We're committed to becoming a net zero development agency by 2035.
Our net zero plan
We're putting net zero at the heart of everything we do. Our net zero plan outlines our approach to help address the risks and opportunities relating to a changing climate. It focuses on economic opportunities that deliver benefits to the environment and society.
Our net zero ambition
For Scotland to achieve its net zero ambitions, we all need to commit to positive change.
Our ambition is to lead, influence and create opportunities for Scotland’s just transition to net zero.
Our latest one-year net zero plan, covering 2025–26, builds on our 2021–25 Net Zero Framework for Action. It sets out a new set of objectives that will help us continue to achieve the same clear ambition.
Our new Scottish Enterprise strategy ‘Our focus on economic transformation’ positions net zero alongside both fair work and equalities, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as critical drivers of competitiveness for businesses. Our new mission-based approach will enable us to deliver greater impact. Net zero is core to the delivery of this.
Adrian Gillespie, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise
What is net zero?
The term 'net zero' refers to an overall balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. Net zero is reached when the amount of greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere is no more than the amount removed.
However, if we want to effectively address the twin challenges of climate change and nature loss, reducing emissions is only part of the picture.
In common with other organisations, we use the term 'net zero' as shorthand to describe a broad range of activities that we support, including:
- Reducing emissions
- Adapting to the consequences of climate change that are already happening
- Helping businesses address growing markets for net zero products, services, and technologies, both at home and overseas
- Protecting and improving natural capital and biodiversity
- Supporting green jobs and a just transition for businesses, sectors and communities
- Promoting and scaling up circular economy practices and business models
Net zero plan highlights: 2024 to 2025
We made significant progress across the objectives we set last year, including:
-
1449.41 thousand tonnes of C02
saved from our supported businesses and projects
-
68 delegates across 54 companies
supported through our Net Zero Academy training programme
-
79% reduction
in our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions (within our existing reporting boundaries) compared with the 2015–16 baseline*
*for the 2023–24 reporting year
Our 2025–2026 objectives
Our operational emissions
Achieving net zero is central to our missions and values. By setting ambitious targets, we demonstrate our dedication to sustainability, showing our leadership in Scotland's net zero transition. Decarbonising how we operate is a vital part of this process.
We have identified two objectives for 2025–26 to support our continued decarbonisation as an economic development agency:
We will undertake an organisational climate change risk assessment in 2025–26.
Supporting Scotland’s just transition to net zero
Since we first launched our net zero ambition in 2021, our approach has been to lead, influence and create opportunities for Scotland’s just transition to net zero. As the global response to climate change continues to grow (supported by emerging technologies and innovation) our ambition is more important than ever.
We're focused on supporting ambitious, growth-minded companies. We're also working to embed net zero across everything we do to increase Scotland’s sustainable prosperity.
For 2025–26, we've identified five objectives to support our focus on economic transformation:
We will help drive business competitiveness by supporting 300 companies to decarbonise their operations in 2025–26.
We'll require investee companies seeking new debt and equity investment opportunities to operate within our Responsible Investment Framework (RIF) from 1 June 2025.
We will raise awareness and gather evidence on the challenges and opportunities for companies supported by Scottish Enterprise on critical raw materials and technologies.
We will raise awareness of adaptation risks and opportunities and gather evidence on adaptation readiness from supported companies using Scottish Enterprise's refreshed Net Zero Accelerator tool.
We'll develop a suite of strategic propositions to promote Grangemouth as a location of choice for net zero fuels and chemicals manufacturing.
Download our full net zero plan
For more information on our net zero ambitions and roadmap, you can read our full net zero plan.
Download our net zero plan (PDF, 1.98 MB, 27 Pages)opens in a new window
-
Sign up to email updates
Stay up to date with the latest events, webinars, funding opportunities and industry news.
We're always ready to help.
Speak to one of our advisers if you have any questions.