Reel insight into change on the road to net zero

Featuring high profile figures such as Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and premiered during COP26, new documentary ‘Scotland: Our Climate Journey’ depicts how the country became a leading light in the global movement towards net zero emissions

“The future of the planet is in our hands right now, and it’s just unthinkable that we fail to face up to this,” says Nicola Sturgeon in the trailer of a new documentary, charting Scotland’s progress in the fight against climate change.

Scotland: Our Climate Journey, which was premiered during COP26 at the Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre, is presented by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in collaboration with Balfour Beatty. It follows Scotland’s climate journey through the past, present, and future. It focuses on how far the country has come as one of the leading nations in climate change policy, and how far it still has to go. The film takes viewers through the journey beginning over a decade ago,
with the forming of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition and the eventual passing of the
2009 Climate Act, then branches out to explore real world examples of the change
that this legislation helped to inspire across Scotland.

This insightful feature-length documentary is narrated by a wide range of individuals from across the country, offering different perspectives, but all contributing in the battle against climate change. As the film uncovers the journey of policy, industries, communities, farmers, and scientists, we will learn that Scotland already possesses most of the tools and expertise needed to fight the climate crisis.

RSGS CEO Mike Robinson said: “Scotland of course has a way to go in the fight against climate change. No country has yet done enough to tackle this global issue. But whilst we still have a long way to go, we still need to take time to acknowledge the change we have made so far. This documentary brilliantly depicts the journey of Scotland in setting targets and building a response and asks contributors to reflect on the future and its net zero targets. Sometimes it can feel like an uphill struggle, but I hope this documentary will encourage and invigorate all of those who are doing the right thing to keep pushing, and inspire others to follow them.”

The film is the second feature film created by Scout Studio duo Finbar O’Sullivan and Ted Simpson, who travelled the length and breadth of the country, from local communities in Glasgow to communities in Aberdeenshire and from Perth to Dundee to Holyrood.

Producer Finbar O’Sullivan commented: “”Making this film has been an incredible experience. When we began production early in 2021, we realised very quickly that the scope of the stories we could cover was enormous. One of the most difficult parts of the whole process was deciding who to visit and which stories to tell. There were so many amazing options. Having had the opportunity to travel throughout Scotland, meeting people from all walks of life, all working hard and contributing in their own way to the climate fight, was nothing short of inspirational. We hope that people watching the film will leave it with the same sense of hope and encouragement for our shared future that we felt as we were making it.”

Director Ted Simpson commented “This felt like a really important film to make. Scotland has so much to be proud of in the fight against climate change, with genuine lessons that can be shared worldwide. However, there is also so much work to be done. For me, finding the balance between these amazing stories, and amplifying the voices who are showing the way for future progress, was a fascinating challenge, and a real privilege. I can’t wait for audiences to meet some of the characters we filmed. I hope they really get a sense of the very real action that’s happening all across Scotland in this most important of issues. There is so much to explore in this realm and we’re certainly inspired to keep finding and sharing these stories in the future.”

Mike Robinson added: “We have been approached by communities, businesses and schools who are really keen to run screenings of this film.”

To view the trailer, register interest in screening the film, or keep abreast of the latest news regarding new screenings, please visit: www.scotlandsclimatejourney.co.uk

To find out more about how your business or organisation can support the global movement towards net zero emissions by taking the Climate Solutions Accelerator 90 minute online course, or the Climate Solutions Professional online course, in which participants can learn from the world’s leading experts on climate change, please email: climate.solutions@rsgs.org