Our expertise

Climate change action

Climate change is the single greatest threat to Scotland’s environment and will destroy habitats, landscapes and species. It is an existential challenge to our people, way of life and economic prosperity.

With world-leading climate change legislation already in place, everyone in Scotland needs to work together to deliver a sustainable transition to a net-zero nation by 2045.

Climate change solutions are growing to meet that challenge and we work with public agencies, organisations, businesses and local communities across the country to help them adapt, build their resilience and ensure that they are taking positive steps towards net zero.

Our significant expertise is ready to help organisations and agencies in tackling:

• Climate mitigation
• Adaptation and resilience
• Water and air pollution
• Carbon management

To discuss how we can work with you to take action on climate change, please contact emilie.wadsworth@greenactiontrust.org

Environmental and urban regeneration

We want to help you create places and spaces where people want to be, want to play and want to stay. By putting people at the heart of decision-making you can create an authentic place that meets the needs and aspirations of local residents and businesses.

We work with stakeholders from local authorities, developers and communities, to align aspirations so we can work to create and implement a new vision for an area.

We help with:

• Placemaking
• Productive use of unused and underused land
• Greenspace and habitat creation and management
• Connecting communities and places
• Developing community capacity

To discuss how we can work with you to take action on environmental and urban regeneration, email emilie.wadsworth@greenactiontrust.org

Green infrastructure development and delivery

By providing improved greenspaces and green infrastructure in communities across Scotland we can start to reduce carbon emissions, manage the growing impact of climate change, and provide economic, health and recreational benefits.

Green infrastructure development uses natural, semi-natural and built infrastructure to deliver measures that mitigate and manage urban and peri-urban issues – including flood water, surface drainage, air quality and temperature management.

We can work with you to bring forward purposeful greenspaces which are designed and managed to deliver clear functions – such as climate action, improved recreational opportunities and enhanced biodiversity.

Our work on green infrastructure includes:

• Woodland management
• Tree planting
• Community growing spaces
• Green walls and living roofs
• Sustainable drainage / rain gardens
• Allotments
• Pathways and access routes

To discuss how we can work with you to take action on green infrastructure development and delivery, email emilie.wadsworth@greenactiontrust.org

Green active travel

The Scottish Government commitment to developing an Active Nation is supporting projects across the country that improve our public spaces and help to deliver the Active Travel vision of enabling walking and cycling to be the most popular mode of travel for short, everyday journeys. That ambition has been made even more important as a result of the COVID19 pandemic.

We are helping a variety of partners to make Scotland’s towns and cities friendlier, safer and more accessible as part of that vision – from creating dedicated space for pedestrians and cyclists, to exploring the potential for further green routes.

We can help partners take action on active travel and deliver:

• An integrated approach to project management
• Managing access, involvement and participation
• Natural planting/greenery/water systems
• Environmental improvements – increasing habitat and biodiversity
• Creating new routes and improving existing ones
• Improving links to places people want to go

To discuss how we can work with you to take action on green active travel, email mike.ewart@greenactiontrust.org

Productive use of vacant and derelict land

New Scottish Government figures show that about 1 in 3 people live within 500m of vacant and derelict land, rising to 55% in the most disadvantaged communities. This has significant consequences on our nation’s wellbeing, and is a brake on sustainable community development.

The Scottish Land Commission research report ‘Vacant and Derelict Land in Scotland: Assessing the Impact of Vacant and Derelict Land on Communities’ found that derelict sites can affect a community’s health, environment, economy and social cohesion.

However, these sites provide massive potential and by bringing them back into productive use this could help us to tackle many of our nation’s challenges such as anti-social behaviour, climate change, health and wellbeing, helping with rebuilding our economy and creating resilient communities.

As a member of the Scottish Land Commission’s Vacant and Derelict Land Taskforce, we are working to transform the existing approach to bringing vacant and derelict land back into productive use.

We can help you to:

• Focus on reducing the negative impacts of vacant sites
• Identify new positive uses
• Transform vacant sites into greenspaces
• Use space to deliver green infrastructure
• Deliver more attractive and usable places
• Unlock other uses for the land

To discuss how we can work with you to transform derelict land, email mike.batley@greenactiontrust.org

Woodland creation and management

Woodlands and forests are a vital national resource and play an important role in rural development and sustainable land use. As well as helping to reduce the impacts of climate change, woodland creation helps to protect the environment and provide opportunities for public recreation and wellbeing.

We appreciate the benefits that further woodland creation brings to Scotland, to the environment and to communities across the country. We are ideally placed to identify areas for woodland expansion and bringing together partners to deliver the project.

We work with partners across the public, private and third sectors to build utility from working with existing and new woodland spaces:

• Identifying financial support opportunities to fund further woodland creation
• Woodland strategy development
• Comprehensive woodland management services
• Tree planting schemes

To discuss how we can work with you to bring forward and manage woodlands, email douglas.worrall@greenactiontrust.org

Other habitat creation and management

Protecting and improving habitats for wildlife and people is a national priority. Wildlife plays a central role in our lives and local environments, even if often it goes unnoticed. There are social, environmental and health benefits of enriched ecosystems – and it is vital that we try to preserve, protect and improve them.

We have been undertaking transformational change with partners across central Scotland to deliver an environment where nature can flourish. Our work has involved focussing on habitat quality and connectivity – to create local and national networks for people and wildlife. In addition, by focussing on priority species and groups we have helped to deliver innovative projects, including the development of pollinator sites and networks.

Using our expertise, we can help to:

• Design and deliver improved habitats
• Create and restore wetland
• Develop and manage grassland
• Undertake peatland restoration

To discuss how we can work with you to develop and manage habitats, email emilie.wadsworth@greenactiontrust.org

Community greenspace development

Good quality greenspace brings both health and economic benefits. Physical health and mental wellbeing are enhanced through access to and use of quality greenspaces – and to continue these benefits we need to maintain access to quality local greenspaces.

Community greenspace projects provide the opportunity for local residents to lead, contribute and manage projects on their doorsteps – helping to improve community capacity and local areas and make a positive difference to their own lives.

We have worked with many community groups and third sector partners to bring about innovative greenspace projects – including community gardens, orchards and allotments – with a specific focus on disadvantaged areas. This has allowed us to build community capacity, bolster community engagement and encourage community project ownership and management.

With a multi-skilled and experienced team, we can help to:

• Support community aspirations
• Increase community capacity and confidence
• Build skills locally
• Lead engagement and initial partnership discussions
• Support community ownership and management of land

To discuss how we can work with your community group to develop and manage habitats, email emilie.wadsworth@greenactiontrust.org