Scotland Beyond Net Zero: 13 universities unite as equal partners

All 13 partner universities become equal members of the Scotland-wide collaboration dedicated to accelerating Scotland's transition to a sustainable future.

The new membership model formalises a shared commitment from universities across Scotland to work together to develop collaborative research that contributes to Scotland’s net zero and Just Transition goals.

Established in 2024, SBNZ was created to bring together academic expertise and external partners such as government, industry and communities to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Since then, the initiative has supported collaborative research and innovation projects spanning climate action, nature recovery, sustainable healthcare, circular economy approaches and community resilience. It helped develop high-impact collaborative and co-created partnerships between SBNZ members and external partners. It also played a key role in building strategic relationships between academia and the Scottish Government, Scottish Funding Council and other initiatives including SPEERI (Scottish Partnership for Energy and Engineering Research & Innovation), SRAEHL (Scottish Research Alliance for Energy), Homes and Livelihoods, and SCAF (Scottish Alliance for Food).

The move to an equal membership model marks an important milestone in the alliance’s development. It reflects a shared belief that Scotland's universities can achieve more collectively than they can acting alone.

At a time when universities find themselves competing for students and research funding, SBNZ demonstrates the strength of collaboration within Scottish higher education. By bringing together expertise from across disciplines, institutions and sectors, the partnership enables researchers and external partners to work together on challenges that do not fit neatly within organisational boundaries.

The new model gives every member institution an equal stake in shaping the future direction of SBNZ.

Chair of SBNZ’s Governing Board, Professor Chris Pearce, VP Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Glasgow said: "Scotland's universities already have a strong track record of working together to address complex challenges. This new membership model builds on that tradition and reflects a shared commitment to delivering real-world impact through collaboration.

"The environmental, economic and societal challenges facing Scotland require collective action. By bringing together expertise from all 13 Scottish universities, Scotland Beyond Net Zero provides a powerful platform for developing solutions, supporting innovation and creating positive change."

Jaime L. Toney, Professor of Environmental & Climate Science at the University of Glasgow said: “This membership agreement is a major milestone for SBNZ and partnership working in Scotland. It demonstrates the collective commitment of these 13 universities to collaborate with local partners and Scottish Government to broaden the scope of achieving net zero by including benefits for equity and fairness, nature positive action, and wider societal benefits as part of a net zero future.

”As Scotland seeks to address net zero, climate adaptation, biodiversity loss and sustainable economic development, SBNZ will continue to act as a Scotland-wide platform for collaboration, connecting expertise across institutions and sectors to help deliver meaningful change.

https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_1298980_en.html