Environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, and BAE Systems, whose shipyards are located at Govan and Scotstoun on the Clyde, in Scotland, has launched an exciting new partnership that will see the shipbuilder become a supporter of Upstream Battle, the charity’s award-winning campaign to tackle marine litter from source to sea.
Upstream Battle campaign
Since its launch in 2018, the Upstream Battle campaign has been raising awareness, gathering evidence, and inspiring action in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley, in Scotland.
It has successfully brought together a diverse range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, along with communities from up and down the Clyde Valley, to focus on developing innovative approaches, to tackling this vital environmental challenge.
BAE Systems - Keep Scotland Beautiful partnership
The partnership will help further develop Upstream Battle on the River Clyde and its tributaries
The partnership will help further develop Upstream Battle on the River Clyde and its tributaries, to raise awareness of the marine litter pathway from source to sea, encouraging responsible behaviours locally and inspiring activity from individuals, communities and employees of BAE Systems, to help play their part, in the campaign on the Clyde, through to April 2022.
It will also support specific community engagement activity with the creation of two new community clean up hubs, local to BAE Systems’ Scotstoun and Govan sites on the Clyde, in Scotland. These will add to the existing network of 31 community clean up hubs already across Scotland.
Community clean up hubs
These community clean up hubs have the expertise and equipment to facilitate local litter picking activity and will enable employees and local residents to get involved, and support the campaign and wider clean-up efforts.
Barry Fisher, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Keep Scotland Beautiful, said “We are delighted to welcome BAE Systems on board, as a supporter of Upstream Battle, as it is great to have the support of an iconic Glasgow business and employer. 80% of marine litter starts life on land, so we all need to do more to tackle litter at source and prevent it getting into our waterways, seas and oceans.
Highlighting challenges associated with marine litter
Barry Fisher adds, “And, with COP26 coming to Glasgow in November, this is an ideal opportunity to raise the profile of the challenges associated with marine litter and place this firmly in the context of the climate emergency.”
BAE Systems recently announced a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions"
Paul Feely, Engineering Director, BAE Systems, Naval Ships, said “Sustainability is important to us and as a responsible company, we’re working hard to reduce our impact on the environment. BAE Systems recently announced a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, across our operations by 2030 and across our value chain by 2050, and more locally we want to reduce the problem of marine litter in our local communities and our waterways, such as the River Clyde.”
Paul Feely adds, “We’re excited to be working with Keep Scotland Beautiful, supporting the communities that we’re a part of, to establish two new local community clean up hubs close to our shipyards in Glasgow. We’re encouraging our employees and residents local to Scotstoun and Govan, to get involved and support throughout the summer, so that together we can make a difference in our local communities.”
