SEC in Glasgow commits to Net Zero by 2030

The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow has announced that it aims to become Net Zero by 2030. The news follows the venue’s hosting of COP26 last year and its involvement as a founding partner of the NetZeroCarbon Events pledge which launched during the conference. The organisation’s strategy to reach Net Zero centres around five key goals: climate, governance, partnership, people, and resource. Central to achieving the goal is the development of an energy strategy which will help transition the SEC to Net Zero. Actions around water efficiency, green travel, supply chain engagement and waste management are also being implemented. The SEC will be working with staff, organisers, partners, and visitors as part its Net Zero journey. The team is currently working with the Glasgow City Council, and a number of consultants and organisations. Sustainable work to date The SEC has implemented various changes to reduce its carbon footprint. For example, 100% of the venue’s electricity comes from renewable sources. In the run up to COP26, the SEC launched a sustainable food strategy in partnership with Levy UK with a minimum of 80% of all ingredients sourced in Scotland and a commitment that all packaging used will be reusable or recyclable by 2023. For the past 15 years the SEC has contributed to Trees for Life supporting the growth of 170,000 trees in the Caledonian Forest. Additionally, in 2019, the SEC hired an environment and waste manager to fulfil the venue’s aim to be more sustainable. The SEC is also working towards a Greener Festival’s Greener Arena certification, a global initiative aimed at helping events, festivals and venues become more sustainable and reduce their impact on the environment. Peter Duthie, chief executive of the SEC, commented: “We recognise how significant a challenge this is, but we are determined to reach this goal. We have the vision and an excellent team, deep in planning mode, to get us there.”