Over the past month, I have had the opportunity to learn about the centuries of history behind Scotland and how this rich history allows it to be a leader in sustainability today. We visited an abundance of companies within the area, including Crover, Topolytics, Glengoyne, JawBrew, and the Fair Fashion Collective. Each of these companies engrained sustainable business practices into their business models from creation. For example, Topolytics is a data aggregation and analytics company that focuses on waste management. It was founded by an engineer who saw the mismanagement of waste in Scotland?s most populous cities, and became determined to use his expertise to help establish a more circular economy. Since creation, Topolytics has partnered with many companies, including British Airways, to minimize the carbon footprint produced by poor waste management. The amount of companies that share Topolytics? resolution to make Scotland more sustainable was shocking to me. I believe this is a result of how connected the people of Scotland are to their history. Our tour guide, David Tucker, told us that his granddaughter was born in the same hospital that her great great great grandfather died in. This struck a chord with me because I couldn’t recall what my great great great grandfather?s name was, let alone where he lived or died. Because of this, Dave went on to talk about how a large portion of social funds are dedicated to maintaining this hospital, and adding new wings as the demand for healthcare in Glasgow grows. I saw this mindset everywhere in Scotland. Almost all of the buildings predate the 1900s but have been preserved by historical societies and now house pubs, restaurants, and companies that regard sustainability as highly as profitability. One of Topolytics? founders, Ben Emson, referenced a quote from Winston Churchill, ?The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward.? While he made the reference from a data analytics perspective, I feel as though it embodies how Scotland?s dedication to preserving its history has made its citizens uniquely invested in protecting its future.
