Scottish Ensemble believes the arts have an important role to play in exploring, communicating, and taking practical action on issues related to climate change and the environment. Through our music we aim not just to inspire audiences emotionally, but also to spark awareness and encourage positive change on environmental issues.
As a touring organisation we recognise that our operations and activities have an unavoidable impact on the environment, and we are committed to measuring, understanding, and reducing that impact. Through our artistic programmes and our work with artists, partners, networks, and audiences, we seek to encourage dialogue and inspire lasting change.
Our Journey
We are on a journey to better understand and monitor the environmental impact of our work. In 2015, we calculated the carbon emissions associated with our UK and international touring, power consumption, and overall waste for the first time. We have monitored and reported on these each year since, working with Culture for Climate Scotland to interpret this data and understand where we can reduce our impact. This has enabled us to make strategic decisions that have significantly reduced emissions across these areas.
Advocacy and Collaboration
We believe that advocacy is one of the most important parts of our sustainability journey. In 2020, we co-founded the Scottish Classical Sustainability Group (SCSG), bringing together representatives from across Scotland’s classical sector—including national companies, symphony orchestras, festivals, touring ensembles, and leisure-time musicians—to promote sustainability, share best practice, and learn from one another.
The SCSG has released two major reports:
Written collaboratively with contributions and data from its 30+ members, these reports provide practical knowledge and guidance on reducing carbon emissions across all aspects of organisational and artistic activity. The group’s work was recognised with the Environmental Sustainability Award at the Scottish Awards for New Music 2021.
We are also a member of the Green Arts Initiative and regularly attend and contribute to talks and conferences, including SPRINGBOARD and the Association of British Orchestras conference, sharing learning with our peers. In 2024 Scottish Ensemble was recognised with an Award by the Association of British Orchestras for our environmental sustainability work.
Sustainability Action Plan
We are committed to embedding sustainability across all areas of our work. Current key focuses include:
- Policies and Systems
- Develop and implement a new Sustainable Procurement Policy.
- Ensure our digital presence is environmentally responsible, tracking emissions and optimising website and digital content.
- Travel and Touring
- Schedule tours strategically to maximise travel by train.
- Expand our tracking system to include travel by all of our musicians, freelance staff, and board members.
- Data-Driven Decisions
- Continue to gather data on carbon emissions from Scottish Ensemble’s activities using Creative Carbon Scotland’s reporting guidelines.
- Sector Leadership
- Maintain a key role within Scottish Classical Music Sustainability Group, Anti-Clash Network, Scottish Freelance Classical Ensembles Network, and the Association of British Orchestras to model best practice and contribute to sector-wide discussions on climate change.
What else have we done?
- Signed an agreement with our international representatives, fast forward classical, committing to prioritise environmental sustainability in European touring.
- Committed to providing sustainably sourced catering and refreshments for our artists in Scotland, using local, seasonal produce to reduce packaging, waste, and road miles.
- Developed green riders for our touring in at home and abroad, setting out our expectations and goals to promoters, festivals, and venues.
- Moved our website hosting to a 100% renewable energy source.
- In 2023, we trialled international touring by train, travelling from Glasgow to the Netherlands to explore sustainable travel options. Watch below.
Looking Ahead
Scottish Ensemble remains committed to continually improving our sustainability practices—both on stage and behind the scenes. Through our work, we aim to inspire audiences, support artists, and contribute to a greener future for Scotland’s arts sector.
