Our vision is of a Scotland where every person’s right to a healthy environment is respected, protected and fulfilled
Latest news & updates
How to strengthen the regulation of lobbying in Scotland
The regulation of lobbying in Scotland rests on a legislative regime which came into force nearly a decade ago. This blog discusses some of the ways of strengthening existing lobbying laws, and what could be added to further meaningful transparency …
Race & the Right to a Healthy Environment: Refugees’ and asylum seekers’ lived experiences of access to healthy greenspaces and food
In April 2025, Scottish Refugee Council invited ERCS to talk to the Peer Integration Group about their lived experiences of accessing greenspaces and healthy food. 29 refugees and asylum seekers attended the session. Read what they had to say …
Guest blog: Why law students across Scotland are challenging their future employers over the climate crisis
Lawyers might not be the first group that springs to mind when discussing the climate crisis, but they play a critical role in enabling the operations of the fossil fuel industry …
The Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: How to enforce it and does it need to be strengthened?
How can we use lobbying laws to challenge the influence of big businesses and wealthy individuals in politics? Join our free webinar to hear about how to enforce our existing lobbying laws and discuss whether they need to be strengthened …
Defending Cullaloe Forest from environmental harm – Mark’s Voice for Justice
This Voices for Justice comes from Mark, who was concerned about the environmental harm of a local quarry and its storage and processing of incinerator waste, contaminating the adjacent forest. Without the commitment and tenacity of Mark, other concerned residents and local Councillors, pollution controls would not be enforced, and environmental harms would be allowed to continue unchecked …
Environmental and human rights groups urge UK government to back binding Council of Europe Protocol on the right to a healthy environment – press release
Over sixty organisations have written to UK government ministers ahead of a major meeting of the Council of Europe, urging them to back proposals for an additional …
Our aim
To support individuals and communities to use their environmental rights to protect the environment, tackle climate change, and improve local biodiversity and greenspaces for health and wellbeing.
We do this by:
- awareness-raising to increase confidence in using our environmental rights – see our resources
- advice to increase access to justice and holding public authorities and polluters to account
- advocacy in policy and law reform to improve environmental law – see our work
- public interest litigation to tackle ongoing environmental problems.
ERCS understands environmental law as including law relating to land-use planning, climate change, pollution control, environmental health, the conservation of biodiversity, and any other field (e.g. cultural heritage, transport and energy) to the extent that it impacts on the natural environment and/or the right to live in a healthy environment.
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