A new Edinburgh Science initiative – Buy Local Act Global

Join in the new Edinburgh Science campaign to reduce carbon Footprint by sticking to the mantra, Buy Local Act Global.

The Buy Local Act Global campaign is an Edinburgh Science initiative which aims to both shed light on the impact of climate change on the coffee industry, and highlight the ways in which Edinburgh businesses are taking climate-conscious actions to build resilience.

The campaign trail features six independent coffee shops and roasters:

• 
  Williams & Johnson 
• The Milkman 
• Machina 
• Fortitude 
• Babyfaced Baker 
• Little Fitzroy 

Coffee enthusiasts can pick up a card in any participating venue, the card links to the Buy Local Act Global website. The website details the actions that businesses are taking and the local and global impact of these as well as actions that they can take themselves.  

The campaign is associated with The NetZeroToolkit – a free online resource by Edinburgh Science that supports organisations of any size, but particularly micro businesses and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to build carbon management strategies. Many coffee shops on the trail have signed up to and are using The NetZeroToolkit and visitors to the trail are encouraged to share this resource with their own businesses or SMEs that they use to get more Edinburgh SMEs building effective carbon reduction strategies.  

Emily Stone, Climate and Sustainability Business Development Manager at Edinburgh Science said: “Small-to-medium size enterprises – or SMEs make up a massive 99% of the UK business community, their contribution is vital if we are to meet our ambitious – and necessary –net zero targets. The good news is that there are many SMEs, such as these, working incredibly hard on making climate conscious and sustainable decisions even in areas that are being badly affected by the impact of climate change such as the coffee industry. Any business, from any sector can – and should – sign up to The NetZeroToolkit today, for free. At Edinburgh Science we believe that if we work together now; we can build a better future for everyone.”  

Each day more than 95 million cups of coffee are consumed in the UK and many are bought from independent coffee shops.

The coffee industry is experiencing increasing challenges caused by climate change, ranging from the production of coffee beans to supply chain disruptions caused by extreme weather events.

Through the Buy Local Act Global campaign, Edinburgh Science hopes to demonstrate the powerful impact that supporting everyday businesses can have, not just locally, but globally.

The early morning launch event at Williams and Johnson on Customs Wharf on Thursday was an opportunity to wake up and smell the coffee about the way we consume goods.

All photos Chris Scott