Music has the power to connect people and inspire change - and at the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, we believe that includes caring for the world we share. As one of Scotland's five national performing companies, touring is at the heart of what we do, whether bringing our Orchestra to diverse audiences across Scotland, performing internationally, or engaging communities through our Learning & Participation programme. We recognise our responsibility to minimise the environmental impact of our touring and office operations, and we are committed to embedding sustainable practices into every aspect of our work.

We aim not only to lead by example but to inspire our staff, partners and audiences to join us in making choices that protect our planet.

Our sustainability journey began in 2017 with a clear goal: to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations while maintaining the excellence and reach that define our work. Joining the cultural sector's Green Arts Initiative has been instrumental in this mission, providing achievable annual targets for reducing emissions and ensuring transparent reporting to the City of Edinburgh Council, who we are proud to align with their ambition for a net-zero future.

As a creative organisation rooted in Scotland, we believe the cultural sector has a unique role to play in inspiring and enabling meaningful climate action. We are pleased to announce our official commitment to the Scottish Green Arts Charter, aligning our future sustainability targets with a wider national movement for environmental change. The Green Arts Charter is a set of four core pledges and actionable, shared goals developed specifically for members of the Green Arts Initiative network.

By building the Charter's core pledges into how we work, we're committing to reducing our carbon impact, sharing knowledge and supporting climate justice within our community. This public step is an important part of our journey to lower our footprint, adapt for the future and use our creative platform to support a net-zero Scotland.