Justice for people
and the environment
We want a Scotland where every person’s right to a healthy environment is respected, protected and fulfilled.
We know that holding public bodies and polluters to account is too complicated, intimidating and expensive. This is why we work for better laws and support people to use their environmental rights to defend the environment – for our health and our planet.
Scotland’s law service for environmental justice
You can contact us for specific advice on an environmental issue or a general enquiry. For example, a worrying planning application, loss of greenspace, or your right to environmental information and participation.
When all else fails, we use public interest litigation to hold public bodies to account.
‘Hauns Affa Torry protest’ by Benji Brown.
Community campaigners pointing out sewer overflows on a map at the Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage campaign stall.
Working with environmental defenders
We campaign with groups to improve environmental regulations and enforcement on air, land and water pollution.
Discussions table at the lived experience workshop for disability-inclusive climate emergency planning by David Mollison.
Strengthening environmental laws
We are pushing for an enforceable right to a healthy environment, criminalising ecocide, and fair and affordable access to justice.
Take action
Write a postcard about sewage pollution
Do you know a river or a beach affected by sewage pollution? We are collecting postcards of people’s experiences to build a map of evidence and call for action on sewage spills.
Sewer overflow in the River Clyde, Glasgow by Friends of the River Clyde.
Latest news
Using the law in an era of climate breakdown – speaker event and panel discussion
After a summer of extreme heat and devastating wildfires, and amid intense debate about new North Sea oil, ERCS and the University of Glasgow will be hosting a speaker event to explore how Scotland’s legal profession can respond to our escalating climate crisis …
Stop Toxic Sewage Sludge Spreading: Tenacious campaigners call for cases
Tenacious Award Winners, Jo Hirst and Doreen Goldie, are working with ERCS to call for a moratorium on toxic sewage sludge spreading on agricultural land. They are calling for cases of sewage sludge spreading in Scotland to support the campaign …
Parents, teachers and health campaigners hail ‘window of opportunity’ to cut air pollution from engine idling – press release
Parents, teachers, and environmental health campaigners have hailed a ‘window of opportunity’ to cut toxic air pollution from engine idling …
ERCS welcomes new rules for hyperscale data centres as a win for environmental justice – press release
After months of growing pressure from campaigners and protests by communities up and down the country, the Scottish Government announced that planning applications for data centres over 50MW will require environmental impact assessments …
700 enquiries to ERCS’s Law Service
Our Chief Officer Shivali Fifield reflects on the recent wins of ERCS’s Law Service, which has now received over 700 enquiries. Read more in the latest Snapshot …
ERCS affected by Beacon CRM data breach
On Monday 3 August, ERCS was notified about a data breach affecting Beacon, our third-party CRM (Customer Relationship Management) provider. This is the final update from Beacon and information for supporters …
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Header image by Ferdinand van Oostrom is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
