TWO charities with a shared name and aspiration are working together to make their countries more beautiful.
Recognising that local solutions can be shared to make a global impact, environmental charities Keep Scotland Beautiful and Keep New Zealand Beautiful have signed a partnership agreement to share their expertise across key areas.
This includes programmes designed to engage people with local food growing, to support people to become “climate literate” and to tackle litter pollution from source to sea.
Keep Scotland Beautiful celebrated its 21st anniversary as a charity in 2021, but has been working to combat climate change, tackle litter and improve place for over 60 years.
Keep New Zealand Beautiful is this year celebrating 55 years of educating people on how to keep communities safe and beautiful, and many of its campaigns are now embedded as part of the countries DNA.
Both charities strive to keep communities clean, sustainable, safe and beautiful. Now, they will work together on a number of shared objectives to ensure that they can increase their impact for the people and neighbourhoods of both countries.
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: "When small nations like Scotland and New Zealand work together, we can have an impact that is much greater than our size.
“Partnership is essential if we are to be equal to the challenge of tackling the twin crises of climate change and nature loss. By coming together to share knowledge and expertise, not only will our countries be better equipped to deliver the change that’s needed, but we can also act as an example for others to follow.”
Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said, “We come from two countries with similar beautiful natural assets, with economies based on agriculture, forestry and tourism, with populations of a similar size, and with national governments committed to tackle litter and waste and combat climate change.
“So, it makes sense that we work together to share our knowledge and programmes to improve both countries and support our communities.”
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“I am very much looking forward to learning from and sharing our experiences with our new friends in New Zealand to make both organisations stronger and to deliver proven behaviour change activities to tackle the global issues of climate change and litter.”
In addition, environmental methodologies, information systems and databases will be shared and the use of science, technical and environmental information will be explored.
Heather Saunderson, CEO of Keep New Zealand Beautiful said, “Aotearoa/New Zealand is only a small part of a much wider world, and Scotland in particular has many striking similarities to our amazing country.
“Working with charities around the globe that have a similar vision – the creation of a more sustainable, ecologically diverse and pollution-free future for their communities – helps magnify our impact for a better world.
“In the 55 years that Keep New Zealand Beautiful has been advocating for the environment, the issues we tackle have become much more global – the major one being climate change, and how we can inspire, educate and empower Kiwis to become Climate Literate.
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“We have a lot to learn from Keep Scotland Beautiful, and in turn a lot to share. We’re pleased to be able to partner with such a like-minded charity, to boost our impact for the benefit of communities both here and on the other side of the world.”
To learn more visit: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/news/january-2022/two-nations-working-together-to-keep-their-countries-beautiful/
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