Scotland's Taking Action Toolkit

• Transport is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland, accounting for nearly 36%.  
• As over half of journeys taken in Scotland are under 5km, we can reduce congestion and pollution significantly and reach our net zero target if we prioritise walking, wheeling or cycling instead of taking the car. 
• The Scottish Government is investing over £500 million over the next five years to deliver active travel infrastructure so we can all find more active ways to get around. Choosing to travel those shorter everyday journeys by walking, wheeling or cycling helps more than the environment, keeping us healthier and happier.  
• Walking can help prevent a range of health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, some cancers and Alzheimer’s. It can help us sleep better, help to manage pain and have a positive effect on our mental and social health too.  
• Active travel not only benefits the individual, but it’s good for society in general, helping to reduce congestion on the roads and pollution from exhaust fumes which in turn reduces emissions and helps meet net zero targets. 
• Interest free loans are also available to help with the cost of purchasing an e-bike or e-cargo bike. 
• For more information on how to do net zero by choosing active travel, visit: www.netzeronation.scot/take-action/active-travel.

• As the nation comes out of the pandemic and restrictions start to ease, the number of people travelling with start to grow. More people using public transport decreases the amount of greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere.  
• Whether commuting to work or travelling shorter distances for school, leisure purposes or other reasons, leave the car at home and use public transport when COVID-19 travel guidance confirms it is safe to do so where walking, wheeling cycling isn’t possible. 
• Replacing car journeys with public transport can reduce CO2 emissions by 42% if using the bus and 73% if using the train, helping Scotland reach net zero. 
• One double decker bus is the equivalent of removing 75 single occupancy cars from Scotland’s roads. Taking the bus is a greener way to travel but we are going further by moving to use ever greener buses in our public service fleet. 
• The Scottish Government is investing over £500m in bus priority infrastructure to help tackle the negative effects of congestion on bus passengers and increase the number of people who use the bus to travel – where COVID-19 travel guidance allows. 
• The Scottish Government recently invested over £40 million in zero emission buses. Many of these are being built in Falkirk, supporting skilled, green manufacturing jobs in Scotland as well as reducing transport emissions.    
• The Scottish Government concessionary bus travel scheme promotes public transport use by providing free bus travel for all over 60s and qualifying disabled people in Scotland. The Scottish Government has also legislated to allow for free bus travel for under 19s and committed to extending this to under 22s. 
• Employers and workplaces may have annual travel pass schemes in place that support individuals to leave the car at home and use public transport. 
• For more information on how to do net zero by using public transport, visit: www.netzeronation.scot/take-action/public-transport.

• Around three quarters of people in Scotland have access to a car and cars are responsible for 40% of all transport emissions. 
• People have been using cars less during the pandemic as they’ve worked from home, avoided recreational travel and taken part in activities online and from home.  
• In Scotland, we’re phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 to help reach our net zero emissions target and tackle climate change. We’ve invested over £40 million to establish one of the largest electric vehicle charging network in the UK – ChargePlace Scotland. 
• If every day journeys aren’t possible through active travel or public transport, switching from a petrol or diesel car to an electric vehicle makes a real difference to emissions. Electric vehicles don’t burn any fuel so don’t release any CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. 
• A survey published in 2020 by Which revealed that electric vehicle drivers are the happiest. Electric vehicles are great for both the health and environment of Scotland due to reduced emissions, meaning less pollution and cleaner air. 
• There’s an extensive local charging network for electric vehicles with over 1,700 public charging points now available across Scotland, including varying charger types. With developments in battery technology, many vehicles now have the range necessary to meet most journeys without needing to charge. In fact the average electric car can run for 181 miles before needing charged which is 45 miles more than the average motorist clocks up in a week. 
• Whilst car sales declined overall last year, there are more electric vehicles on Scotland’s roads. The variety of models coming on the market is also increasing, boosting choice and a wider range of price points.  
• Consider your need to travel on a daily basis and choose the most sustainable option to help tackle climate change and reach net zero. For shorter journeys, the best option is always to walk, wheel or cycle. 
• Once you have an electric vehicle, the running costs are a lot lower, with no road tax and electric charging proving to be cheaper than fuelling by petrol or diesel. 
• There is financial support available to support the switch to electric vehicles including a grant to have a charge point installed at home. So far, we’ve provided over £80 million of funding to help people make the switch to low carbon vehicles.  
• For more information on how to do net zero by switching to an electric vehicle and the financial support available, visit: www.netzeronation.scot/take-action/electric-vehicles.

• Biodiversity refers to all the different types of animals, plants and other organisms in our natural world. Scotland has an exciting and biodiverse landscape and is home to over 90,000 animal and plant species.   
• Our natural environment has shaped much of our history, culture and identity and is one of our greatest national assets.  
• The impact from the climate emergency on biodiversity is devastating with 11% of our species in Scotland facing extinction and nearly 25% of our wildlife lost with more at risk. 
• Our land provides the potential to create nature-based solutions to climate change, by increasing forestry and woodlands and also restoring peatland. We have already created over 22,000 hectares of new woodland in 2019/20 and 2020/21, and we will continue to invest to increase overall forest cover in Scotland through the Low Carbon Fund which will increase new planting and nursery capacity. Restoring peatlands (which account for more than 20% of Scotland’s land cover) means they can actively remove and store carbon from the atmosphere, support habitats and species and help to improve water quality and manage flood risk. 
• There are plenty of health benefits to spending lots of time outdoors from helping to de-stress and unwind to improving our physical strength. 
• During the pandemic, we spent a lot of time getting outdoors and for many there was a greater appreciation for the environment around us. 
• By helping nature, it can truly help us. There are lots of ways that we can help to make space for more nature around us and allow it to thrive. 
• Recycle any food scraps - if you have any seeds or leftover, softened fruits, leave them out for the wildlife in your garden, whether that be badgers or birds. 
• Rewild your garden – leave some areas of your garden overgrown, let leaves, twigs and pockets of rainwater gather in areas for insects, toads, frogs and other small animals to benefit from. especially in the colder months. 
• Feed the birds – put up bird feeders and keep them clean and topped up. Providing water always helps too. 
• Grow a hedge rather than build a fence – growing a hedge offers a habitat for wildlife that fences just can’t match. 
• Protect the compost bin – try not to disturb any compost heaps or bins until spring time, as many creatures hibernate and shelter there over the winter months 
• For more information on how to do net zero by helping nature, visit: www.netzeronation.scot/take-action/nature-and-outdoors.

• Greenhouse gas emissions come from the energy and resources required to produce, process, package, transport and cook food.  
• Food waste is any leftover or unwanted food and if this is thrown in landfill instead of being properly recycled, it rots, creating the destructive greenhouse gas methane which is even more harmful to the planet than carbon dioxide. 
• Around a third of the food we produce is wasted worldwide each year – that’s 1.3 billion tonnes of food that is never eaten and thrown away. 
• Food in all its stages contributes significantly to climate change and is currently estimated to account for 31% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. 
• If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter. 
• In total, almost two thirds of food waste in Scotland comes directly from households (61%).  
• When it comes to tackling climate change, food waste is an area where individuals, companies and organisations can all make a difference. 
• If we stopped all food waste, the environmental impact would be the equivalent of taking almost one in five cars off Scotland’s roads. 
• There are lots of things you can do to limit the impact on the climate from food from buying locally produced items, following food seasons, using meal planning to make sure you only buy what you need to eat, recycling food waste or using the unavoidable food waste in garden spaces as compost for soil improvement or food for the wildlife. 
• 80% of households in Scotland have access to a local food waste collection service but only 55% of those households use it. 
• During the pandemic food waste recycling may have been negatively impacted due to waste service disruption, but services should be resuming, so now is the time to act.  
• By making healthy and sustainable food choices, we can all play our part in helping Scotland reach net zero.  
• For more information on how to do net zero by eating greener visit: www.netzeronation.scot/take-action/eating-greener.

• Meeting our net zero targets means reducing and ultimately removing emissions from heating our homes by upgrading them to make them more energy efficient, comfortable and cheaper to heat.  
• How we heat our homes contributes significantly to our climate change emissions and around 23% of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions comes from heating our homes and workplaces. Sustainably managing home energy efficiency is a key factor in helping to reach net zero targets for 2045. 
• Due to COVID-19, there is an increased pressure on many household energy bills as a result of increased usage with people spending more time at home. 
• Making homes more energy efficient will also help us to tackle fuel poverty by making homes cheaper to heat as well as warmer. 
• Upgrading to a zero emissions heating system and insulating your home can dramatically help improve the efficiency of your heating. A home that isn’t well insulated can lose more than 50% of its heat through its roof and walls so making improvements can help your finances as well as lower emissions. 
• To achieve net zero, existing homes and buildings across Scotland will need to get to an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) equivalent rating of C – and we’re making good progress. Already 45% of homes in Scotland have an EPC rating of C or better. 
• The reformed EPC will also contain an indicator for the cost of heating which will inform building owners and tenants of the impact of energy efficiency and heating measures on their energy bills. 
• The Scottish Government funded Home Energy Scotland advice service provides clear, free and impartial advice on how you can make your home more energy efficient. There are a range of grants and support available to make homes warmer and cheaper to heat, including renewable and low carbon measures. Contact Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 to find out what support is available or visit www.homeenergyscotland.org. 
• Over 90% of households currently use gas or oil to heat their homes but renewable heat energy is becoming more and more popular from a variety of sources including solar panels, boilers that burn biomass or low carbon gases and from heat pumps that extract heat from the soil, air or nearby water source.   
• You could get funding to help with the cost of installing energy efficient and zero emissions measures, such as an interest-free loan of up to £13,500 with cashback or help worth up to £5,000 to cover the cost of installing measures. Find out what help is available by visiting www.netzeronation.scot/take-action/home-energy or call Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282.  
• Upgrading your heating system or insulation can have a big impact on household emissions but there are lots of smaller changes you can make around your home to help you save money and energy, such as turning your heating down by just one degree, investing in smart heating controls, understanding your energy bill, draught-proofing windows, doors and cracks, switching appliances off standby and getting your boiler checked so it is operating as efficiently as possible. 
• For more information on how to do net zero by sustainably managing home energy efficiency, visit: www.netzeronation.scot/take-action/home-energy.

Carbon emissions are made through the creation of materials, goods and services as well as when they are disposed of, so by keeping existing materials in circulation for longer we can significantly help to reduce their carbon footprint and help Scotland meet its net zero target. 

Four-fifths (80%) of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the materials, goods and services that are produced, used and then often disposed of after just using only once. 

Over the past 20 years, Scotland’s progress in reducing waste emissions has been striking – we’re recycling more than we send to landfill and the amount of waste going to landfill is at its lowest since records began. But there’s still a lot of work to do to reduce waste further and meet our net zero emissions target. 

As shops open up again, it’s important to consider our buying habits and how essential it is to make new purchases. Reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling clothing, furniture and electrical items, will lower the carbon emissions that come from purchasing everything new all of the time. 

It’s important for Scotland to move from a ‘take, make and dispose’ economy to a ‘reduce, reuse, repair and recycle’ circular economy where goods and materials are kept in circulation for as long as possible.  

There are plenty of quick and effective ways people can do net zero through what they are buying whether that’s considering whether that item is necessary to purchase or deciding if it can be borrowed from family or friends, rented or if not, whether a second hand purchase can be made.  

For more information on how to do net zero through reduce, reuse and recycle visit: www.netzeronation.scot/take-action/reduce-re-use-recycle.