Environment & Climate Change Manager

The protection of Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage, its flora and fauna, and its landscapes and buildings is a core purpose of the National Trust for Scotland, driving activities across the organisation, and informing its identity as a charity, as well as the identity of Scotland and its people. All of these elements are fundamentally threatened by the impacts of Climate Change. As such, action in response to Climate Change is a central concern for the Trust.

This has been recognised for a number of years by the Trust and work has been taken forward including development of a Climate Change Action Plan, an adaptation assessment, renewable energy initiatives, climate risk modelling and energy reduction strategies. Unfortunately, some of this momentum was lost during the pandemic but the Trust has recently published a renewed commitment to mitigating and adapting to Climate Change within its published 10 Year Strategy which includes a target to be carbon negative by 2031. The Trust has also recently concluded an estate wide natural capital baseline assessment.

The Trust has been monitoring its environmental performance in compliance with ESOS and SECR reporting requirements. Planning and reporting against our carbon negative target will require the introduction of new policies, systems and approaches to be adopted across the organisation through procurement, people management and the management of buildings and land.

JOB PURPOSE

This job exists to:

Lead on policy, standards and guidance on environmental management and reporting ensuring the organisation is able to meet its target of being carbon negative by 2031 and be transitioning to be more resilient to the impacts of Climate Change.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Lead on development of climate and environmental management policy, standards, target setting and guidance.
2. Be responsible for reporting on environmental performance including ESOS and SECR and relevant internal performance reporting including key performance indicators and the annual report.
3. Be responsible for ensuring the organisation has sufficient systems in place to manage and report against environmental performance- notably carbon equivalent emissions, waste management, water and energy efficiency
4. Establish a new NTS forum for coordination of environmental management, performance monitoring and sharing best practice
5. Provide advice to property and national function staff on request and through production of briefings and contribution to project and strategy development
6. Act as the lead NTS contact for climate and environmental management issues with external bodies including Scottish Government, SEPA and Scottish Environment LINK, and other charities
7. Lead on relevant Scottish and UK Government consultations relating to environmental management issues
8. Line manage the Climate Change Coordinator and oversee development of the Trust’s Climate Change adaptation policies, plans and guidance.
9. Act as a key media spokesperson for NTS on environmental management issues contributing material to NTS communications
10. Contribute to the wider work of the department and the Trust as required