Launched just before the anniversary of COP26, Step Up to Net Zero is being delivered by Circular Glasgow, an initiative of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Glasgow City Council, and is specifically designed to help meet the city’s net zero and circular economy targets while providing employability support for Glasgow’s workforce.

Step Up to Net Zero has undertaken an assessment for Austin-Smith:Lord to identify circular and net zero opportunities and has developed a bespoke Action Plan with recommendations for circularity, carbon reduction and waste management.

With assistance from Circular Glasgow, the practice is now in the process of recruiting a candidate to oversee the plan’s implementation for four months and work hand in hand with their colleagues at Austin-Smith:Lord to drive the Action Plan forward.

Catherine Cosgrove, sustainability lead at Austin-Smith:Lord, said: “We’ve enjoyed working with the Step Up to Net Zero team and discussing how we can make progress on our own net zero targets. They’ve already been able to help us identify several aims that we can meet quickly and will make a difference to how we work. We’re looking forward to meeting other companies working on this initiative and learning from their experience.”

Chief executive Graham Ross added: “Austin-Smith:Lord are delighted to receive this vital support from Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Circular Glasgow. It feels like a gamechanger in terms of capacity building and skills development for Net Zero businesses in Glasgow. We adopted a Net Zero Emissions by 2030 target in 2021. The support offered through the Step Up to Net Zero initiative will enable us to make substantial progress, capturing and analysing data and embedding Net Zero actions into our Business Planning.”