I’m Alison, one of Girlguiding Scotland’s assistant chief commissioners. I’m also a guide leader in Edinburgh. I came to my current Scottish volunteering role after being involved in a range of governance work at Scottish and UK levels, and having held a few county advisor roles over the years.

One of the areas that I oversee at Girlguiding Scotland is our work around the environment. I have a personal and professional interest in this area and it’s exciting to be able to support guiding’s efforts to make a different to the world around us!

Yesterday, 22 April, was Earth Day which is an annual event that takes place globally to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It serves as a good reminder of the importance of our natural world.

Looking after the environment has always been an important part of our organisation. For example, the Guide law provides that “a Guide respects all living things and takes care of the world around her”. Perhaps you joined in with the #PlasticPromise campaign back in 2019/20 or have taken part in a Girlguiding Scotland challenge badge such as Grow and Explore, Wee Beastie or Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Taking action to protect the natural environment, reduce our impact and adapt to the changing climate is more important than ever. Girlguiding conducted research in 2023 with members and non-members on the environment. 84% of our young members said that it’s important to do something about climate change and 4 out of 5 girls surveyed said that the youth sector should be doing more about climate change.

Girls of all ages across the UK are feeling worried, anxious and overwhelmed by global warming. The Girlguiding Girls Attitudes Survey (2023) found that 68% of 7–10-year-olds and 73% of 11–16-year-olds were worried about the effects of climate change. In 2024, the Survey found that, in the last 5 years girls have become less hopeful about action on climate change. Only 28% of girls say they feel hopeful that people are talking about it and trying to help, compared to 38% in 2019/20. 69% of girls and young women aged 17-21 believe that there is too much responsibility on young people to solve the climate crisis (Girlguiding Girls’ Attitudes Survey 2023). This is why we all need to work together to make change.

In 2024, Girlguiding launched an environmental plan. In the coming years, Girlguiding plans to build awareness and knowledge about sustainability, encourage sustainable guiding, inspire and drive change in wider society and reduce our carbon footprint.

Girlguiding Scotland is working to support and amplify the work being done by Girlguiding in this important area. We are working harder on assessing the environmental impacts of our work and the risks that the changing climate poses to our activities, considering how we can amplify girls’ voices on climate change and exploring ways to cut our organisational carbon footprint.

What can you do?

There are lots that we can all do within our guiding activities to contribute to reducing our impact on the environment:

• Learn about the waste hierarchy and use this knowledge to reduce, re-use and recycle waste in your unit. Can you organise a ‘no waste’ unit meeting or activity day? Try asking around in your local area to see if other units have resources to be used before you buy something new.
• Take part in one of the environmental themed interest badges or programme activities, such as the recycling interest badge for Rainbows, zero waste badge for Brownies, or conscious consumer and upcycling badges for Guides. The summer term is a great opportunity to get outside and have a (safe and responsible) adventure in your local environment.
• Encourage your volunteers and young members to think about how they travel to unit meetings and activities. Could they use modes of active travel or public transport? If travelling by car is necessary, can they car share? Check out the Girlguiding Scotland Active Adventures challenge for some inspiration.
• Planning an adventure? Take a look at Girlguiding’s checklist for carbon-smart travel 
• Take action – a particular strength of guiding is our ability to influence others, including the communities around us and decision-makers. Can you support our young members to have their voice heard about the climate issues that matter to them or to take part in a change-making activity? Maybe they would like to raise their concerns with a local representative, be inspired to think about a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) or take part in a local climate or nature project. Rangers could check out the protesting interest badge.