Rural communities affected by sewage sludge spreading on agricultural land continue to wait for the Scottish Government to act on the human and environmental health risks. Read how community representatives, Doreen and Jo, have been at the forefront of public action against sewage sludge for more than a decade ...
New briefing: Protective Expenses Orders – access to information remains a barrier to justice
In October 2021, ERCS submitted a Freedom of Information request to investigate the impact of Protective Expenses Orders – which are intended to reduce the cost of litigation for environmental cases. A year later, we are still in the dark about how they are really working ...
ERCS advice service – a brief overview
We offer free advice on environmental law. Since launching in June 2021, we’ve received 127 enquiries from individuals, community groups and NGOs based all across Scotland ...
ERCS advocacy officer – looking back at the first four months in post
What have we been doing to improve Scotland's environmental laws and defend our right to a healthy environment? Our new advocacy officer reflects on four months in post ...
Environmental campaigners urge UN Body to recommend equal rights in Scotland’s planning system – press release
ERCS, Planning Democracy, FoES and RSPB Scotland have submitted a formal complaint to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, tasked with upholding environmental rights, to recommend equal rights of appeal in the planning system ...
Reclaiming contaminated land & unaffordable, unfair access to justice
In the Murieston Valley, Livingston lies a plot of vacant contaminated land which is now a valued local greenspace. Despite significant community concerns, a planning application was approved on appeal. Find out more about their struggle and how "its the financial side that inhibits the small man from doing something" ...
Scottish Government fails to deliver for UN Action Plan deadline on environmental rights – press release
ERCS, FoES and RSPB Scotland have branded a UK and Scottish Government Action Plan to deliver on environmental rights ‘woefully inadequate’. The groups have written to the UN body to express their concern about a lack of concrete commitments to reform the legal system to help people defend the environment ...
ERCS recruiting an Assistant Legal Officer (part-time)
Are you passionate about protecting the environment, and committed to advancing environmental rights? We are recruiting an Assistant Legal Officer to increase access to justice and holding public authorities and polluters to account ...
