Sarah Buchanan
Written 8 posts
The Benefits of Car Sharing
14th September 2015
Our Liftshare scheme offers employees a better chance of getting a parking space in our busy car parks, particularly useful if other commitments mean you begin work later in the morning. The Liftshare website has a dedicated Scottish Government private group where you can enter details of your journey and look for others going your…
Making a Buzz at VQ!
31st August 2015
Part of our Environmental Policy is a commitment to protect and enhance biodiversity on the Scottish Government estate. In June we introduced a bee hive at Victoria Quay in Leith to join the existing biodiversity pond and wildflower meadow there. Before the addition of the VQ hive there were already three hives within the Scottish…
KeepCupdate
20th August 2015
The figures are in, and the first week of our KeepCup scheme was a resounding success! We’ve sold over 1000 cups across the 8 Sodexo outlets. This is excellent news in terms of our waste reduction, as we think that our 1000 new KeepCup owners will divert 193,000 single-use cups from use over the next…
Reduce Reuse Refill!
5th August 2015
On 10th August KeepCups will be on sale at all Sodexo catering outlets within the Scottish Government estate. This is an initiative aimed at reducing waste from our staff restaurants. Nearly 1 million hot drinks are sold at Scottish Government sites each year, the vast majority of which are currently served in single-use cups. If…
Active Travel: Good for You, Good for the Environment
28th July 2015
Travel is necessary – to get to the shops, to go on holiday, or for slightly less exciting pursuits such as the journey to work. Instead of absent-mindedly reaching for the car keys every time you need to make a journey, why not consider walking or cycling instead. Walking and cycling, also known as active…
Environmental Management Volunteer Day
22nd July 2015
On Thursday 25th June the Environmental Management Team and a group of volunteers from the Scottish Government held a Cycle Path Clean-Up in conjunction with Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT). Our volunteer day was organised by Chris McGhee of the Environmental Management Team and led by Greenspaces Community project officer Esperanza Martin Gil. There…
Motor Services Guest Blog: Edinburgh to Silverstone in an EV
13th July 2015
Motor Services Fleet Manager Sean Cronin shares his experience of travelling in an electric car all the way from Edinburgh to Silverstone – a whopping 366 miles! The Scottish Government Fleet includes 30 hybrid electric cars, 3 electric vans and 3 fully electric Nissan Leafs. There are also operational electric car charging points at 7…
Scottish Government awarded Carbon Trust Triple Standard
7th July 2015
The Environmental Management Team are pleased to announce that the Scottish Government has been awarded the Carbon Trust’s Triple Standard. We are the first government in the UK to achieve this independent certification, which is a recognition of all our hard work in terms of reducing carbon, water and waste. We join other organisations…