Sustainability & Environment

Activists with Freedom for Animals oppose the keeping of animals in zoos, and contend that “all animals should live free from exploitation, harm and captivity”.

The Scottish Government agency responsible for managing Scotland’s national forests and public land is working to protect the reptiles that call peatland restoration sites home.

Scotland’s public sector has saved £4.4 million on water costs through a Scottish Government framework delivered with Edinburgh-based Business Stream.

ILM Highland will open its first Inverness retail unit this month, offering affordable refurbished appliances while helping reduce electrical waste across the Highlands.

Leith’s giant yellow ‘Minions’ are actually offshore wind components. The Herald went inside the Port of Leith to discover what they are and why they’re here

The businessman who led the failed legal challenge against Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone has branded the system “corrupt” after new figures showed pollution levels were already below legal limits before private motorists started being fined.

Air pollution was already within legal limits in Scotland’s four clean-air zone cities before drivers started being hit with almost a quarter of a million fines, the Herald can reveal.

People have died as France suffers temperatures once forecast as a vision of 2050

From Aberdeen to Argyll, Scotland’s independent coffee roasters are booming, forging direct links with farmers and reshaping coffee culture as prices rise and chains face pressure

New research from the University of St Andrews has shown that there is a marked drop in the status of Scotland’s harbour seal population, as well in summer grey seal abundance, according to surveys conducted by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU).

Police have launched a probe after 17 pellets were found in the bird of prey’s body

John Swinney is considering new planning guidance for hyperscale AI data centres as Greens press for a moratorium over energy and climate concerns.

A rare butterfly comeback? Great news for this endangered species

Work is being done to make Scotland a greener place

Nearly 5,000 Scots have contributed 214,000 hours towards wild places since the successful return of the prestigious John Muir Award

The Lammermuirs, Larbert, Auchtertool, Dunbar, Hermiston, Gyle, Chapelhall, Hunterston, Lenzie, Irvine. The communities fighting data centres in these areas

A seabird compensation proposal by the developer of Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm has been criticised as “setting a dangerous precedent”

Aberdeen start up says it can produce low cost hydrogen from seawater

Motor dealer with big presence in Scotland highlights appeal of Chinese cars as Iran war fallout weighs on consumer spending

The Scottish Greens are urging the UK Government to accelerate investment in renewable energy, saying it could cut household bills and reduce emissions.

As temperatures soar and the nation melts, it looks like summers will never be the same again. Our Writer at Large Neil Mackay says we’re going to have to change how we live our lives

Members of a new campaign have described their “horror” at plans to construct a wind farm in one of the most remote and wild areas of Scotland,

An MoD listening post in the area blocks development – and windfarms are too noisy

Tragically there was one death in last Friday evening’s rail crash on the Midlands line to London , but the severe injuries incurred could have been significantly reduced had passengers been wearing seatbelts

A joint programme by the UK and Scottish Governments will help more than a thousand more oil and gas workers transition to jobs in clean energy.

Scotland’s Larder at the Royal Highland Show provides a glimpse of current Scottish food trends. An industry expert took me round

Beavers have been reintroduced across Scotland – this could be their next stop

A community garden in Craigmillar has secured new funding to help expand activities and welcome more local residents.

They once covered vast areas of the central belt – huge forests that supplied the wood to build Roman forts and warships, mills, carts, barrels and fishing boats, and supplied the raw material for everyday life.

A major floating offshore wind project has welcomed new funding aimed at building Scotland’s future renewable energy workforce.

One of the top indoor tennis and fitness facilities in Scotland has ensured its long-term prosperity by switching to renewable energy, which now means it can cover its weekly running costs – and even generate a profit, by using the sun to produce its own electricity and…

The number of homes in Scotland with solar panels has more than doubled since before the energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to new analysis

Center Parcs’ £450m Borders resort aims to transform a drive-through region into a major tourism destination, promising jobs, investment and renewed focus on Scotland’s overlooked south

The aim of the project is to increase the supply capacity of venison to the food chain, helping to reduce deer numbers

Scotland imports 43 per cent of the materials it uses, with new figures highlighting growing concerns over supply chain resilience and resource security.

The Scottish National Investment Bank’s unique role presents a compelling opportunity within the housing sector

North sea oil and gas workers are heading toward a ‘cliff edge’ MPs have been told, with redundancies mounting and doubts over the transition to renewable energy

West Pilton Park is set to undergo a £5 million transformation, with plans for new play facilities, a community café, wetlands and hundreds of trees.

Engineers with Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) have completed more than 150 projects

The Royal Highland Show was an essential part of our family calendar. It taught me how to scavenge for crackers. But also underpins my environment journalism

A new “drop-in” material could change supply chains without changing everything else

Sustainable innovations in Scottish farming are necessary to meet net zero by 2045. Here are some of the big ideas.

Construction of a new battery storage plant at Hunterston is expected to begin later this year after the company behind it committed to funding

An renewable energy company has sold the entirety of its stake in a North Sea wind farm as it looks to cut debts

Morningside councillor Marie-Clair Munro was censured for failing to declare a non-financial interest during discussion about traffic calming measures.

Iran war fallout fuels interest in North Sea oil and gas fields amid warnings windfall tax will stifle investment

For the first time, Scotland’s political conversation around forestry is beginning to properly recognise the importance of trees not only in our rural landscapes, but also in our towns and cities.

Scottish ministers are being told they must not “shirk responsibility” for the “enormous damage” the planned Rosebank oil and gas field would cause

Environmental concerns will see part of a building in Edinburgh closed over the winter, because it can only be heated by fireplaces

A conference which will take place in Scotland this week will call for governments around the world to reassess their response to large volcanic eruptions