Voices for Justice
Voices for Justice – lived experience
We have provided free legal advice to over 700 individuals, groups and organisations. Our snapshot illustrates the geographical range and nature of enquiries with a fifth coming from the most deprived areas in Scotland.
From this, we are now able to identify trends and challenge systemic failures on local and national scales. In the past year, enquiries have included concerns about data centres, freeports, litter, electricity infrastructure, sewage sludge, tree protection orders, forestry developments, marine licencing, and environmental impact assessment screening opinions and reports.
The feedback we receive highlights increased awareness of and confidence in exercising environmental rights, including our right to information and participation in decision-making, but also how hard it is to stand up for the environment and our health.
These accounts from our Law Service and outreach work give voice to the lived experience of people across Scotland fighting environmental injustice, and their persistence to defend our right to a healthy environment.
We also support the Environmental Justice Network of previous clients who inform our advocacy and campaigns. Find out more about the Network.
The Snakes and Ladders of seeking environmental justice
In May 2026, the Environmental Justice Network spoke at the Congress of Nations and States: ‘Mass atrocities, environmental degradation and communities’ rights conference’, hosted by the University of Dundee and the University of Stirling. The Network put on a play on how navigating Scotland’s environmetal laws and regulations can be like a game of Snakes and Ladders …
Environmental rights on Gypsy/Traveller Sites
Since 2022, ERCS has been working closely with the Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP) to investigate and address the range of environmental burdens faced by residents on Gypsy/Traveller sites in Scotland. This report summarises the findings and learnings of our collaboration across five sites …
Disability-inclusive climate emergency planning in Scotland
Over the last 18 months, ERCS have been working closely with Inclusion Scotland and the Sensing Climate project to identify opportunities for disability-inclusive climate emergency planning in Scotland. Ahead of our roundtable with key stakeholders in June, we are sharing our findings …
The harm of septic tank discharges & sewer overflows into the River Dee – G’s Voice for Justice
This Voices for Justice piece comes from G, a resident near the River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway. G highlights the issue of septic tank pollution in the River Dee and the challenge of addressing it …
Restore Nature wins legal challenge to protect Todrig from Sitka spruce plantations
Restore Nature won its legal challenge against Scottish Forestry to protect nature and communities around Todrig from proposed Sitka spruce plantations. Read David’s reflections on the process …
The risks of sewage sludge spreading on land and the need to re-evaluate
ERCS and Fidra are calling for a moratorium on sewage sludge spreading on agricultural land amid increasing concerns about risks to the environment and human health …
Disability-inclusive climate emergency planning
Together with Inclusion Scotland and the Sensing Climate Project, we are working to make climate emergency planning more disability-inclusive. Read a summary of the work so far …
Restore Nature’s legal challenge to protect Todrig from Sitka spruce plantations
Restore Nature is taking a legal challenge against Scottish Forestry to protect nature and communities around Todrig from proposed Sitka spruce plantations …
Bathing waters designation – murkier than ever?
Bathing water designation came to our attention when we were contacted by the River Almond Action Group (RAAG). In this blog, our Assistant Legal Officer Preslava Todorova analyses how, over two years after our representation to Environmental Standards Scotland, bathing water designation remains murkier than ever …
Race & the Right to a Healthy Environment: Refugees’ and asylum seekers’ lived experiences of access to greenspaces and healthy 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 …
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 …
Participatory decision-making at the Independent Human Rights Fund for Scotland
D. Bowers is a member of the Environmental Justice Network. Last year, D was selected to participate in the decision-making panel for the Independent Human Rights Fund for Scotland …
Petition to protect Scotland’s ancient and native woodlands closed: an update from Help Trees Help Us
In June 2023, we published a Voices for Justice from the Help Trees Help Us’ campaign on saving Scotland’s ancient and native woodlands. After almost five years, the petition was closed. Help Trees Help Us provide an update …
Race & the Right to a Healthy Environment: Lived experiences on access to greenspace and healthy food
Race & the Right to a Healthy Environment aims to establish a benchmark and platform to begin to respond to the priorities of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in Scotland …
Environmental Justice Network Film
The Environmental Justice Network is a group of community campaigners from across Scotland who are pushing for improved environmental regulations and enforcement. In this film, the stories of five campaigns weave together …
Rights Officer – my work so far
Cornell, ERCS’s Rights Officer, works on raising awareness of environmental rights and supporting equitable participation in environmental decision-making …
Lead shot contamination of soil and water – Mary’s Voice for Justice
Mary Hurry questions her local authority and environmental regulators about contamination from lead shot and encountering a lack of responsibility from all …
Sheriffhall Overarching Objectors – holding the government to account on more roads and more emissions
The community group, Sheriffhall Overarching Objectors, challenge a proposed major road redevelopment that has implications for locals and the Scottish Government’s plans to reduce car kilometres …
Wyndford Residents Union: Defending residents’ rights
The Wyndford Residents Union is fighting to save their home from one of Scotland’s biggest demolition projects proposed by Wheatley Homes Glasgow …
Save Our Shore Leith: Two years of advocating for a clean Water of Leith
SOSLeith have been fighting against sewage pollution for over two years, with little action from environmental regulators …
Bathing water case update: Have the waters cleared?
In recent years, outdoor bathing has become increasingly importance to our health and wellbeing. Yet all is not well – not a day goes by without another sewage scandal, another tale of polluted rivers or beaches clogged with plastic waste …
Saving Scotland’s ancient and native woodlands– Help Trees Help Us
Only 1% of Scotland’s ancient woodland remains and much of it is unprotected, in poor ecological condition and with no special designation. These irreplaceable and complex ecosystems are under threat …
Bathing water case update: the good, the bad, and the ugly
In March, we submitted a formal complaint to Environmental Standards Scotland about the prohibitively high threshold for applicants seeking bathing water designation for Scotland’s beaches, lochs and rivers …
The fight to stop the Clydebank incinerator – Kenny’s voice for justice
“I was fighting for my own health, but I felt as if I was fighting for the health of the people in the hospice, the kids in the primary school and the local community generally …”
Sewage polluted waters and a lack of monitoring – Save Our Shore Leith
Community organisation Save our Shore Leith (SOSLeith) campaigns against the impact of sewage outflows and the lack of monitoring in the Water of Leith – Jim Jarvie explains why and what needs to change …
ERCS challenges Scottish Government over bathing water status
ERCS has made a complaint to Environmental Standards Scotland regarding the government’s unlawful approach to the designation of bathing waters in Scotland …
Sewage sludge spreading – the harm and fight for improved regulation
Read how community representatives, Doreen and Jo, have been at the forefront of public action against sewage sludge for more than a decade …
Exploring environmental rights with Roma youth activists
Our Rights Officer, Cornell, joined the Friends of Romano Lav youth activists in their local neighbourhood of Govanhill, Glasgow. Together, the group walked around Govanhill and took photos of what they liked, disliked, and wanted to change about their local environment …
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” …
Ann’s story – The fight for environmental justice
Ann Coleman, has been challenging developments on behalf of communities and the environment for over 25 years. Our Rights Officer interviewed her to learn more about her fight for environmental justice …
Voice from the Human Rights Lived Experience Board – Ann Coleman
Ann Coleman has been a community and environmental campaigner for over 25 years. We are grateful that she agreed to be on the Human Rights Lived Experience Board to inform the development of the Human Rights (Scotland) Bill …
Exorbitant legal fees forced us to close – Aberdeenshire Environmental Forum
George Niblock is a public health and environmental professional with over 50 years’ experience advising government and statutory bodies. George used to be the Chair of the volunteer-led Aberdeenshire Environmental Forum in his spare time. For ten years the forum engaged with the Aberdeenshire Council to address major street cleansing concerns, but with little success …
Court costs make access to justice unaffordable
‘I had good grounds to challenge the incinerator but when it came to it, I had no assets to pursue a legal challenge – so where was my human right of access to justice?’ …
