As supporters of the 2020 Climate Group, which I facilitate, Core is encouraged to take steps to reduce its carbon footprint. How do we do that? Well, we recently moved office. We have dispensed with car parking spaces in central Edinburgh. I regularly cycle to and from work and all of our team take public transport or walk to and from work. The next challenge is to reduce air flights and make more use of the improving East Coast rail link to London.

Of course, Core’s business in effective conflict management and early dispute resolution is very much about building a sustainable future and reducing waste – the waste of unresolved conflict, ineffective negotiations and unnecessary court battles, which cost the economy millions in lost opportunities, wasted time, poor staff morale, and a backward looking blame culture.

I recently met with Alan Gross, a senior member of Mediators Beyond Borders, and he was reflecting on the need for much better negotiation strategies at the climate change summits, the next one of which is in Durban later this year. We need the same approach there to early dispute resolution and effective management of conflict as in other situations. Alan spends a lot of his time on this kind of ground-breaking work and deserves our admiration and support.

For a really good analysis of where Scotland stands on moving towards a low carbon economy, read the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s report on Facing up to Climate Change: http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/66_Publications.html