Improvement Service

Creating a greener Scotland is one of the strategic objectives of the Scottish government. This involves improving the natural and built environment and ensuring the sustainable use and enjoyment of it.

Local government can have a significant impact on whether Scotland achieves its aims. Councils are pioneering much good practice in reducing carbon footprints and creating a more sustainable environment. In 2007, all Scottish local authorities signed Scotland's Climate Change Declaration. This is a commitment to prepare and publicly declare a plan, including timescales and targets, to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all local authority operations. The first annual reports are available on the Sustainable Scotland Network website.

This section contains links to information, guidance and good practice on climate change and sustainable development and outlines the IS' work in this area.

IS activity in this area

The IS is supporting councils and their partners in promoting sustainable methods of delivering services and in reducing their carbon footprints. Our activities include:

• Developing guidance, in partnership with the Sustainable Development Commission, on the selection and use of appropriate tools for assessment of council-related and area-wide carbon emissions;
• Assessing councils' understanding of, and capacity to use, appropriate tools and techniques for the reduction of carbon emissions;
• Working with councils to strengthen their capacity for assessing and addressing their carbon and ecological footprints, including continued support for the Local Footprints project;
• Developing a Sustainability Improvement Framework which will be integrated with the Public Service Improvement Framework.

For further information on our work related to promoting sustainability, please contact Bob Christie on 01506 775569.

The Sustainable Scotland Network Annual Conference 2009 - 29 October 2009, Edinburgh
'Sustainable economic growth and the agenda for Scottish local authorities'

The conference will bring together leading politicians, academics and representatives from public, private and voluntary sectors to debate the concept of sustainable economic growth and the practicalities of a transition to a low carbon economy. The event will also profile what is being done to progress sustainable economic development across Scotland's 32 local authority areas, and highlight the work of local authorities as they respond to the economic, social and environmental challenges we now face.

For more information, visit http://www.sustainable-scotland.net/conference2009/

Something missing from this page? If you know of any useful websites or resources that we haven't featured, let us know at listen@improvementservice.org.uk