Journalist, presenter and broadcaster Steph McGovern will join SEPA and co-hosts the University of Glasgow, in a virtual event on Thursday 20 August, featuring panellists Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform; Mathis Wackernagel, President of California-based Global Footprint Network; John Elkington, founder of Volans; Terry A’Hearn, CEO of SEPA; Jaime L Toney, Professor in Environmental and Climate Science at the University of Glasgow and Catriona Patterson, board member of the 2050 Climate Group.

The webinar – Choosing our future by design, not disaster – is being delivered in partnership with Global Footprint Network, the international think-tank behind Earth Overshoot Day, which marks the day when humanity has used more ecological resources this year than natural ecosystems can regenerate in the whole year.

This year, the Global Footprint Network has calculated Earth Overshoot Day as 22 August, more than three weeks later than last year. The date reflects the 9.3% reduction of humanity’s Ecological Footprint from 1 January to Earth Overshoot Day compared to the same period last year, which is a direct consequence of the coronavirus-induced lockdowns around the world. Decreases in wood harvest and CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion are the major drivers behind the historic shift in the long-term growth of humanity’s Ecological Footprint.

This event is the centrepiece of this year’s global #MoveTheDate conversation, with Scotland taking centre stage in recognition of its important role in the upcoming COP discussions in 2021.

It is the second #MoveTheDate event led by SEPA and Global Footprint Network this month, after more than 500 delegates representing 100 organisations took part in an early debate, where polls showed delegates believe the world isn’t moving fast enough on climate change, their opinion of employers is influenced by their commitment to social and sustainability issues and the global lockdown is an opportunity to re-assess and restart our economy more sustainably.

Terry A’Hearn, SEPA’s CEO, said: “SEPA’s ‘one planet prosperity’ vision is focused on helping our communities and businesses thrive within the resources of our one planet. The scale of the environmental challenge facing humanity is enormous and we know no organisation can tackle this alone.

“That’s why we’ve brought the #MoveTheDate discussion to Scotland and why we’re partnering with the Global Footprint Network and the University of Glasgow to spark the conversation internationally later this month. 

“The time to act is now. In the future, the only successful countries, corporates and communities will be those that confront our sustainability challenges head-on and turn them into economic and social innovation opportunities.

“Yes, the scale of the task is enormous. Even in a year when human activity across parts of the world ground to a halt due to COVID-19, we are still vastly overusing our planet’s natural resources. But this year has also shown us that we do have the ability to change and we can #MoveTheDate.” 

Mathis Wackernagel, President of Global Footprint Network added: “A delayed COP26 means that local initiatives are even more important if we want to secure our own futures. Those who embrace one-planet prosperity early on vastly increase their chances to secure their well-being for the long-term. They are choosing the future they want by design over being driven into an imposed future by disaster.”

Jaime L Toney, Professor in Environmental and Climate Science at the University of Glasgow said: “Universities are well placed to influence the sustainability agenda through education, research and partnership. They have a duty to create the next generation of climate and carbon literate students who will become our agents of cultural change for a sustainable future.”

Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform said:

“Earth Overshoot Day is a striking reminder of the urgency of the climate emergency and the need for action and global cooperation to ensure that we tackle climate change and conserve the world’s precious resources.

“We can and must continue to push this date back by building a green recovery from COVID-19 which has sustainability and wellbeing at its heart.”

Registration for the free event is open now at https://hopin.to/events/movethedate. Choosing our future by design, not disaster takes place on Thursday 20 August.

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The appeal follows a report made on Tuesday 28 July of household items and commercial waste bags potentially containing food waste being dumped in the Shank Burn.

Chris Dailly, Head of Environmental Performance at SEPA said:

“Every day SEPA works to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment and we take reports of pollution seriously. Fly tipping is not only unsightly but, depending on the nature of the waste, it can also be hazardous to health and cause environmental damage.

“In response to reports of fly tipping in the Shank Burn near to the A73 (Stirling Road) towards Brackenhirst, officers are taking steps to identify the landowner and alert them to the incident. We’ll work with the landowner to ensure the land is secured to discourage further incidents of fly tipping.

“Fly tipping is a serious offence with significant consequences and those caught risk a fine of up to £40,000. This is a reminder to anyone being offered cut price waste clearance services that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is and could lead to a fine if your waste is then subsequently illegally dumped. SEPA officers are monitoring Scottish social media for illegal waste collectors or operators and are acting where appropriate.

“We would strongly encourage anyone who might have been travelling in the area or noticed anything suspicious to get in touch, so that we find those responsible and hopefully prevent this from happening again. Please remember you can make a report to us in confidence.”

SEPA operates a 24 Hour Pollution Hotline and information on the incident should be directed to www.sepa.org.uk/report. Reports of illegal dumping can be made through the Dumb Dumpers website https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/DumbDumpers.

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• Ayrshire regeneration project a global #MoveThe Date environmental exemplar
• HALO Kilmarnock recognised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the California-based Global Footprint Network for its commitment to sustainable, inclusive regeneration
• Project to feature as part of a global webinar with entrepreneur Dr Marie Macklin CBE
• Registrations open for free event and business leaders asked to save the date and help #MoveTheDate of Earth Overshoot Day

The £63m HALO Kilmarnock project will be the centrepiece of a virtual #MoveTheDate conversation on Thursday 6th August, ahead of Earth Overshoot Day on Saturday 22 August, with Dr Macklin delivering a keynote address to the Scottish business community.

In partnership with Scottish Power, the HALO Kilmarnock’s ambition is to create a sustainable community approach to mixed-use development on a 28-acre brownfield site powered by electricity with a net zero carbon footprint.

The HALO will be the first town centre net zero carbon energy project in Scotland, using 100 per cent renewable energy and adopting the latest technologies to deliver efficient power, heating and transport solutions.

The webinar – Choosing our future by design, not disaster – is being delivered in partnership with SEPA and Global Footprint Network, the international organisation behind Earth Overshoot Day.

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date each year when humanity has used more ecological resources than natural ecosystems can regenerate in the whole year – this year falling on August 22.

Hosted by Herald Scotland Editor-In-Chief Donald Martin, the event will feature panellists Mathis Wackernagel, President of Global Footprint Network, Terry A’Hearn, CEO of SEPA and Catriona Patterson, board member of the 2050 Climate Group, and opportunities for attendees to add their voices to the conversation.

Registration for the free event is open now and business leaders are being asked to save the date and help #MoveTheDate of Earth Overshoot Day.

The event comes ahead of the global launch of Earth Overshoot Day in Scotland by SEPA and Global Footprint Network.

Marie Macklin CBE, Founder and Executive Chair of the HALO Urban Regeneration Company, said: “It’s a huge honour to be invited by SEPA and Global Footprint Network to speak at their #MoveTheDate webinar.

“The HALO’s ultimate vision is for a dynamic commercial, educational, cultural, leisure and lifestyle quarter where people can ‘Live, Work, Learn and Play’. At that heart of this vision is our sustainable community approach to a net zero carbon mixed-use development providing jobs, economic growth, skills development, access to employment opportunities, clean energy and housing.

“I look forward to speaking and hearing about all the opportunities we can explore to accelerate the practical action needed for sustainable and inclusive growth.”

Terry A’Hearn, SEPA’s CEO, said: “The scale of environmental challenge facing humanity is enormous. Even in a year when human activity across parts of the world ground to a halt due to COVID-19, we are still vastly overusing our planet’s natural resources.

“In the future, the only successful countries, corporates or communities will be those that have embraced the economic and social opportunity of sustainability. To do so needs leadership and vision, which is why we’re keen to support Dr Marie Macklin, her Halo Project and the partners involved.

“SEPA’s strategy for tackling this definitive challenge of our time is called ‘one planet prosperity’, focused on helping our communities and businesses thrive within the resources of our one planet – but we know no organisation can tackle this alone.

“Joining us in the #MoveTheDate conversation on Thursday 6 August is a key opportunity to reignite this vital conversation, inspire our business leaders with the work being done here in Scotland by projects like HALO Kilmarnock, and carry that enterprising thought into our workplaces and boardrooms across Scotland.”

Mathis Wackernagel, President of Global Footprint Network added: “True sustainability that allows all to thrive within Earth’s ecological budget can only be achieved by design, not by disaster.

“While no society can shift overnight, those who plan ahead stand a far better chance of thriving, and Scotland’s COVID-19 recovery is a real opportunity to plan for a more sustainable future.

“Global Footprint Network is delighted to be participating in this event and launching this year’s Earth Overshoot Day in Scotland, where there is an opportunity to accelerate transformation ahead of the UN’s COP meetings in Glasgow in 2021.”

‘Choosing our future by design, not disaster’ chaired by The Herald Editor-in-Chief, Donald Martin takes place on Thursday 6th August from 6pm. Sign up today at newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/choosing-our-future/.

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Chancers advertising illegal waste collections on social media sites are being targeted by Scotland’s environmental regulator in a new digital clampdown.

Household recycling centres are now open but many have restrictions in place – and people may still have bulky items and excess waste that cannot be transported. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is warning those trying to make a quick buck from the current situation by operating illegally that they are firmly in the spotlight, and that direct warnings would be sent to those not registered with SEPA placing adverts – with fines of up to £5,000 for non-compliance.

SEPA’s specialist enforcement team has been working alongside partners Police Scotland, Zero Waste Scotland and local authorities throughout the lockdown period to tackle waste crime across Scotland.

These specialist officers are monitoring sites like Facebook and Gumtree to catch waste criminals as part of a wider effort to deter illegal activity across the waste management chain. SEPA is very clear that those who deliberately flout the rules will face the uncompromising regulator their behaviour deserves.

Jennifer Shearer, Head of Enforcement at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said:

“We know that illegal activity places further stress on legitimate operators – especially where services are being pushed through social media and other channels.

“Through our monitoring of social media we’ve unfortunately seen a number of instances of couriers and so-called white van men taking the opportunity to offer an unauthorised waste collection service and then often dumping in public spaces or remote parts of countryside – creating an unsafe environmental hazard and an eyesore for the local community.

“Having witnessed an increase in adverts of this kind in recent months, our digital disruption is designed to take those operating illegally, out of the market.”

Where enforcement officers identify that adverts and messages are being distributed by carriers not registered with SEPA, they will make contact to warn them that they are operating illegally. If they do not apply for a registration or stop activities, SEPA will take enforcement action which could see them subjected to fines or criminal prosecution.

There is also an important role for the public, with a warning that the use of unlicensed waste collectors could result in waste contributing to fly-tipping and other illegal activity.

“Don’t engage the services of people who are not authorised,” Shearer explains. “Remember, services that sound too good to be true often are, and could lead to your waste being illegally fly-tipped or disposed of by other illegitimate means.

“Anyone offering to take your waste away should be able to provide a waste carrier registration number and tell you the named facility they will take the waste to – if they can’t provide this information, don’t allow them to take your waste.

“Now more than ever, Scots are recognising the importance of local services like recycling and the part we all play in correctly managing our waste. You have the responsibility to take care of your waste and if we trace it back to you we can take enforcement action against you too. We don’t want people to be put in that situation so make sure that anyone who takes your waste for disposal is properly accredited.”

Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, added:

“We owe a massive thank you to all those in the waste industry who are working hard to keep services running in challenging circumstances. Illegal activities such as flytipping adds to the burden of those who continue to deliver essential services.

“SEPA has a vital role in regulating and monitoring waste carrier services and I welcome the proactive approach they are taking to target unregistered waste businesses. It is vital that individuals take responsibility for checking that the waste carrier they use is registered and will dispose of waste correctly.”

Visiting the new website – managingourwaste.scot – from SEPA, Zero Waste Scotland and partners, you will find updates and advice on how to manage waste.  As part of Scotland’s campaign to help manage waste during current restrictions the site also explains how you can help to tackle fly-tipping. SEPA is also offering support to help those managing our waste operate against the challenges of coronavirus.  

Top three Dos and Don’ts of Household Waste Disposal

1. DO use common sense. If you are approached out of the blue with an offer to dispose of your waste so quickly and cheaply is sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
2. DON’T entrust your waste with someone if they are unable to tell you basic information like their waste carrier registration number and the named site they are taking the waste to.
3. DO take responsibility for who you give waste to – if we trace illegally disposed of waste back to you then you could be liable for enforcement action too.

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Notes to editors

Links for further information

23 June 2020

Volans, a global think tank and strategic advisory firm founded by John Elkington, the originator of the ‘triple-bottom-line’ of profit, people and planet, and advisor to major companies across the globe, has called out a pioneering Scottish partnership as a potential model for global economic recovery.

• The River Leven Programme, a regional regeneration partnership pioneered by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, aims to transform an area once at the centre of Scotland’s industrial revolution, locking in sustainable, inclusive growth.
• The Programme is the first living case study in Volans’ ‘Green Swan Observatory’, propelling the project to the global ‘one to watch’ list for innovative approaches.
• “The alignment of environment and economic agencies with private partners to accelerate regeneration in Leven can be a model for Scotland’s green recovery,” says Elkington.
• Comes as the Scottish Government’s Economic Advisory Group on Economic Recovery calls for “a strong green spine to… recovery.”
• The announcement comes as five new partners – Network Rail, The Coal Authority, Zero Waste Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, and Fife Coast & Countryside Trust – join another ten private and public partners on the one-year anniversary of the partnership.

Volans, a global think tank and strategic advisory firm founded by John Elkington, the originator of the ‘triple-bottom-line’ of profit, people and planet, and advisor to major companies across the globe, has called out a pioneering Scottish partnership as a potential model for global economic recovery. The River Leven Programme, a regional regeneration partnership, pioneered by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, aims to transform an area once at the centre of Scotland’s industrial revolution, locking in sustainable, inclusive growth.

The programme, the subject of a ‘Sustainable Growth Agreement’ in 2019 between eleven public and private sector partners including SEPA, Scottish Enterprise, Fife Council and global spirits manufacturer Diageo, focuses on six aims to realise a 2030 vision for a “living, breathing example of inclusive growth.” 

The programme is the first living case study in Volans’ ‘Green Swan Observatory’ initiative, propelling the project to the global ‘one to watch’ list for innovative approaches. Volans has so far given Green Swan Awards to ‘Earth Day’ and the multi-award-winning Eden Project in Cornwall.

Volans’ Green Swan Observatory spotlights and analyses examples that encapsulate activities needed for a regenerative future, sharing these ‘Green Swan’ innovations that can drive forward positively exponential change with the wider world. Its aim is to accelerate the move from a ’responsibility’ agenda to one of resilience and ultimately regeneration for businesses and other organisations.

Louise Roper, Chief Executive of Volans, said:

“The ongoing global pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for structural change in our society and economies. Scotland’s leadership on low-carbon innovation is well known and we’ve been watching the transformation of its environment protection agency for some time. The alignment of environment and economic agencies with private partners to accelerate regeneration in Leven can be a model for Scotland’s green recovery.”

The announcement comes on the day following Scottish Government’s Economic Advisory Group on Economic Recovery called for “a strong green spine to… recovery” and as five new partners commit to the programme: Network Rail, The Coal Authority, Zero Waste Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, and Fife Coast & Countryside Trust.

Ross Martin, Chair of the River Leven Partnership, said:

“This is an exceptionally bold place-based intervention being led by our national environmental regulator into one of Scotland’s regional economies.  The partnership recognises that the environment and economy are not competing interests, but two sides of the same coin – the currency of sustainable, inclusive growth.

“The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated beyond all doubt the importance of reconnecting people and place, and I predict that all other EPAs will follow the Leven lead.”

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said:

“Now more than ever, the future health, wellbeing and prosperity of our people relies on transformational change in our economy. As Scotland’s environment protection agency, we’re determined to step up. The old way that all EPAs around the world have worked is no longer good enough for the challenges our societies face. We’re not waiting for the change; we are going to create it here in Scotland.   Our One Planet Prosperity strategy gives us a new powerful partnership with our enterprise agency, private and public partners to drive actions, not words.

“The River Leven Programme is a powerful example of what can be achieved when environment and economy align. This region of Scotland was a cradle of the first industrial revolution. Under this partnership, it can now become a pioneer in the new global low-carbon industrial revolution. We’re excited for the local community and our partners and delighted that it is being looked at as an example of what future sustainable, inclusive growth and partnerships will look like in this next revolution. The international recognition as a Green Swan project is a welcome boost for the people of this region.”

Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, added:

“The River Leven initiative is the epitome of strategic partnership working which is creating exciting new opportunities to unlock purposeful economic outcomes for regions and communities across Scotland. Working in this way with SEPA and other partners is critical to how we will do business in support of a green recovery and being acknowledged by Volans in this way speaks volumes about the power of purposeful partnerships.”

Notes for Editors

1. Volans is a think tank and advisory firm operating at the intersection of innovation and sustainability, making the emergent future practical and actionable to drive positive systems change. The Green Swan Observatory builds on Volans’ ongoing Green Swans campaign, part of our Tomorrow’s Capitalism Inquiry.  Now entering its second phase, the Inquiry is focussing on how we can help create the right market conditions for finance to be an accelerant of regenerative ‘Green Swan’ trajectories in the real world. Further information can be found at https://volans.com.For more information, please contact Hannah Hughes: hannah@gongcommunications.com. 
2. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is Scotland’s principal environmental regulator, protecting and improving Scotland’s environment. A keystone of its mission is to accelerate progress towards ‘One Planet Prosperity’.The ten original partners in the Leven Programme Partnership who backed the Sustainable Growth Agreement with SEPA announced in July 2019 are Fife Council, Sustrans, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Water, Scottish Enterprise, Fife College, Forth Rivers Trust, Diageo, Central Scotland Green Network Trust and Keep Scotland Beautiful.