Last night at Holyrood, a Ministerial Statement was delivered by Patrick Harvie MSP, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights, giving further details on the Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill and how it will be delivered.

Recent ONS reports for Scotland’s construction sector show there was a slight increase in construction output for new work. Despite this resilience in the sector, there are still issues which lie in the significant lack of skills within the industry and the difficulty that young people face in accessing jobs.

Last Christmas, when we went into the final pandemic lockdown, feels like a very distant memory. As we wondered then what the new year might bring, many conversations in the engineering sector were around what the so-called ‘new norm’ would look like.

Scotland needs more homes. With a shortfall now approaching 100,000 houses since 2007, this is beyond doubt and we require a robust and ambitious plan to put this right. The Scottish Parliament will shortly vote on such a plan, the fourth iteration of the National Planning Framework (NPF4).

The cost of living crisis is hitting hard and escalating costs are a significant challenge for businesses across Scotland. With inflation recently hitting a 40-year high and energy costs forecast to increase again in spring, business leaders are facing serious decisions on delivering priorities.

For Clyde Gateway, Scotland’s most ambitious regeneration project, there has been an increased focus on creating new green spaces. Aside from the many environmental reasons brought into focus throughout COP26 in Glasgow, our investment in new parks is due to the plethora of benefits they provide to both families and businesses.

The only thing I love more than being on a surfboard is taking the opportunity to be an ambassador for the sport’s development in Scotland. My recent ambassadorial trip to California to speak at the International Surf Therapy Organisation’s conference on mental health was one of my best experiences of being able to showcase Scotland to the world.

The eyes of the world watched as the combination of centuries of tradition and ceremony combined to celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth and lay her to rest. 

It’s impressive that the world-first for live TV news using shared radio spectrum was made possible by an innovative private network, designed and deployed by experts from the software-defined radio (StrathSDR) team, one of The Scotland 5G Centre’s funded projects, and part of the University of Strathclyde. 

Glendoick Garden Centre near Perth, which opened in 1973, was one of the first garden centres in Scotland, but in 50 years of trading, conditions have never been as tough as they are now.

This week marks world homelessness and world mental health day. These two issues are inextricably linked. People experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness suffer from incredible stress and have very often experienced significant trauma in their lives. As Chief Executive of Simon Community Scotland, our country’s largest provider of homelessness support services, I am very aware of this; in fact we see very few people accessing our services who do not also have significant and long term mental health problems.

Scotland is a global powerhouse for biotechnology innovation and entrepreneurship. Our strengths in this area have driven the establishment of a thriving industry with approximately 250 active companies and a sector worth an estimated £750 million.

Every day it feels like there’s another article about the challenges for both employers and employees as they navigate the sensitivities of hybrid working alongside the risks of quiet quitting in the workplace. The rumblings of disquiet are set against the backdrop of unemployment rates at their lowest since 1974, as well as a record number of workers dropping out of the jobs market altogether.

Homes for Scotland’s annual conference takes place tomorrow. While it will be our organisation’s tenth meeting, it will be my first. As the new chief executive, I realise how privileged I am to be representing a sector which has such an important role to play in Scotland’s social wellbeing, economic success and transition to net zero. Only three months into my tenure, I am already inspired by the passion, determination and resilience of those in the sector.

In just 20 years from now, a quarter of the UK population will be aged 65 or over. That’s a sharp rise from where we are now, at around 20%, and it is a figure that will affect how society organises everything, from holidays and healthcare to transport and technology.

Energy prices skyrocketing, rising inflation rates and a potential year-long recession, the immediate economic picture for the UK looks bleak.

With more bad news appearing on our TV screens and front pages every day, consumers and business owners are desperately trying to plan for a difficult few years ahead.

When visitors cross the threshold of Heriot Watt’s new university campus in Dubai, they leave behind the searing heat of the desert for climate-controlled comfort, where diffused lighting offers relief from the harsh glare of the sun.

In such an extreme environment, where summer temperatures can reach 50C, this alone would create a sense of ease, but it is just the first in a series of subtle features and carefully considered themes that run like a green thread through every level of the campus.

Many of us are now working on a hybrid basis, partly from home and partly in the office. I am aware of a variety of hybrid working approaches. Regardless of the working model adopted, I am hearing from both my clients that I am coaching and the coaches that I am supervising that the leaders of organisations are struggling. The psychological stamina and emotional resilience needed now is a tall order after the pandemic.

A recent survey by Price Waterhouse about the potential for precision medicine shows that global leaders in the pharmaceuticals industry are aware of its promise; 92% identify precision medicine as an opportunity and 84 percent have it on their corporate agenda.

YouTube, Zoom and Instagram have boosted the popularity of virtual exercise classes and the Couch to 5k mobile app has hit five million downloads since the pandemic started with no signs of slowing down. More people are achieving improvements to their physical and mental health through technology

Alongside every other strand of business, Scotland’s horticultural sector is having to face up to the impact of the cost of living crisis. Gardens, growers, nurseries and garden centres are feeling the squeeze as overheads rise and customers cut spending in order to meet the escalating cost of everyday essentials.