The rate at which we are switching from dependence on coal, gas and oil may not be fast enough to satisfy climate activists, but new analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA), published last week shows that global investment in clean energy is now outstripping investment in fossil fuel production.

Everyone should have a place to call home and as I mark my first year as Chief Executive at Homes for Scotland, I have been pondering what ‘home’ means.

The reality is that we don’t have enough homes to meet the needs of those living and working in Scotland – threatening the life chances of our young people, impacting health and education outcomes, increasing social inequality and further degrading our social and economic wellbeing.

The UK has always had a fascination with homes, but in a post-Covid world, our connections with our homes have become even stronger. According to the Office for National Statistics, 40% of working adults are now working from home - over three times as many as pre-Covid. Homes are no longer just for living. As all encompassing hubs to live, work, play and entertain, architects have more focus than ever on designing homes to enhance lives and create places where families can grow.

When it comes to finding the perfect home, everyone has their own list of essentials, whether that’s a home office, proximity to transport links, space for family get-togethers or a garage for bikes and other sports equipment. The dynamic of how we use our homes and how much time we spend in them has changed in recent years and developers are continually refining their house styles in order to keep pace with how we live today.

Just a couple of months ago on International Women’s Day, my Twitter feed was full of companies publicly posting support, encouragement and thanks to their female staff. I also follow the Gender Pay Gap Bot (which automatically retweets all IWD tweets along with the actual gender pay gap for that company) and the hypocrisy was clear for all to see. When you consider that the first IWD was in 1911, it’s exhausting that we are still seeing the stark disparity that remains. Over 100 years of shining a light, but clearly, there is still more to do.

It sometimes feels like we have been in political turmoil in Scotland and the wider UK for years. But two referendums, countless elections, numerous Prime Ministers and party leaders later, the same parties remain in government in Holyrood and Westminster with strong enough majorities to govern.

Often we talk about the importance of achieving net zero in terms of how inaction could be disastrous for our planet. We see in the news the actions that are having impacts on our ecosystems and the imperativeness to address these. But we need to talk about the benefits this transition can bring to our communities too. More importantly, we need to deliver them.

Technology and data are not just altering the way we drive, do our jobs, and go shopping. They are also transforming social care and how we look after our loved ones.

Over the winter we saw another wave of pressure on our health services. This is made all the worse by so-called ‘bed blocking’, where patients who are ready to be discharged do not have the appropriate care in place to leave hospital.

The proud architecture of Scotland has always reflected social movements, imitated prevailing ideas and influenced design trends across the world. Today, Scottish architecture has to work even harder to provide solutions to some very complex issues that we face; using design to improve this country’s health outcomes, reduce social isolation, foster learning and social mobility, and to bolster economic regeneration.

Scotland is rapidly approaching its net zero deadline of 2045. When these sorts of targets are set by the government they can seem so far away in the future. To organisations and businesses who are just trying to survive, they can seem irrelevant to the here and now. But in terms of investment, infrastructure, and property, 2045 is just around the corner and must be at the forefront of organisational thinking.

Today and tomorrow, on 15th and 16th March, biotechnologists will gather in Glasgow for this year’s Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) Conference. Now in its ninth year, the conference is the largest industrial biotechnology event in the UK. The theme of this year’s event, ‘Resilience and the Bioeconomy', will explore what resilience means to companies working within the bioeconomy and how the bioeconomy itself can contribute to resilience in industry and society in general.

Pulling on an extra sweater, half filling the kettle to make a cup of tea and religiously turning off the lights are just some of the adjustments we find ourselves making in the face of spiralling energy costs and global warming. With the government’s Energy Price Guarantee Scheme becoming less generous, an ending to the energy bills support scheme for households, and the introduction of the new Energy Discount Schemes for Business (EDSB), we may well collectively take a sharp intake of breath at the thought of even higher energy pricing to come.

Business is about people, and business success relies on staying ahead of the competition. New technology like 5G gives businesses the opportunity to seek new possibilities, however it requires the effort and collaboration of people, organisations and industries to make it happen.

Scotland has a rich history of academic excellence and has been the leading light in countless fields of research over the centuries. Once again, Scotland has an opportunity to lead. But this time it is far from the laboratories of Fleming or Black.

Instead, it will be on the waves of Scotland’s first, and Europe’s largest, inland surfing lagoon.

There are few things more synonymous with Scotland than whisky. It literally puts us Scots on the map. You can be in a bar in the furthermost corner of the earth, and you will see towns and villages from Speyside to Islay represented upon their shelves. It is an unashamed success story which continues to grow.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Muir Homes building quality homes across Scotland. This landmark comes amidst rising energy prices and an industry bouncing back from the covid pandemic. 

COVID-19 pushed businesses and charities across the country to re-evaluate their business and service delivery models. It was a difficult time for many, with businesses struggling to survive restrictions while others were able to adapt and flourish. At Jewish Care Scotland (JCS), a Glasgow-based social care charity offering support to community members across Scotland, we embraced the opportunity to reassess the way we supported people as their needs continued to evolve.

Unfortunately over 32,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year in Scotland. Hearing such a diagnosis is devastating. A one stop shop for information, Cancer Card’s aim is to ensure each and every one of those people who hears the words ‘you have cancer’ quickly and easily find the support that they need.

I find this time of year a great opportunity to reflect on how the year has gone in my business and for me personally, noting achievements, successes and proud moments. It is also a good time to reflect on what could have been done differently as learning and “tweaking” is how we change things for the better.

On a recent car journey, I heard a news item about farmers choosing not to sow seeds as they can’t guarantee workers will be available to harvest crops. You reap what you sow and the consequences of this possible inaction in Scotland, when over 70% of its land area is under agricultural management, is a concern.