Sustainability & Environment

Power generated by wind turbines is already saving energy consumers large amounts on their energy bills – challenging misconceptions about the cost of the green energy transition. According to research by the University of Central London, investment in the form of renewable energy has already generated a net financial benefit of more than £100 billion for energy consumers.

As Westminster grapples with high-profile political party exits, Amy Speake, chief executive at Holmes Noble, advocates graceful transitions in business. Handled with strategy and composure departures can strengthen, not shake, an organisation.

OC&C Strategy Consultants has promoted Chessy Whalen and Asher Cohen to partner in its London office. Their appointments reflect the firm’s continued investment in developing exceptional talent and deepening its expertise across key industries.

Grant Thornton has announced a partnership with training-provider Raise the Bar. The pair have launched a new Leadership Academy, which will support organisations in maximising growth and skills levy benefits while developing future leadership capabilities.

Johnston Carmichael has announced the appointment of Glen Small as head of construction and property. Speaking on the promotion, Small said he was “excited to lead a team that combines real sector understanding with the technical expertise to help our clients deliver better outcomes, both for their businesses and for the wider economy.

A North Sea oil and gas heavyweight is eyeing acquisitions in the area as the chancellor Rachel Reeves faces pressure to cut the windfall tax in the Budget.

Climate groups have criticised the Scottish Government’s long-awaited draft Climate Change Plan as full of “missed opportunities”

SNP ministers have been warned a new climate strategy risks setting back Scotland’s net zero ambitions.

Congratulations to Highland Council for standing up and objecting to the controversial Spittal to Beauly overhead line (“Campaigners hail council after it raises objection to power line”, November 4). SSEN want to carve through the Highlands with outdated Beauly-Denny-style lattice towers, feeding into substations so vast they defy imagination — all to encourage hundreds, maybe thousands, more onshore wind turbines. Not for localised or cheap energy, but to hit Holyrood’s export targets and line the pockets of multinationals.

Sentiments around supply chain issues are stabilising, after a two-year period of steady decline. According to a new report from H&Z, businesses believe that AI investment will help them boost their procurement function in the year ahead.

Nathan Reay has joined Forvis Mazars to head up its technology, media and telecommunications sector. He arrives as an executive based in its UK wing. Dave Hilton, UK head of corporate finance at Forvis Mazars, said, “With Nathan now leading the TMT M&A team in the UK, this is a vital strategic appointment in one of the most active M&A sectors in the UK and globally.

Leading professional services consultancy Barnett Waddingham has relocated its Glasgow office to flagship city development Cadworks. The move aims to cement the firm’s strategic growth ambitions in Scotland, along with underlining its commitment to sustainable business practices.

Opus Business Advisory Group has launched a new outpost in Bermuda. The offshore insolvency and restructuring market is rapidly expanding, offering lucrative opportunities for firms catering to clients’ insolvency needs.

BDO has installed a new head of consulting, with immediate effect. Mark Sykes takes on the role on a permanent basis, having worked in an interim capacity since the summer. Commenting on his appointment, Sykes noted, “This is a really exciting time to be taking on this role.

However, the body that represents Scotland’s countryside estates branded it a “junk law”,

All of the latest Edinburgh news in one place – as reported by The Herald’s team of expert writers across the nation’s captial city.

PLANS to explore an alternative venue for a Fife man’s ‘Bark Park’ creation in his front garden appear to have reached a stalemate after months of discussions with Fife councillors.

While companies are embracing artificial intelligence throughout all levels of their organisation, there is growing concern that it could be used to enable data breaches. International consultancy Talan has published a report highlighting business leaders’ concerns about cyber threats – showing that in the next 12 months, more than three-quarters believe AI will become a core part of cyber-threat engineering.

OC&C Strategy Consultants has appointed Rhian Woods as a partner in its London office. She joins with a breadth of over 25 years of experience within strategic consulting, professional services, marketing, and customer strategy.

Across the board, professional services are ramping up their AI adoption to match the speed of business and align with market demands. But according to Joris van der Gucht, CEO and co-founder of Ravical, the controls to manage these tools are not being implemented fast enough.

HR, workforce and payroll transformation specialist LACE Partners has announced the acquisition of advisory firm 3XO. The firm will be incorporated into LACE to bolster its people strategy design and delivery services.

Develop Consulting has appointed a former NHS director to its senior leadership team. Felix Davies arrives as the firm looks to expand its services across the community and social care sectors. Steve Boam, CEO of Develop Consulting, said of the news, “We are delighted to welcome Felix to our senior leadership team.

Sewage pollution has long bothered me as a wild swimmer – but a new report is a reminder that there’s more to looking after our waters

Edinburgh Zoo is again calling for a nationwide ban on the sale of fireworks, one year after a baby red panda in their care died from firework related stress. 

As the UK continues to struggle with the decarbonisation of its economy, businesses may be foregoing important opportunities by dragging their feet on sustainability issues. A new joint study by Oxford Saïd Business School, BIP UK, and Vantage Towers has demonstrated the ways in which circular design, digital asset intelligence, and supplier collaboration can unlock up to €30 million in annual value.

Victoria Evans is a partner at Oliver Wyman in the firm’s government and public institutions practice, based in London. With over 17 years of experience working across UK government on strategic growth and transformation, she explains the importance of mentorship and support for young people trying to make a career in the professional services space.

UK carrier Eastern Airways has fallen into administration, leading to the cancellation of all its flights. Administrators from RSM are expected to take charge of the process, while the majority of the firm’s workforce will become redundant.

Even as UK employers continue to complain of productivity gaps and skill shortages, annual spending on training for each member of staff has fallen by as much as 28% in real terms since 2005, a level less than half the EU average.

Test Driven Solutions has announced a new senior leadership team amid its global expansion plans. David McAvelia, Andy Thompson, Adrian Pollard and Jack Reed will head up the firm. Founded in 2020, Technology consultancy Test Driven Solutions (TDS) has rapidly established itself as one of the UK’s fastest-growing software consultancies, specialising in software development, testing, platform engineering, and user-centred design.

The SNP Government faces fresh criticism for its failure to create green jobs after experts undermined ministers’ claims about the potential of tidal energy

Scotland’s housing crisis demands urgent action—but not at the cost of our natural environment. As Inverness grows and pressure mounts to build, councillor Michael Gregson argues for a smarter, greener approach that prioritises compact development, community consent and ecological integrity.

When it comes to renewable energy, too many homeowners and businesses are left feeling overwhelmed. Technical jargon, confusing pricing, and mixed messages can make the journey to cleaner, smarter energy more complicated than it needs to be.

SNP leader John Swinney isn’t being honest when he claims that he is very concerned about the climate.

Environmental campaigners are calling for tougher sanctions to crack down on those poisoning Scotland’s land, air and water.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust bought the Inverbroom Estate near Ullapool earlier this year for £17.5m.

More than 400, 000 trees have been planted on the mountain above the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll, but this should have been done years ago, argues Herald columnist Alan Simpson

They say history doesn’t repeat itself — but there are concerns that Scotland’s wind energy revolution is providing echoes of the past.

Scotland is expected to generate nearly three quarters of Britain’s onshore wind power with in five years — sparking fears the country is facing North Sea oil-style exploitation as a green energy supplier for England.

Analysis Scottish salmon farm lice figures has shown that almost a quarter of active sites are breaching the industry’s lice Code of Good Practice at any given moment.

Journalist Peter Ross joins Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite at Glasgow’s modern stone circle in Sighthill – part memorial, part urban myth – as explored in his fascinating new book Upon A White Horse: Journeys in Ancient Britain and Ireland

Around 15% of Scotland’s most treasured historic sites are currently closed or have restricted access, as the country’s heritage agency faces soaring maintenance costs and a growing list of conservation challenges.

Heritage seeds are a great choice for gardeners. They produce especially useful plants. Like all naturally open-pollinated seeds, the crops mature over a much longer period than the modern varieties designed mainly for commercial growers to let them harvest the lot in a oner.

LIVING and working in the beautiful Renfrewshire countryside, I witness daily the positive impact of outdoor education on pupils’ learning and development.

Shrinkflation is taking a terrible toll on our toilet rolls.

The Sheku Bayoh inquiry has been detrimental to police moral in Scotland.

Aberdeen Cyrenians warns the oil and gas windfall tax is driving job losses and worsening poverty and homelessness in the north-east.

Scotland’s healthcare buildings are ageing, inefficient, and increasingly vulnerable to climate change. With net zero targets looming and patient safety at stake, the time to act is now, says Colin Rees

Solar power is cheap, clean, and ready to scale — so why is Scotland still whispering about it? George Baxter shares why it’s time to speak up and embrace the energy revolution.

The Scottish Salmon Farm Production Survey, published today, showed that production in 2024 was up, but survival rates had plunged

Audit Scotland is being urged to investigate claims Scotland lost billions in the ScotWind offshore leasing round after a report raised major concerns.

Pollution watchdog SEPA had received more than nine hundred complaints in April 2019 relating to five days of continuous flaring.

The strange marks in the land were laid down thousands of years ago

It’s a big week for nature. Scottish Greens have called for landowners to be forced to restore it – and the Natural Environment Bill is progressing

By Andrew McFarlane, Head of the Renewable Energy team at Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM)

New analysis by the STUC on Scotland’s low carbon and renewable energy economy has revealed the extent of the spending gap.

The lack of a coherent industrial strategy in Scotland is alarming, particularly with a Holyrood election looming. argues Herald columnist Roz Foyer.

Can we do the transition to net zero without leaving people behind? Scotland’s Energy Future looks at how fair the shift has been so far – and what could make it fairer

The government’s current attempts to stop illegal immigrants from entering the UK in small boats isn’t working and there is a better way to deal with the crises.

Seven beavers have been released in a wild Highland glen in a “major step forward” for the drive to restore the animals to Scotland’s landscape.

Scotland’s Land Reform Bill returns to Holyrood this week, with hundreds of amendments and growing pressure from all sides. Ministers say it’s historic. Campaigners want more. Landowners warn of a bureaucratic nightmare.

Heriot-Watt has launched the world’s first online course dedicated to tackling the excess of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Delivering Scotland’s just transition and on clean energy jobs requires fresh thinking on investment, says Professor Nick Robins.

Grangemouth was meant to be Scotland’s test of a just transition where no worker is left behind. Its closure shows how far that promise has fallen.

The Herald investigates how Scotland’s ScotWind leasing deal echoes past mistakes — selling off the nation’s energy wealth to overseas interests once again.

What would a just transition mean for nature? Deborah Long, Chief Officer at Scottish Environment LINK, looks at how and why we might achieve it

NatureScot and Mountaineering Scotland criticise ‘hazy’ and ‘camouflaged’ images in plans for a major Loch Lomond windfarm.

The Herald examines the human cost of Scotland’s troubled heat pump rollout — and the risk of leaving households behind in the race to net zero.

A new list names the ‘best places to live in Scotland’ but it reveals some pretty disturbing attitudes, says Mark Smith

Carspreading is increasingly being identified as a problem as SUVs grow bigger. But it’s not only petrol and diesel, we need to worry about – it’s also the EVs

The latest Herald investigative series, Scotland’s Energy Future, explores whether the race to net zero can truly deliver a fair and just transition for all.