Introduction

From 1 April 2024 the Scottish Arbitration Centre will follow its Greener Arbitration Policy.

The Centre is a signatory to the Campaign for Greener Arbitration’s Green Pledge.  The Campaign for Greener Arbitrations is an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitrations.  The Centre has been supportive of the campaign since its establishment.  Indeed, we were the first arbitration centre in the world to embed the campaign into our arbitration rules.

We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and to investing in nature by looking at our business activity and working practices, and in leading by example, to inspire others.

Greener Arbitration Policy

Our Greener Arbitration Policy is as follows:

• Create a workspace with a reduced environmental footprint by looking for opportunities to reduce energy consumption and waste.
• Correspond electronically, unless hard copy correspondence is expressly needed in the circumstances, while also being mindful that email has a carbon footprint.
• Encourage the use of videoconferencing facilities as an alternative to travel (including for the purposes of conducting fact finding or interviews with witnesses).
• Avoid printing, requesting the use of electronic rather than hard copies of documents and promoting the use of electronic bundles at hearings.
• Use, where possible, suppliers and service providers who are committed to reducing their environmental footprint (including for the purposes of arranging an arbitration hearing).
• Consider and/or suggest, where appropriate, that witnesses or experts give evidence through videoconferencing facilities, rather than attend hearings in person.
• Avoid unnecessary travel and use videoconferencing facilities as an alternative.
• Consider and question the need to fly at all times and mitigate carbon emissions for any arbitration-related travel. Where travel by plane is necessary, such as for international travel to attend or speak at key in person conferences, we will seek to mitigate against our carbon emissions by calculating the mitigation cost and donating that amount to RSPB Forsinard Flows Project, which is combatting climate change through the restoration of Scotland’s precious peatlands and investment in nature.
• When organising and delivering a conference, such as the Edinburgh International Arbitration Conference, we will seek to follow the Campaign for Greener Arbitration Protocol on Arbitration Conferences.  To mitigate against carbon emissions of the event we will make a donation to RSPB Forsinard Flows Project, which is combatting climate change through the restoration of Scotland’s precious peatlands and investment in nature.