Sustainability

Grow your tourism or events business sustainably with actionable green strategies.

Loch Affric

Scotland's landscapes, heritage and communities are at the heart of its visitor economy. As tourism and events businesses look to the future, sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Not only for protecting these assets, but also for building resilient, competitive businesses.

Whether you're taking your first steps or looking to build on existing activity, this hub provides practical guidance, tools and support to help you reduce emissions, improve efficiency, and develop a clear plan for climate action.

Explore expert advice, real-world case studies, training opportunities and resources designed specifically for Scotland's tourism and events sector.

Understanding sustainability

Your guide to net zero and sustainability

Learn all about sustainability and understand key terms with these FAQs, and find training courses to expand your knowledge further.

Guide

8 minute read

Net zero legislation

Explore how Scotland's net zero legislation transforms tourism, covering carbon budgets, energy efficiency, low-carbon transport & waste management.

Guide

5 minute read

Sustainability glossary

Find a list of explanations for key terms, phrases and important sustainable initiatives.

Guide

8 minute read

Climate action case studies

Many tourism and events businesses across Scotland are already making meaningful changes to reduce their environmental impact while improving efficiency and enhancing visitor experiences.

Watch our video case studies to discover practical examples, lessons learned and ideas you can apply to your own business.

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Climate Action Case Study: Glen Mhor

Discover how Glen Mhor Hotel & Apartments and Distillery is embedding sustainability across its operations and planning for a lower-carbon future.

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Climate Case Study: Wilderness Scotland

Learn how Wilderness Scotland has adapted its business model and operations to place sustainability at the centre of its customer experiences.

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Climate Action Case Study: The Scottish Crannog Centre

See how sustainability has become a core part of the organisation's strategy, operations and community engagement.

Free training for businesses

“If you have considered beginning a sustainability journey, but it feels too daunting and the online toolkits seem too confusing, then this course is for you.”

Helen Urquhart

Head of Events for the National Piping Centre

Climate Action Accelerator Programme

Our six-week Climate Action Accelerator Programme is a free online training programme, designed for Scotland’s tourism and events businesses.

Delivered by the Climate Springboard team at Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, through small group workshops and one-to-one mentoring, you’ll receive practical guidance and tools to help you reduce emissions and create a long-term climate action plan.

The programme includes:

3 x online workshops
1 x peer-learning session
one-to-one mentoring
practical resources and templates

“You will make tremendous progress in a short time with fantastic coaches and other amazing businesses in your cohort.”

Annika Schneider

The Scotch Whisky Experience

We help you to:

measure and understand your carbon footprint
reduce emissions and costs
create a practical climate action plan to build resilience
comply with sustainability requirements and legislation
access funding opportunities
learn from other tourism and events businesses

It's not just about carbon. By taking proactive climate action, you can cut energy bills, access new visitor markets, and stay ahead of regulations.

"It was great to be able to chat to other people across the industry to share best practices, challenges and ideas."

Lucy Mitchell

K&N Travel

Upcoming cohorts

Places are currently available on our autumn cohorts, with additional dates to be announced soon.

If you're interested but unsure about your availability, register your interest and we'll be happy to discuss upcoming options with you.

Register your interest for the programme

Watch our climate action webinars

If you are considering your first climate action plan, or looking for guidance on developing your existing plan further, join Tiomóid Foley, our Net Zero Manager, for two webinars aimed at helping businesses get to grips with climate action.

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How to take the first steps in climate action

Discover the steps and resources to consider when developing sustainability goals and targeting your emissions.

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Our climate tools on the Business Support Hub

Discover how to navigate resources and access climate tools on our Business Support Hub to develop or enhance your climate action plan.

Develop your sustainability journey

How to measure your climate impact

Measure your emissions with the Climate Impact Guide. See what data to gather, and how to use the insights for a more sustainable business model.

How-to

6 minute read

How to create your climate action plan

Now you have your measurements, create a climate action plan with realistic targets to track your progress with sustainability.

How-to

6 minute read

Carbon emissions calculator methodology statement

Find out more on how our climate action workbook calculates your emissions.

Guide

6 minute read

How to make sustainable improvements

Discover practical short and medium strategies for Scottish businesses to reduce carbon footprints, cut costs, and drive sustainability.

How-to

7 minute read

Medium-term sustainability improvements

Now you've audited your business in energy, travel and fixtures, it’s time to start making improvements and make plans for longer-term developments.

How-to

18 minute read

Long-term sustainability improvements

This guide provides actionable steps that Scottish tourism businesses can take to integrate sustainability into every aspect of their operations.

How-to

6 minute read

Promoting responsible tourism

Promote Scotland online responsibly with sustainable activities, off-season stays, and eco-friendly travel benefiting communities and businesses.

Article

5 minute read

Environmentally responsible events

Find tips and resources to help your event on its environmental sustainability journey.

Article

5 minute read

Related pages

Support by sector

Find tailored advice and case studies for accommodation, active and outdoor, events and festivals, food and drink and visitor attraction sectors.

Food and drink

Find tailored advice for businesses setting up a food and drink experience, or looking to improve and grow an existing business.

Accommodation

Find tailored advice and case studies for the accommodation, self-catering, hotels, small serviced and camping and caravan sectors.

Visitor attractions

Find advice, support and suggestions for the visitor experiences sector covering everything from small community-run museums to hands-on experiences.

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