scottish Water’s 108 highest priority assets for urgent upgrade across the country are located here. New screens have been fitted on several CSOs in the past few years with varying anecdotal results, but the issue ultimately lies with sewage flowing into our precious river in the first place. But how much?

When the ‘Sewage Scandal’ broke last in 2021, data was published across the UK. Sadly Not in Scotland though. We know Sewage is being dumped in the Water of Leith, but we don’t know the extent. We also know that extreme weather led to a 40% increase of raw sewage dumping across Scotland in 2021.

The data we do have in nearby rivers is concerning. In December 2019, the Newbridge CSO, which is monitored, spilled sewage water into the River Almond 13 times discharging over 2,100 litres of water in one month (source: SEPA FOI).

Lots of volunteer-led organisations are doing fabulous work trying to get more information or trying to help clean it up themselves. SOS Leith and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, among others, both remove tonnes of litter every month from the river and surrounding paths. However, they can’t, nor shouldn’t have to, remove excrement and wet wipes.

Scottish Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur has been pressing Holyrood Ministers to fund and fix the issues, but locally the new Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership must work with Scottish Water and SEPA (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) to start collecting data before we can even begin to seriously tackle the issue.

With several Scottish Government officials quoted saying Scotland is “way behind” England in terms of solving the raw sewage spill problem, our country, city and communities deserve better.

We need to stop taking Edinburgh’s natural environment for granted. The Council recently declared a nature and biodiversity emergency.

This is why Lib Dem councillors have tabled a motion at this Thursday’s Council meeting to get a public meeting of the Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership as agencies working together and collecting data is a key and urgent part of ultimately stopping the discharge of human waste into Edinburgh’s longest river.

It’s a pity there aren’t more in Holyrood who see the urgency of this issue, but I hope that Councillors can back our plan to move this forward;–

The Lib-Dem motion:

“Council –

Regrets

1)    That there are a large number of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSOs) outputs in Edinburgh’s waterways, such as along the Water of Leith, the River Almond and the Figgate Burn.

2)    That many CSOs are not actively monitored, despite promises from Scottish Water and SEPA that a number of monitors would be installed by the end of 2022.

3)    That although plans have come forward Scottish Water to reduce the amount of CSOs in total, action is still to be taken outwith ‘upgrading’ a small percentage of CSOs.

Notes

1)    The important benefits that our rivers and coastline plays for our community, and that many voluntary organisations clean up our waterways, and thanks them for their ongoing service.

2)    The current situation is contradictory to the City of Edinburgh Council’s declaration of a Nature and Climate Emergency.

3)    The City of Edinburgh Council is a member of the Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership along with Scottish Water, SEPA and others.

Requests

1)    The Edinburgh and Lothians Drains Partnership holds an extraordinary meeting to draft a publicly accessible plan of action and invites key stakeholders and campaign groups including (but not exclusive to) The Water of Leith Conservation Trust, River Almond Action Group, Figgate Friends, Forth Rivers Trust and SOS Leith with Full Minutes published on the Council website alongside a map of all river-based CSOs within the City of Edinburgh.

2)    That Transport and Environment Committee is:

provided six-monthly updates on the installation of sewage monitoring to the business bulletin.
provided ongoing data when this monitoring is live

3)    The Council Leader write to the Scottish Government, Scottish Water and SEPA, outlining the Council’s major concern that no-one knows how much sewage is being dumped in Edinburgh’s biodiverse waterways.

Believes

that the ambition should be that Edinburgh’s waterways are free from the discharge of human waste.”

Moved by: Councillor Jack Caldwell
Seconded by: Councillor Hal Osler

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Have your say on parks in Leith

Come along and talk about plans for parks in Leith! 🌿

We have events coming up looking at how to make six of our parks in Leith better for people and nature. This is part of the #EdinburghNatureNetwork

📧Booking is essential: email the team at thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk

Water of Leith litter pick this Saturday

GRANTON Goes Greemer are very excited to be involved in another rubbish picking event organised by Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC)💚💚💚

This time, we will be working around Water of Leith and the meeting point is off Coburg Street, opposite Ostara Caf, this Saturday (29/04) between 11 am and 1:30 PM.

We should have enough rubbish pickers for everyone, but you are welcome to bring your own!

. Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk

Kimpton Charlotte Square celebrates Earth Day with Plant Pal programme

Kimpton Charlotte Square is honouring the annual World Earth Day (22 April) with a new ‘Plant Pals’ initiative. 

The five-star hotel will offer locally sourced plants for guests to enjoy in-room upon request. The complimentary offering is available for all guests and can be arranged at any point prior or during the stay, simply book via the website or request from the front of house team at the hotel.

With the plants named after Scottish philanthropist, Mary Erskpine (Erskine) and one of the first women to graduate from the University of Edinburgh, Flora Philip, guests are invited to immerse in nature and bask in the atmosphere of female empowerment.

What’s more, for every Plant Pal request at the hotel, Kimpton Charlotte Square will in return plant a tree on behalf of the guest through its rewilding charity partner, Trees for Life – as part of its commitment to protect nature against climate change.

Studies have shown that plants have the ability to boost your mood and increase productivity, so this is the perfect in-room addition for those celebrating a special occasion, visiting for work, or touring the city. 

Kimpton Charlotte Square also invites non-hotel guests to try remote working in The Garden, an indoor courtyard space, where they can feel a sense of calm among the greenery and natural light as they utilise the space for a ‘WFH’ day.

Plant Pals joins a host of other thoughtful programs and wellness perks at Kimpton Charlotte Square, including yoga mats available in every room and complimentary Kimpton bikes to explore the city. Guests can also relax and recharge in the hotel’s luxurious spa.

Guests looking for the ultimate relaxing spring escape can enjoy the hotel’s All You Can Suite package, which includes an eclectic dining experience at the hotel’s destination restaurant, BABA, and a night stay in a signature suites, alongside complimentary bath salts & invigorating body oil from Scottish skincare brand, Ishga.

To book Plant Pals or add it to the All You Can Suite package, visit kimptoncharlottesquare.com. Standard Double rooms start from £220.

Find out more: https://www.kimptoncharlottesquare.com/plant-pals

Scottish Government ‘must improve it’s climate change set-up’

The Scottish Government needs to improve its set up to deliver the country’s climate change goals. says public spending watchdog Audit Scotland.

The government’s climate governance has improved since the former First Minister declared a climate emergency in 2019 – however, adapting to the impact of climate change has received less focus than reducing emissions and hitting net zero targets.

The government is not clear enough on how its internal groups co-ordinate their work. There are gaps in reporting, making it difficult to assess progress against climate policy.

And there has been no workforce plan for climate change since the Net Zero department was established in late 2021. However, one is expected in spring 2023.

Government risk management arrangements around climate change are underdeveloped. For example, the process to identify risks is not always clear. Actions to address risks are sometimes vague.

And there is not a systematic process in place for tracking actions in risk registers.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government’s set up for responding to the climate crisis has constantly evolved since 2019. But the different parts of government could be better co-ordinated.

“The government’s risk management arrangements also need to improve, particularly the work needed to ensure Scotland adapts to the impact of climate change.

“Work is ongoing across the Scottish Government to tackle these organisational weaknesses, and it’s vital that happens quickly given the urgency of the climate situation.”

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