Scotland Beyond Net Zero seed fund projects 2026-27 announced
Published: 5 August 2026
Four UofG led projects have secured funding for ideas that respond to some of the country's most pressing climate and environmental challenges.
Four UofG led projects have secured funding for ideas that respond to some of the country's most pressing climate and environmental challenges.
In climate finance category of the Scotland Beyond Net Zero seed fund projects 2026-27, Professor Patrick Bayer, School of Social & Political Sciences, along with the University of Strathclyde will explore how Scotland can develop stronger green financial markets to help unlock investment in climate projects and support the country's transition to net zero.
In energy category, Professor Ken Gibb, School of Social & Political Sciences, and University of the West of Scotland, will investigate the challenges and opportunities involved in introducing low-carbon heating systems in Scotland's new-build homes.
Two projects will contribute to the circular economy. One, led by Professor Matt Brennan, School of Culture & Creative Arts and Edinburgh Napier University will use Glasgow Summer Sessions and Edinburgh's Hidden Door Festival as living labs to explore ways of reducing waste at music festivals, including the use of reusable cups and serveware.
Another, led by Dr Franziska Paul, Adam Smith Business School, with Dr Timothy Peacock, School of Humanities | Sgoil nan Daonnachdan and the University of Edinburgh, will examine how community initiatives such as tool libraries and repair cafés can reduce waste and support more sustainable local economies across Scotland.
Professor Chris Pearce, Vice Principal for Research & Knowledge Exchange at the University of Glasgow and Chair of the SBNZ Governing Board said: “Now in its third year, the Scotland Beyond Net Zero Seed Fund continues to grow in scale and ambition. This year, we have increased our investment and funded more projects across more of Scotland’s universities than ever before.
"We are delighted to support these innovative and impactful collaborations, which reflect the breadth of climate and sustainability research across Scotland. I look forward to seeing the results of these projects and the lasting benefits they will bring to Scotland’s communities and environment”
To read more about the projects, please visit: SBNZ seed fund projects 2026-27.
Scotland Beyond Net Zero Seed fund awards 2026 from the University of Glasgow
Climate finance
Green financial market creation in Scotland
Project leads: Professor Patrick Bayer, School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Glasgow; Professor Ben Cormier, University of Strathclyde
Summary: Climate finance is essential for meeting Scotland’s net zero target by 2045. Doing so requires £1bn annually, placing financial markets at the heart of Scotland’s decarbonisation efforts. However, these markets remain underdeveloped. This project studies how to enable the creation of a mature green financial market in Scotland. Analytically, we focus on applying successful green market creation models from European comparator countries to Scotland. Informed by Scottish green finance stakeholders’ needs, we will co-produce a green market creation framework that outlines structural, institutional, and systemic levers to better connect green capital with a robust pipeline of climate projects. We will disseminate our findings at a capstone symposium in Edinburgh, during the London Climate Action Week, and through academic and policy publications. Our project provides a rigorous and much-needed analysis of how to fast-track green financial market creation in Scotland and devises actionable guidance that is critical for Scotland’s energy transition.
Energy
Implementing Clean Heat in Scotland’s New Build Homes: Challenges, Opportunities and Pathways for Sustainable Energy Adoption under the New Build Heat Standard
Project leads: Dr Sohail Ahmad, University of the West of Scotland; Professor Ken Gibb, School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Glasgow
Summary: New homes in Scotland must now use climate-friendly heating systems under the New Build Heat Standard (NBHS), introduced in April 2024 and updated in January 2025. This means that new-build houses can no longer install gas or oil boilers, and instead must use low-carbon options such as heat pumps or heat networks. These changes are an important part of Scotland’s journey to becoming a net-zero nation. However, early evidence from government updates and independent research shows that builders, councils, and households are experiencing real challenges in putting these new heating systems into practice. These include higher installation costs, shortages of qualified installers, rural infrastructure issues, and uncertainty caused by the delay to the wider Heat in Buildings Bill, which will set long-term rules for existing homes. This project aims to understand what is happening on the ground as Scotland shifts to clean heating in new-build homes. We will speak directly with people involved in this transition – housing developers, local authority teams, energy organisations, and residents living in new-build housing. These conversations will help us understand what is working well, what is proving difficult, and what kinds of support or guidance are needed to make clean heating systems easier to install, use, and maintain.
Circular economy
Complex Circles – Navigating Share and Repair Ecosystems in Scotland through Game Based Learning
Project leads: Dr Lucy Wishart and Dr Shawn Bodden, University of Edinburgh Dr Franziska Paul, Adam Smith Business School and Dr Timothy Peacock, School of Humanities | Sgoil nan Daonnachdan, University of Glasgow
Summary: This project addresses a research and policy gap focusing on Share and Repair Organisations (SROs) in Scotland, pivotal for sustainability and inclusive growth under the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 and the Community Wealth Building Act. Recognised for reducing consumption and supporting local economies, SROs such as tool libraries and repair cafes face challenges in management due to their reliance on infrastructure, logistics, and volunteer support. With over 100 SROs in the network, they significantly contribute to social value and carbon savings but struggle with rising costs and space limitations. Collaborating with Circular Communities Scotland and other experts, the project will explore how SROs manage infrastructure for community economic activities. Findings will be communicated through a scenario-based learning game, engaging policymakers and the public with the operational realities and fostering a transition towards just and sustainable futures in Scotland.
A living lab approach to decarbonising the Scottish festival sector: a case study of reusable cups and serveware
Project leads: Professor Matt Brennan, School of Culture & Creative Arts, University of Glasgow; Professor Jane Ali-Knight, Edinburgh Napier University
Summary: Music festivals significantly boost Scotland's economy, with DF Concerts' 2025 programme alone generating £164.6 million. However, festivals are resource-intensive, necessitating a shift towards net zero. Their temporary and recreational nature offers a unique opportunity to influence audience waste reduction behaviours across the sector. This project employs a 'living lab' methodology, engaging diverse stakeholders—audiences, researchers, festival promoters, and green industry experts—in real-life festival settings to co-create and test solutions. By operating in unpredictable environments, this approach reveals barriers and opportunities not visible in controlled settings. Using a circular economy framework, designed to keep resources in use and minimize waste, the project aligns with the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024. It explores current challenges for Scottish festivals, particularly with reusable cups and serveware. The living lab approach will be applied to assess reusable uptake challenges at Summer Sessions in Glasgow and Hidden Door Festival in Edinburgh, both in June 2027.
First published: 5 August 2026