Scottish Classical Sustainability Group
The group’s work to date has seen it launch the Scottish Classical Music Green Guide and win the Environmental Sustainability Award at the Scottish Awards for New Music 2021.
The Scottish Classical Sustainability Group represents the breadth and variety of the Scottish classical music sector, with over 30 members including national companies, festivals, touring ensembles, and leisure-time musicians.
Member organisations are:
- Association of British Orchestras
- BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
- Chamber Music Scotland
- Children’s Classic Concerts
- Creative Carbon Scotland
- Creative Scotland
- Drake Music Scotland
- Dunedin Consort
- Hebrides Ensemble
- Lammermuir Festival
- Live Music Now Scotland
- Making Music Scotland
- Music at Paxton
- Musicians’ Union
- National Youth Choir of Scotland
- National Youth Orchestras of Scotland
- New Music Scotland
- Nordic Viola
- Red Note Ensemble
- Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- Royal Scottish National Orchestra
- Scottish Chamber Orchestra
- Scottish Ensemble
- Scottish Freelancers Ensemble
- Scottish National Jazz Orchestra
- Sequoia Duo
- Sistema Scotland
- Sound Festival
- St Andrews Voices
- St Magnus Festival
- The Cumnock Tryst

Classical music and train travel
Following recurrent discussions in 2021-22 around shared issues with rail travel, the group collated a sector response summarising the current barriers prohibiting greater use of rail travel by individuals and organisations.
Download Classical Music & Train Travel in Scotland 2022-23 (PDF 1.8MB)
Scottish Classical Music Green Guide
In July 2021, the group published the Scottish Classical Music Green Guide, aimed at changing behaviours not only in organisations, but in individual musicians and audiences across the country. The guide is the culmination of discussions around how the sector can best address the climate emergency to help achieve a net-zero society.
Download the Scottish Classical Music Green Guide. (PDF 3.35MB)
Scottish Awards for New Music
In 2021, the Scottish Classical Sustainability Group won the Environmental Sustainability Award at the Scottish Awards for New Music for their groundbreaking work in the climate change arena.
‘The positive approach to change is very impressive here, with an emphasis on the exchange of ideas and experiences in order to foster a collaborative approach to change, and the inclusive nature of the project, bringing together much of the Scottish classical industry, is commendable.’
Judges comment, Scottish Awards for New Music 2021
Culture for Climate Scotland
We began working with the Scottish Classical Sustainability Group when we were Creative Carbon Scotland and the reports above refer to us thus. We are delighted that our work, especially the Green Arts Initiative, inspired the creation of the Scottish Classical Sustainability Group and we’re pleased to host this page on the group’s behalf.
Meetings and minutes
Scottish Classical Sustainability Group meetings are held every two months, with presentations from members and discussion on different topics. If you would like to have access to minutes or are interested in attending a meeting, please use the contact form.