Sustainability & Environment

Charity report claims UK Government job projections for hyperscale data centres are hugely inflated, warning they deliver far fewer long-term jobs.

Potting sheds stand in orderly rows as Sandy McDougall ambles his way past, before pausing to admire two domed archways which are rapidly taking shape.

Ask anyone in Glasgow right now for ideas on how to make the city a better place and I guess the first thing they’ll do is think of the flames on the streets and the smoke in the air and the sound of another building cracking and burning and dying, and say: protect what we have. Stop the fires. Enough.

SRUC Oatridge student Ollie Kwan wins 2026 Young Conservationist of the Year award for voluntary work at Edinburgh Zoo, recognised by the RZSS.

Major investment to improve odour at Edinburgh’s Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works announced, with upgrades to benefit local communities and boost green energy.

Having been swept up in the AI-ferver of the last three years, the majority of companies have sought to mainline the technology into their communication functions. However, two-thirds have no formal change strategy for communication – neglecting the human aspects of business needed to make the most of the technology – meaning a similar number find themselves trapped in the experimentation stage.

Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter has celebrated 130 years of caring for animals across the North East of England. It also continues to enjoy an enduring partnership with Carney Consulting, which is among those supporting a fund-raising initiative in June.

Nick Studer has been selected to become CEO of Marsh Risk. The Role sees Studer promoted, having led Marsh-member Oliver Wyman for the last five years. Marsh McLennan is a New York-based professional services conglomerate, offering clients access to insurance brokerage, risk management, reinsurance, talent management, investment advisory, and consulting services.

Mott MacDonald has been appointed by Westmorland and Furness Council to design the concept masterplan for the Windermere rail station area, creating a transformational welcome to the Lake District. Opened in 1847, Windermere railway station serves the English town of Windermere, in Cumbria.

Kenelm Hoare has joined BRG as a director in its London-based construction practice. His expertise will now be used to support clients with electrical expertise and dispute resolutions across the EMEA region.

Some locations are special and demand a property to match rather than distract – and in the wooded landscape near Nethy Bridge within the Cairngorm National Park, Mountain Bear Lodge is completely at one with its natural surroundings.

The park has launched a new herbivore management strategy

Delivery-led integration is set be a crucial competitive advantage for those Scottish companies who are seeking on-the-ground value and improvements in their system performance

People living with dementia will reap the benefits of nature thanks to an innovative new project at a major rewilding estate in the Scottish Highlands.

The Financial Conduct Association’s push to expand consumer access to investments is positive – if advice boundaries, consumer outcomes and firm capabilities evolve together. Robert Ord, consulting partner at global management, financial services and technology consultancy Capco, comments on the FCA’s discussion paper on the move, which has recently closed.

Yorkshire and London-based PR consultancy Umpf has embarked on a new chapter as a business, by transitioning to employee ownership and unveiling a refreshed brand identity. The shift to an employee owned model was advised upon by experts from RSM.

London-based independent financial services consultancy Thistle Initiatives has acquired management consultancy TORI Global for an undisclosed fee. The acquisition sees two of the City’s most established independent consultancies integrate to form a premier digital transformation and advisory services hub for the financial services sector.

Teresa Hitchcock has joined the Leeds office of Eversheds Sutherland as a senior consultant. She arrives in the firm’s UK environment, health and safety team. Paul Verrico, partner and global head of environment, health and safety at Eversheds Sutherland, said, “Teresa is one of the UK’s leading EHS practitioners, with an exceptional track record advising clients on complex regulatory matters.

A petition bid to stop the controversial Guga hunt for seabird chicks, will be held over and scrutinised by the next parliament.

The outlook for a Scottish energy industry giant brightened after it was bought by Middle Eastern investors as the Iran war fuels a surge in oil and gas prices

Cabinet Secretary says no further regulation needed. Can that really be the case when there were 12 million salmon farm deaths last year?

Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh launches a fundraising appeal for a new free gallery on Arthur’s Seat and Holyrood Park, with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The survey found that the salmon industry is already taking action to reduce mortality, including the use of seal nets, breeding programmes, and vaccination.

Consultancy job adverts among least transparent on pay, analysis of almost 10,000 listings finds. While many postings in the sector list ‘fake’ perks – including some basic legal rights – as ‘benefits’, three-quarters hide pay rates, for roles which could be thousands of pounds different in terms of salaries.

After a majority investment from Goldman Sachs Alternatives completed Mace Consult’s carve-out in 2025, the firm is now preparing for life as an independent, with a raft of new plans. The firm has announced new delivery standards for programme and project management services, as it looks to bill itself as a client-centric partner to companies around the world.

Transformation advisory firm Embridge Consulting has expanded its board with the addition of two experts. Lucy Fox and Alex Ashley-Roberts are named chief commercial officer and chief marketing officer respectively.

As the UK and Canada forge new trade links, CF has formed a strategic partnership with Medlior Health Outcomes Research. The collaboration aims to accelerate the generation of policy-grade real-world evidence for global life science sponsors, with data sets in England and Alberta.

Audit, tax, advisory and consulting firm Crowe has appointed Bhavin Bharakda as a partner. Joining its consulting practice, Bharakda will also lead Crowe’s financial services internal audit offering. Nigel Bostock, chief executive at Crowe, commented, “Bhavin’s deep expertise will help our clients in the financial services sector as they grapple with sustained regulatory and public scrutiny alongside increasing digitisation, and operational resilience requirements.

We can tell from oil and gas prices that we are going to feel this war in our pockets. Here’s what it looks set to do to our food bills

The Scottish Greens have welcomed the results after the party commissioned the report whilst in government in 2023.

Britain’s youth are being forced to consult with technology for careers advice, with only one in three having access to human career advisers, a new study has found. The findings highlight a growing access gap for students from a lower socio-economic background – one which professional services firm BDO is calling on the government to solve with the return of mandatory career guidance to education.

Grant Thornton’s Northern Ireland member firm has signed a lease for a new 23,000 sq ft of office space in the heart of Belfast. Spread across two floors in The Ewart building, the move will conclude in 2027, since the firm has increased its office headcount from 30 to 250 people.

Added Value Enterprises, a specialist food-focused procurement consultancy, has grown rapidly over the last 12 months. With demand rising across the segment, it has seen its headcount hit a milestone of 25 experts.

Johnston Carmichael has strengthened its restructuring capability, as director Sarah Bedford has obtained an appointment taking license. The news will allow her to take appointments relating to insolvencies – a growing line of services for the firm.

North Sea giants are set to record a dramatic increase in profits after oil and gas prices soared amid the fallout from the Iran war

Pictures capture the Glasgow fire from the first smoke overnight to the aftermath in the morning, as fire fighters tackled blaze and daylight revealed damage.

AS technology evolves and awareness of the world’s climate emergency grows, many people are considering how they can play their part in reducing their own carbon footprint – and for some that starts with the way they heat their homes.

FOR most people, a home is their largest financial asset, so it pays to look after it – which up until recently entailed regular cleaning, maintenance and repairs.

Manjit Shokar has joined RMT to head up the London office of its recovery and insolvency wing. He brings more than 20 years of experience to the role. Shokar said, “I am delighted to have joined the RMT Team, which has always been at the forefront of company rescue.

RED Global has announced the acquisition of LRB Group. The move sees RED expand its presence in the US, with the purchase of the North Carolina-based consulting firm. “We are incredibly excited to partner with Luke and welcome the LRB team into the RED Global family on their next phase of growth,” said Ross Eades, CEO of RED Global, “the team and business which was built and continues to grow in the Workday community is truly impressive and should be an immediate value-added service for our clients.

Mr Packham said that a ban on the practice “would be a tremendous result for animal welfare, for dogs and for Scotland”.

For weary travellers disembarking CalMac’s MV Loch Seaforth and onto Stornoway’s harbourside, the sight of a shuttered and slowly deteriorating hotel is not the warmest of welcomes.

As water supply issues grow across the country, improving efficiency is becoming essential for businesses seeking resilience, cost savings and sustainability progress says Tom Abel, who is Director of Sustainability Services at Business Stream

A senior manager at Scotland’s ferry operator has launched legal action claiming he was driven from his job after blowing the whistle on alleged racism.

Blasting at Fife Silica Sands quarry could be an ‘ecological catastrophe’ due to unstable ground caused by a severe 2002 flood at Longannet

A Loch Lomond conservation charity has announced that it can no longer sustain its litter management scheme for the area – after financial support was withdrawn.

Freddie Ingleby is on a mission to restore our damaged peatlands and lock up the carbon emissions that are currently being released into the atmosphere. It’s an endeavour and a market that’s increasingly being noticed by investors . . .

The Carbon Removers are the embodiment of the old adage of necessity being the mother of invention as they develop new ways to capture and store carbon

By Susan Swan, Partner, Shepherd and Wedderburn

Now in its 25th year, All-Energy will once again unite global experts, academics and renewables innovators in Glasgow from May 13-14 to boost net-zero targets and a sustainable future for all

A new poll has revealed that people living in areas where salmon farming takes place were more concerned about the environmental impact of salmon farming.

The EPL came into force in 2022 in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which sparked a rise in energy prices.

A rarely-seen ladybird has been discovered for the first time in Glasgow – while a new bee species has also been spotted.

Aventus Energy secures its largest contract for Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm at Port of Leith, creating skilled jobs in Scotland’s renewables sector.

People love to eat salmon. That’s the problem when trying to draw attention to any of the problems in the industry. We go where our taste and habits take us.

The Scottish Greens have set their sights on beating Scottish Labour in May.

The winners of last year’s Wellbeing & Welfare Award at The Herald & GenAnalytics Scottish Impact Awards was a team, who for more than a decade, have been crucial in making sure Scottish Water staff can deliver the highest standards of service.

Council bosses have reassured local residents their water is safe after a stream turned the colour of ‘Ghostbusters slime’.

Objectors to a new home overlooking Calgary Bay on Mull could soon have a much larger reason to be fearful after plans were unveiled to build a tunnel or bridge to the island, writes Herald columnist Alan Simpson

Scotland has introduced water cremation — a softer, greener alternative to traditional funerals. Discover how the process works

Labour MPs are among a group of more than 60 parliamentarians to have made public their opposition to the planned Rosebank oil field

French company TotalEnergies Gas & Power has a 20% stake in the Yamal liquified natural gas (LNG) field in Siberia.

Last year I was still the newcomer, bracing myself against every gale. This winter, the rhythms of Rum — and a few stubborn snowdrops — have begun to feel like mine, says Elle Duffy.

On the 25th anniversary of the foot and mouth epidemic, Herald writer Rosemary Goring asks why it’s important we remember that cataclysmic event.

To get the most from any encounters with Scotland’s farmers, a degree of cultural re-adjustment is advised for the persistent urban dweller

Residents near Dalmally say they are horrified after more than 50 ancient trees were felled along a much-loved walking path.

Forrest Road, Edinburgh, will close for up to two weeks as Scottish Water carry out urgent sewer repairs near George IV Bridge.

The colourful mussels bind the seabed together and create habitats for other creatures

Macfarlane Group reports drop in profits following ‘difficult year’ for the long-established business

Beavers were driven to extinction in Scotland some 400 years ago – but are making a comeback