Mayday Update August 2011
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| Lead Story: SBC Environment Programmes Quarterly Update | On Course for Zero Waste Free online training course for Scottish SMEs. |
| Case Study: Burro Happold - Engineering engagement in Edinburgh schools | Celebration of local and seasonal Scottish foods accross the country |
| 2020 Climate Group Interview: Louise Macdonald - Young Scot | Legislation,regulations and publications to help you on your journey |
Take One Action "the UK's first major film festival celebrating the people and movies that are changing the world" (The List) | Events;webinars, workshops, exhibitions in Scotland |
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 Member: Buro Happold Ltd Business: Engineering & Environmental Consultancy Offices: Buro Happold is an independent international practice of consulting engineers. Since 1976 we have grown in size and reach to serve public and private clients across a full range of sectors through an international network of 29 offices including in Bath, London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York and Riyadh. In Scotland our offices are in:
Who: Buro Happold is a world class, multi-disciplinary engineering practice that provides comprehensive general and specialist consultancy across a wide range of projects in the UK and internationally. The Buro Happold environmental consultancy is integrated into all services we offer, it is a cornerstone of our business. We are regularly consulted by our designers to ensure that every aspect of our projects is environmentally sustainable from design, through construction and finally to its operation. As we face up to the global challenges of climate change, rapid urbanisation and the depletion of natural resources our expertise is being drawn upon and challenged like never before. We work on projects in some of the most environmentally degraded regions of the planet; however we believe that this is no reason to halt development and progress. Instead we assess the development’s impact on the environment and where necessary the impact of the environment on the development through an array of monitoring and modelling techniques; we then devise economically viable solutions through either masterplan design or environmental management. Having a specialist and integrated environmental capability within such an established company of engineers sets us apart from the rest of the field. We manage environmental projects on behalf of Buro Happold clients. Clients want a robust development proposal which satisfies regulators and the wider stakeholders, at an affordable cost. We combine our knowledge of the planning system and our understanding of environmental issues to identify and manage risks. Client benefits include:
Current and recent Buro Happold projects include the Grand Museum of Egypt (Cairo), the Louvre (Abu Dhabi), the Aviva Stadium (Dublin), the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, the King Abdullah Financial District (Riyadh), the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Stratford) and the O2 (London). What: Scotland's waste advisory body, Zero Waste Scotland, says Scottish companies could save £2.36 billion annually by reducing waste costs. Sustainability is a key theme for the Scottish Construction industry and central to Scottish Construction Forum's industry plan. With the ambition in Scotland of becoming a zero waste nation, business needs support to meet challenging targets. With this in mind we began to engage with some of our larger neighbouring businesses. We also feel it is important to develop links with communities to let people know that businesses are taking positive steps. Through Scottish Business in the Community(SBC) we were able to do just that. In September 2010 we had the opportunity to take part in Start in Scotland, a weekend of environmental initiatives designed to motivate the Scottish public to live more sustainably. Chatting with the public was a fairly new experience for some of our engineers and it proved to be a very interesting weekend and “rebooted” us. It allowed us to share ideas with individual members of the local community of all ages. This link to the SBC has triggered other events including the Skills for a Low Carbon Economy where we had the opportunity to engage with local schools. We recently took part in a classroom event as part of the requirements of the new Curriculum for Excellence which has a focus on Employer Engagement at all stages of a pupil's school life. The City of Edinburgh Council, Children & Families Dept are keen to roll out this engagement throughout all of the Edinburgh schools. The event we attended at Niddriemill Primary School, Edinburgh, aimed to encourage school children to think about their futures. We set each group of 8-10, Primary 7 pupils the challenge of creating a package that would protect an egg from breaking when it was dropped from a height. The challenge was altered to the challenges that engineers face in terms of coming up with a design brief, costing and the use of recycled materials in construction. Each group had 20 minutes to complete the task. One team showed true initiative in protecting the egg by dropping it onto a type of crash mat made of old corrugated card. The brief really was open so it was good to see their interpretation of it, as a bonus the team came in well under the budget of 60 credits. Great lesson to be learned for the next generation of engineers – anticipating issues ahead of client expectation and coming in under budget! Why: We all enjoyed it. Engaging with school pupils and the general public keeps you focused and allows you to impart waste advice quickly and directly to the very people we want to reach during our day jobs. It is up to us all to think about waste after all 50% of sustainability solutions are driven by personal behaviours. How: SBC are in the community and have a holistic take on business in Scotland. They can facilitate dialogue between parties who perhaps don’t know that they should be talking to each other. Benefits: This form of community engagement supports the core aims and values of our business as well as extending the commitment of The Happold Trust. This was established in 1995 by the founders of Buro Happold as a registered charity to promote education, research and training in the fields applicable to the construction industry, engineering, design, technology and architecture. Buro Happold supports a number of research engineers and as a company we have close affiliations with leading UK and US academic institutions. Being engaged ‘on the ground’ is key to developing better lives for communities and individuals which is our role in looking at urban development in particular and the environment. James Hobson says “As members of Scottish Business in the Community, Buro Happold has had the opportunity to engage with local communities in promoting all aspects of sustainable living. As businesses and individuals we all have a role to play in contributing to the quality of life in our communities.” For more information on Buro Happold visit www.burohappold.com Call for Case Studies At Mayday Scotland we endeavour to share your successes and we profile your news on www.sbcscot.com/mayday www.maydaynetwork.com and through our regular communications. If you have a story and would like to share it with the wider network please contact Todd Henshaw or call 0131 451 1000. Back to top... | ||
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Name: Louise Macdonald Organisation: Young Scot Position: Chief Executive What is your role on the 2020 Group? I am a member of the main 2020 Group, and also sit on the Consumer Engagement Sub-Group. I am interested in all aspects of the work of the Group, and hope that I can bring a focus on how we can engage young people in what we are doing, and ensure their voices and ideas are heard in this issue. What is the most interesting aspect of your role within the 2020 Group? The 2020 Group brings together such an amazing mix of passionate, influential and smart people, I feel excited to be part of it and make my contribution. There is a real focus on making things happen too, which I love – it isn’t a talking shop that’s for sure! What do you believe to be the key challenge Scotland faces in achieving the 42% reduction in carbon emission by 2020? I’m not convinced you can boil it down to just one, as everything is so interconnected. But for me, it’s all about making sure that everyone in the country, young and old, private and public sector, urban and rural come together. By keeping a positive focus, listening, learning and keeping our values at the forefront, we can work in partnership to accomplish great things. What opportunities do you think the move to a low carbon economy can bring to Scotland? New jobs, new opportunities and – crucially - a new way of thinking about how we engage in a much more balanced way with our natural environment. What would be your `top tip’ for a business looking to engage in environmental sustainability? Make sure you aren’t stopping at the office door. As part of our work around sustainability at Young Scot we are introducing a responsible purchasing strategy. Do the suppliers and external agencies you work with have sustainability at the top of their priority list like you do? Use your influence to encourage others. How has your organisation incorporated environmental sustainability? At Young Scot we have a Staff Wellbeing Group, with representatives from all Directorates and all levels of the organisation. This group drives our environmental sustainability strategy forward – it is seen as one of our top priorities as a values-based organisation. What direct business benefits have you had from implementing environmental measures within the business? There has been a range of ways, including obvious ones like reduced resources and consumption, but perhaps most importantly is the positive impact it’s had on staff morale. Engaging with them on such an important issue has instilled a real pride in working for the organisation. We were recently named as one of the 20 “great places to work” in Scotland, one of the few charities on the list and I believe our environmental work played a great part in that. What personally motivated your journey to tackle climate change? I was fortunate enough to be asked to take part in the groundbreaking WWF Scotland Natural Change project, which focussed on leadership and sustainability. It had a profound motivational impact on me in driving forward action on climate change, not just at work but also in my personal life and my community. I’d recommend any business leader who wants to deepen their own and their senior teams’ engagement with this work to try Natural Change as part of their approach.
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Take One Action Film Festival (19 Sept to 2 Oct, Edinburgh & Glasgow) Scottish Business in the Community is a partner of Take One Action Film Festivals: "the UK's first major film festival celebrating the people and movies that are changing the world" (The List). Engage your staff creatively with issues of corporate responsibility and support world-changing cinema and civil society. Corporate ticket packages for the festival start from just £500. Established in 2008 and based in Edinburgh, Take One Action Film Festivals is now the UK's leading internationalist film festival with a unique focus on engaging the public with international development issues through the lens of world-class cinema. The 2011 festival programme can be browsed here: http://www.takeoneaction.org.uk/downloads/2011FestivalGuide_LowRes.pdf In addition, Take One Action also organise year-round outreach screenings and events throughout Scotland and with other partners in the UK. | ||
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 Zero Waste Scotland launch new training for Scottish SMES Zero Waste Scotland are offering you the opportunity to enhance your CV with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points from the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM). This unique course will enable you to fast-track your capabilities to improve the resource efficiency and environmental performance of your business – and, of course, save money too. On Course For Zero Waste is a new, free training course for Scottish SMEs. It gives quick, structured access to tried and tested techniques developed by Zero Waste Scotland’s business resource efficiency support team Create a FREE training account and get: · 4 free forty-minute training modules; · tried and tested tools and templates; · support from a resource efficiency and waste management expert if needed; · CPD points and certificate from the CIWM; · skills to develop a tailored Waste Prevention Plan for your organisation; and · free access to advanced practitioner modules (available October 2011). By benefitting from your new skills and expertise, your business will: · understand how much waste it produces; · identify how waste costs are affecting profits; · identify simple ways to start reducing waste and save money; · be able to measure the waste and cost savings made; and · be able to bring about change. If you would like further information about the training course or other support services from Zero Waste Scotland SME business resource efficiency support team, please call 0808 100 2040, or email SMEsupport@zerowastescotland.org. | ||
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 This year’s Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight takes place 3rd-18th September 2011, highlighting the wealth of Scottish food and drink on offer to consumers. It encourages the food industry, from restaurants to retailers and caterers, to source and champion the country’s quality produce. The aim of the Fortnight is to encourage consumers to discover, buy and enjoy the food and drink produced on their doorstep, building Scotland’s reputation as a ‘Land of Food and Drink’. Sales of Scottish brands have risen 22% since 2007 and Scottish Enterprise research in 2009 indicated that consumers are willing to pay 3 - 15% more for food that they know is of Scottish or regional origin. Last year’s Fortnight was the most successful to date, with 136 events taking place across the country between 4th-19th September 2010. Independent delicatessens and farm shops, food festivals, foodservice outlets, food groups, visitor attractions and restaurants all celebrated the Fortnight with a range of activities from in-store tastings to special events and menus. For businesses there are countless ways to support the Fortnight and participation can be tailored entirely to the needs and activities of your business including highlighting the local produce you use, hosting tastings, special events or putting on a special Fortnight menu. There are a host of downloadable point of sale materials available on the Scotland Food and Drink fortnight website including barkers, various designs and sizes of posters, stickers and bunting for people to print off and use according to their needs. Visit www.scottishfoodanddrinkfortnight.co.uk/materials for more information All promotional activities including social media, PR and on-pack-promotions drive traffic to the website where information and events are available for the Fortnight. For a free listing register your event at www.scottishfoodanddrinkfortnight.co.uk The Fortnight is actively using social media. Visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/eatscottish and join us on twitter @ScotFoodFort. | ||
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Stay ahead of changing legislation, regulation and see the most up to date environmental publications here. Visit our Publications Page for all of the latest Environmental publications from Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland, the Energy saving Trust and the Carbon Trust | ||
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| Working with our partners we are able to provide comprehensive events calendar helping our members achieve savings in areas such as waste, transport and energy. This month's highlights are:
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