Tag: Glasgow City Council

Trio of female future tech leaders announced as keynotes for Scotland’s Leading Innovation Summit

Glasgow event in November helps businesses to navigate AI and emerging tech 

Global experts including DowJones emerging technology director and a top New York based virtual AI fashion expert will join Scottish businesses at Scotland’s annual CAN DO Innovation Summit, on 7th November. 

Now in its fourth year and in-person for the first time since the pandemic, the event at Glasgow’s Science Centre connects start-ups and small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with leading innovators and academics to explore how new technologies, leadership and the right business cultures can tackle the challenges faced by Scottish industry and society.

More than 800 delegates and 40 speakers are expected to take part in the CAN DO Innovation Summit, which is funded by Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise and Innovate UK.

The Summit has fast-become a must attend for Scottish businesses from all sectors, with this year’s event providing valuable insights on innovating to build resilience in a tough economic climate and navigating an increasingly virtual and artificial intelligence (AI) enabled world.   

This year’s free to attend summit is spearheaded by female keynote speakers, with a focus on rapid advances towards a tech-driven, sustainable and virtual future. The three keynote speakers are:

  • Elena Corchero, Director of Emerging Tech at DowJones Live and Globally Recognised Tech Futurist (above).
  • Edafe Onerhime, Data Specialist and Global Financial Services Lead, Top Twenty Most Influential Women in Data 2023.
  • Opé M, Fashion Creative and Futurist and Top 3 Finalist New York AI Fashion Week 2023. 

Dr Susie Mitchell, Programme Director, Glasgow City of Science and Innovation (lead agency for the CAN DO Innovation Summit) said: “Scotland is already well regarded as a leader in innovation, but the pace of change has hugely accelerated.

“This summit will support start-ups and SMEs to make the most of AI and emerging technologies, key tools for businesses to thrive in a challenging economic climate.

“I’m also immensely proud to launch the summit with a line-up of local and global female experts, showcasing the talented women in tech and helping to inspire the next generation of diverse leaders.” 

Other speakers and panellists for the event include Nick Rosa, Industry Technology Innovation Lead from Accenture, and Nicola Anderson, CEO of FinTech Scotland. 

Delegates will hear from local and global experts who will share essential tech trends, insights and tools that allow businesses to keep up and stand out. The Summit will also include a raft of business leaders from Scotland’s growing innovation clusters – from health tech and advanced manufacturing to quantum and the digital creative industries. 

Keynote speaker Elena Corchero, Director of Emerging Tech at DowJones Live, said: “No matter your industry there is so much noise when you look at innovation and trends, and what can apply to your business.

“I’m excited to be part of this important event to talk about building a technology manifesto on ‘the why’ and how companies must embed well-being, immersiveness, sustainability and ethics to ensure tech and innovation adoption is challenge-based and purpose-driven.

“I’ll also share information on essential emerging (and merging) tech that businesses need to know about to stay ahead of the curve and embrace a better future.” 

The event will also include an immersive showcase, on Scotland’s largest IMAX screen, of Opé M’s stunning AI-enabled fashion collection ‘Emergence’, for which she received a top 3 award at the first AI Fashion Week in New York City. 

Tickets are now available for delegates to reserve free of charge on the CAN DO Innovation Summit Website, with the event taking place on 7 November 2023. 

www.candoinnovation.scot

GMB warns anger over low pay isn’t going away as cleansing workers demand fresh ballot

Following a workforce meeting in George Square yesterday (Monday 8 November), Glasgow City Council cleansing workers demanded a fresh strike ballot against their employer over low pay. 

It means a second wave of strikes could hit cleansing services in Scotland’s biggest city in the run-up to Christmas. Eight days of strike action conclude this evening at 23.59 hours. 

Calls from the workforce come after talks this weekend between GMB and Glasgow City Council Leader Susan Aitken, which secured commitments from the council to: 

  • review the value of pay for all workers on the lowest grades (Grades 1,2 & 3 – an estimated 10,000 workers currently earning less than £20,000 a year) as part of the process to remove its discriminatory pay and grading system; and 
  • pursue investment for cleansing infrastructure and resources to tackle the city’s waste crisis, alongside a range of new employee development and well-being measures to address management mistreatment of staff. 

However, the council refused workers’ demands for a one-off “Glasgow Payment” for all workers on Grades 1, 2 and 3 as a means of addressing the cost-of-living crisis being faced now by many council workers in Scotland’s biggest city.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Keir Greenaway said: “It’s taken a strike to get Glasgow’s leadership in the room and acknowledge the council’s chronic low pay problems, the waste crisis in our communities, and the toxic management culture in the cleansing department. 

“It is important to understand that strikes don’t happen by accident. They are a consequence of workers’ feeling undervalued, disrespected, and ignored for too long, and it’s clear that a few days of talks and the initial outcomes from this aren’t enough to remedy the impact of a decade of cuts. 

“Our members in cleansing, like so many of their colleagues in other services like home care, school support, parks and gardens, and Glasgow Life, are the backbone of the city’s workforce but they are struggling on wages that simply do not make ends meet. 

“It’s why our members have demanded a fresh ballot, which could mean a second wave of strikes in the run up to Christmas. They want more to be done to properly value key workers and to tackle the significant service and workforce challenges facing their city. 

“That’s something the council, COSLA and ultimately the Scottish Government should reflect on today because it’s very clear this anger isn’t going away until these problems are confronted.”

First Minister: Scotland to show leadership on Climate Justice

Investment to tackle “loss and damage” from climate change

Funding to help some of the world’s most vulnerable communities recover from and build resilience against climate change will be announced as world leaders gather for COP26.

The Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund will provide £1 million to support a partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to help communities repair and rebuild from climate-related events, such as flooding and wild fires.

The partnership forms part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure COP26 empowers the most vulnerable to tackle structural inequalities.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will make the announcement at the Global Climate Assembly at a Green Zone event today, where she will set out Scotland’s intention to bridge the divide between those whose voices are rarely heard and those making the decisions.

The First Minister said: “Climate justice has to be at the heart of COP26 – and the Scottish Government is working to ensure that it provides a platform for unheard voices, including citizens, young people and those from the Global South.

“Through our work on climate justice, Scotland continues to proudly support nations which – despite having done the least to cause climate change – are already suffering its impact.

“We don’t have the resources of other western governments, but we can lead by example. And so I’m pleased to announce that not only are we doubling our climate justice fund to £24 million – we’re also entering into a partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to support communities and address loss and damage, supported by this £1 million investment.

“I hope this will galvanise other organisations to support the partnership – and show world leaders that where small nations lead they can follow, by making similarly ambitious commitments during COP26.”

The First Minister met with President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, yesterday to discuss a COP hub which will open in the country to connect Malawian youth and community leaders to events in Glasgow (top).

She also met the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr Pham Min Chihn, at Bute House (above).

The doubling of the Climate Justice Fund was announced in September.

Glasgow Bin Strikes Underway

Glasgow’s cleansing service went on strike from 00.01am this morning.

Responding to the collapse of last ditch talks between GMB and Glasgow City Council late last night, , GMB Scotland Secretary Louise Gilmour said: “We met the council in good faith, offering a clear set of proposals to reset industrial relations and avoid strikes. The council rejected these proposals.  

“We specifically offered heads of terms to work together to tackle the chronic and unacceptable problems caused by years of cuts, to urgently address the employer’s unresolved discriminatory pay system and outstanding equal pay liabilities, and back this with a commitment from the council that they would not use anti-trade union laws against their workers again.  

“We also proposed the Scottish Government support this process, because if the fair work agenda is to have any credibility whatsoever, then Scotland’s biggest city should be the example of it rather than the opposite.  

“Regrettably, the council refused this massive opportunity to move forward and strike action across the cleansing service will now begin, during which time our members will be balloted on the COSLA pay offer.”

Glasgow faces COP26 bins and schools strike as pay talks stall

GMB Scotland members employed by Glasgow City Council have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over their pay, which would see strikes across the city’s cleansing service and schools during the International Climate Conference, COP 26.

Pay talks with COSLA, the umbrella body that represents each of Scotland’s local authorities, have stalled, with the employer refusing to budge from an £850 flat rate offer to all local government workers – far short of the £2,000 pay claim that was submitted by the joint trade unions GMB, Unison & Unite.

Following a ballot of cleansing workers and school support staff across the country, Glasgow is the largest of 5 councils in Scotland that could see strike action as soon as November 1st.

96.9% of returned ballots in Glasgow were in favour of strike action.

GMB Scotland represents close to 900 workers in Glasgow’s refuse & cleansing service and a further 600 across Glasgow schools providing cleaning, janitorial and catering services.

GMB Glasgow Cleansing Convenor Chris Mitchell said: “Over the past 18 months throughout this awful pandemic, essential services across Scotland have been held together by an army of low paid workers.

“We were called key workers, even Covid heroes, but while politicians were happy to applaud us on Thursday nights, they’ve never put their hands in their pockets to pay us properly.

“The eyes of the world will be on Glasgow during COP 26, and our politicians now have a choice – will they fairly reward the frontline workers who got the country through the pandemic, or will they risk embarrassing the city and the country on an international stage?

“The message that our members have sent with this ballot result is clear. We are taking a stand for what we deserve, and we believe the people will stand with us.”

Scotland’s rail network will also be hit by strikes during the UN climate summit in Glasgow, the RMT union confirmed yesterday.

Earth Overshoot Day creeps back to July 29

The modest gains from the pandemic-induced resource-use reductions were short-lived, highlighting the urgency of driving an economic recovery where all can thrive within the means of the Earth

Earth Overshoot Day 2021 lands on July 29, Councillor Susan Aitken, the Leader of Glasgow City Council, announced today on behalf of Global Footprint Network and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

“With almost half a year remaining, we will already have used up our quota of the Earth’s biological resources for 2021 by July 29th. If we need reminding that we’re in the grip of a climate and ecological emergency, Earth Overshoot Day is it,” she said.

The date is almost as early as 2019, after being momentarily pushed back in 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdowns. Notable drivers are the 6.6% carbon Footprint increase over last year, as well as the 0.5% decrease in global forest biocapacity due in large part to the spike in Amazon deforestation—in Brazil alone, 1.1 million hectares were lost in 2020 and estimates for 2021 indicate up to 43% year-over-year increase in deforestation.

“As the UN Decade of Ecosystems Restoration is launched on World Environment Day, June 5, this data makes abundantly clear that recovery plans in the post-COVID 19 era can only be successful in the long-term if they embrace regeneration and ecological resource-efficiency,” said Global Footprint Network CEO Laurel Hanscom.

Each year, Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates during the entire year. Humanity currently uses 74% more than what the planet’s ecosystems can regenerate – or “1.7 Earths.”

From Earth Overshoot Day until the end of the year, humanity operates on ecological deficit spending. This spending is currently some of the largest since the world entered into ecological overshoot in the early 1970s, according to the National Footprint & Biocapacity Accounts (NFA) based on UN datasets.

In 2021 the carbon Footprint of transportation remains lower than pre-pandemic levels. CO2 emissions from domestic air travel and road transport are set to remain 5% below 2019 levels, while international aviation is expected to register 33% below, according the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Global energy-related CO2 emissions, on the other hand, are projected to rebound and grow by 4.8% from last year as the economic recovery ignites demand for fossil fuels. In particular, global coal use is anticipated to jump in 2021 and is estimated to contribute 40% of the total carbon Footprint this year.

Business-as-usual must be left behind

Last year, as the pandemic hit around the world, governments demonstrated they can act swiftly, both in terms of regulations and spending, when they put human lives above all else. The perfect storm that is brewing, as climate change impacts and biological resource security converge, requires the same level—or higher—of alertness and swift action from decision makers.

“In November, as a weary world turns its attention to Scotland and COP26, together we can choose one-planet prosperity over one-planet misery. We can and must build from the pandemic–our global ability to plan, to protect and move at pace. Scottish innovation helped lead the Industrial Revolution; in 2021, the Glasgow summit and the future we choose as each community, city, company or country, offers real hope for a new net-zero revolution,” said SEPA CEO Terry A’Hearn.

Through their infrastructure and regulatory powers, cities have significant opportunities to shape their resource efficiency and, with it, their future. Given their risk exposure, aligning their development plans with what resiliency requires in a world shaped by climate change and biological resource constraints, has become cities’ utmost priority regardless of international agreements.

“Cities are ideal living laboratories for social and environmental innovation, offering significant learning to create real-world solutions and transformation. And universities have an obligation to act in partnership with their host cities to accelerate progress toward a just and sustainable future,” said Professor Jaime Toney, director of the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Sustainable Solutions.

“We are working with a people- and place-based approach to deliver positive change for a climate-resilient city whose legacy lasts beyond COP26.”

“Let Earth Overshoot Day be our call to arms,” urged Councillor Susan Aitken, the Leader of Glasgow City Council. “In November the eyes of the world will be on Glasgow, host of COP26, the climate summit that needs to make the decisions that will deliver our planet on a safer and more sustainable future.

“We’ve got the opportunity here in Glasgow to show the world what we’re doing, coalescing together as a city to show real change, to respond to the climate and ecological emergency. Let’s put our planet first and let’s #MoveTheDate together.”