A Just Transition to Net Zero
We are determined to use the international COP26 conference held in Glasgow in November 2021, as a catalyst to create a legacy of positive action in the South of Scotland.
Underpinning all we do will be a focus on enabling a Just Transition to Net Zero.
This is achieved by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases and enhancing our natural assets to store existing carbon, as Scotland moves to significantly reduce its emissions by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2045.
Indeed, given the South of Scotland’s natural capital assets, our region is able to make a climate positive contribution towards Scotland’s overall target.
This transition will present many opportunities and benefits for your business, social enterprise, community or initiative/project.
We are here to help support you wherever you are on your journey, as we look to embed the principle of a just transition to Net Zero in all that we do.
We are now also a Carbon Literate Organisation. This will help us identify solutions and opportunities for our businesses, social enterprises and communities and amplify the voice of the South of Scotland as a Net Zero leader in Scotland, and across the UK.
The Ethical Dairy's journey to NetZero
RACE TO ZERO
Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.
The objective is to build momentum around the shift to a decarbonized economy ahead of COP26, where governments must strengthen their contributions to the Paris Agreement. This will send governments a resounding signal that business, cities, regions and investors are united in meeting the Paris goals and creating a more inclusive and resilient economy.
Find out more: Race to Zero
NET ZERO NATION
Find out what's happening in Scotland to create a cleaner, healthier, happier and more successful nation. Support the national Let's Do Net Zero campaign and access a wide variety of resources.
CivTech 6 Challenge and Sprint in the South of Scotland
CivTech 6 Challenge: Carbon capture and storage
Sponsored by John Muir Trust, the Langholm Initiative community development trust, rural development charity Southern Uplands Partnership and SOSE this CivTech Challenge involves finding an innovative technological solution to tackling climate change through land use. The Challenge aims to discover how technology can help landowners better understand the potential for carbon storage on their land and so inform land-use decisions.
The winning team is Ginger which has created a platform which allows multiple activities – such as community engagement and crowdfunding – to take place simultaneously. Their proposal will now be piloted on the new 5,200-acre Tarras Valley Nature Reserve on Langholm Moor in Dumfries and Galloway.
CivTech 6 Sprint: Supporting the circular economy and Net Zero ambitions
SOSE is also co-sponsoring a CivTech Sprint with Zero Waste Scotland on - How can we use technology to support the circular economy and NetZero ambitions.
Further information is available at https://www.civtechalliance.org/civtech-6-sprint-circular-economy.
Video Case Studies
Success Stories
Lean Bean - Paving the way for sustainable start-up success
Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere (GSAB)
Carsphairn Community Woodland receives SOSE support to create sustainable benefits
Supporting the Just Transition to Net Zero and Circular Economies - The Ethical Dairy
Useful Explanations
Net Zero is also known as net zero emissions. It refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gases produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. We reach net zero when the amount we add to the atmosphere is no more than the amount we store and capture.
The UN defines “Climate Change” as a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. The Scottish Government has enacted legislation that sets a target date for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045. Detailed targets are set out in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan update, which was published in December 2020.
Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero: climate change plan 2018–2032 - update
COP26 is the 2021 United Nations annual climate change conference. COP stands for Conference of the Parties. Parties are the signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty agreed in 1994 which has 197 Parties (196 countries and the EU). The 2021 conference, hosted by the UK, together with our partners Italy, in Glasgow, will be the 26th meeting of the Parties, which is why it's called COP26.
United Nations climate change conferences are among the largest international meetings in the world. The negotiations between governments are complex and involve officials from every country in the world as well as representatives from civil society and the global news media.
Just transition is also called just transition to net zero. It is the move towards a net-zero emissions economy that is fair for all. In Scotland, the Just Transmission Commission advises Scottish Ministers on how to apply just transition principles.
These principles can be summarised as:
• plan, invest and implement a transition to environmentally and socially sustainable jobs, sectors and economies, building on Scotland’s economic and workforce strengths and potential;
• create opportunities to develop resource efficient and sustainable economic approaches, which help address inequality and poverty;
• design and deliver low carbon investment and infrastructure, and make all possible efforts to create decent, fair and high value work in a way which does not negatively affect the current workforce and overall economy.