Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025
Published 22 December 2025
This is the HTML text version of the Annual Report and Accounts.
Additional images and graphs are available in the Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25 document version (PDF, 9.5 MB).
SG/2025/254 Laid before the Scottish Parliament by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy in pursuance of Section 46 of the Environment Act 1995.
The Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25 are being laid before the Scottish Parliament by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy in pursuance of Section 22(5) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.
Foreword
Throughout 2024/25, protecting and improving Scotland’s environment has been the focus of our activities while driving improved health and well-being, and sustainable economic growth. Every day, our colleagues across Scotland work to protect the environment, regulating those causing environmental harm, and warning and advising against flooding and flood risk.
Last year was significant for us at the Agency. With Government priorities in mind, we set out on a multi-year journey to reset, repositioning ourselves to meet future challenges and setting out our intentions in our new three-year Corporate Plan with five strategic priorities. Our Annual Operating Plan 2024/25 detailed where we would focus our activities to play our lead role in safeguarding Scotland’s environment. Building on strong foundations, we set out to deliver meaningful change with ambition, confidence and collaboration.
With the impact that a changing climate of wetter winters and drier summers can have on the environment and communities, we led and delivered critical services for Scotland while also progressing innovative ideas to further support water resilience and our emergency response. We upscaled our available drought information products and worked on a new messaging system to send alerts to water abstractors. We utilised the latest science and data on climate change, as well as feedback from accessibility testing, to unveil new comprehensive surface water flood maps. This marks a major step forward in helping communities and businesses understand the flood risk and impact in an area, ultimately helping protect lives and properties.
With charities, environment groups, river trusts, local authorities, government bodies and local communities we have worked on river restoration projects to create better environments for wildlife and people whilst mitigating the impacts of flooding. The River Leven Restoration Project in Fife is an excellent example of collaborative place-based working - communities, private and public sector working seamlessly together to deliver well-being, social and economic benefits.
As our teams continued to tackle non-compliance and environmental crime, a more integrated approach to energy efficiency and industrial decarbonisation has been a key focus as we developed our regulatory role. We piloted an outcome based and collaborative approach to regulation in the Grangemouth industrial cluster to better support delivery of a just transition to net zero and facilitate innovation in ways that protect communities and the environment while supporting economic growth.
During 2024/25 we set out to enhance the customer experience, improve efficiency and provide more robust services. We introduced a new Customer Experience Hub enabling us to focus our resources where they are most needed while maintaining high-quality service. We combined the best of our experience and enthusiasm for our customers, with the benefits of technology to help manage workflows and prioritise efficiently.
Our people are our greatest asset in protecting the environment for future generations. We set out and delivered our People Strategy, embedding a future focused approach and enabling all our colleagues to deliver on their outcomes through our shared values: Purposeful, Professional and Passionate.
The Agency’s strong leadership and dedication of teams is shown in our performance as we achieved 11 of our 12 measures, as set out in our Annual Operating Plan 2024/25. We delivered this within budget, and while operating in a challenging fiscal context, demonstrating real value for money for the public purse.
I am immensely proud of what the Agency has delivered for Scotland. The depth of professionalism and passion our teams have for protecting Scotland’s environment is delivering every day for Scotland’s communities. We will continue to lead this significant delivery for Scotland into 2025/26.
For the future of the environment.
Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive
Lisa Tennant, Chair
10 December 2025
Facal-toisich
Tron bhliadhna 2024/25, tha dìon agus leasachadh àrainneachd na h-Alba air a bhith aig cridhe ar n-obrach agus sinn, aig an aon àm, a’ brosnachadh slàinte is sunnd nas fheàrr, agus fàs eaconamach a tha seasmhach. Gach latha, bidh ar co-obraichean air feadh na h-Alba a’ dìon na h-àrainneachd, a’ riaghladh an fheadhainn a nì cron air an àrainneachd, agus a’ toirt rabhadh agus comhairle mu thuiltean agus cunnart bho thuiltean.
B’ i bliadhna mhòr a bh’ againn aig a’ Bhuidhinn an-uiridh. Le aire air prìomhachasan an Riaghaltais, thòisich sinn air turas ath-eagrachaidh ioma-bhliadhnail, gar n-uidheamachadh fhèin gus coinneachadh ri dùbhlain san àm ri teachd agus gus ar rùintean a mhìneachadh anns a’ Phlana Chorporra trì-bliadhna ùr againn le còig prìomhachasan ro-innleachdail. Dh'innis ar Plana Obrachaidh Bliadhnail 2024/25 càite an cuimsicheadh sinn ar n-obair gus ar prìomh dhleastanas a choileanadh ann a bhith a’ stiùireadh dìon àrainneachd na h-Alba. A’ togail air bunait làidir, chuir sinn romhainn atharrachadh brìoghmhor a thoirt gu buil le àrd-amas, misneachd agus co-obrachadh.
Le coltas gun toir atharrachadh gnàth-thìde le geamhraidhean nas fliucha agus samhraidhean nas tiorama buaidh air an àrainneachd agus air coimhearsnachdan, stiùir agus lìbhrig sinn seirbheisean deatamach do mhuinntir na h-Alba, agus aig an aon àm chuir sinn air adhart beachdan innleachdach gus barrachd taice a thoirt do dh’fhoghainteachd a thaobh uisge agus ar freagairt ri èiginn. Chuir sinn ris an fhiosrachadh a bhios sinn a’ sgaoileadh mu mhòr-thiormachd agus dh’obraich sinn air siostam teachdaireachd ùr gus rabhaidhean a chuir gu luchd-tarraing uisge. Chleachd sinn an saidheans agus an dàta as ùire air atharrachadh gnàth-thìde, cho math ri fios-air-ais bho dheuchainnean ruigsinneachd, gus mapaichean ùra coileanta de thuiltean uisge uachdarach fhoillseachadh. Tha seo na cheum mòr air adhart ann a bhith a’ cuideachadh choimhearsnachdan agus ghnìomhachasan gus cunnart agus buaidh thuiltean ann an sgìre a thuigsinn, rud a chuidicheas le bhith a’ dìon beatha agus thogalaichean.
Còmhla ri buidhnean carthannais is àrainneachd, urrasan aibhne, ùghdarrasan ionadail, buidhnean riaghaltais agus coimhearsnachdan ionadail, dh'obraich sinn air pròiseactan ath-nuadhachadh aibhne gus àrainnean nas fheàrr a chruthachadh airson fiadh-bheatha agus daoine, agus buaidh thuiltean a lughdachadh. Tha Pròiseact Ath-nuadhachaidh Abhainn Lìobhann ann am Fìobha na eisimpleir air leth math de cho-obrachadh stèidhichte air àite – coimhearsnachdan, an roinn phrìobhaideach agus phoblach ag obair còmhla gu rèidh gus buannachdan sunnd, sòisealta agus eaconamach a lìbhrigeadh.
Mar a bha na sgiobaidhean againn a’ dèiligeadh ri neo-ghèilleadh agus eucoir àrainneachdail, chuimsich sinn air dòigh-obrach nas aonaichte a thaobh èifeachdas lùtha agus dì-charbonachadh gnìomhachais fhad ’s a bha sinn a’ leasachadh ar dreuchd riaghlaidh. Rinn sinn deuchainn air dòigh-obrach cho-obrachail stèidhichte air toraidhean a thaobh riaghladh ann an cruinneachadh gnìomhachais Grangemouth gus taic nas fheàrr a thoirt do ghluasad cothromach gu neoni lom agus gus innleachdas a dhèanamh nas fhasa ann an dòighean a dhìonas coimhearsnachdan agus an àrainneachd agus, aig an aon àm, a chuidicheas fàs eaconamach.
Rè 2024/25 chuir sinn romhainn piseach a thoirt air eòlas an luchd-cleachdaidh, èifeachdas a leasachadh agus seirbheisean nas làidire a thoirt seachad. Stèidhich sinn Ionad Eòlas Luchd-cleachdaidh ùr gus an urrainn dhuinn ar goireasan a chuimseachadh far a bheil am feum as motha orra agus sàr sheirbheis a chumail suas. Chuir sinn teicneòlas gu feum an lùib ar n-eòlais fhèin agus an dealas a th' againn airson ar luchd-cleachdaidh, gus cuideachadh le sruthan-obrach a riaghladh agus prìomhachadh gu h-èifeachdach.
Is e ar daoine a’ mhaoin as prìseil a th’ againn ann a bhith a’ dìon na h-àrainneachd do ghinealaichean ri teachd. Chuir sinn an cèill agus lìbhrig sinn ar Ro-innleachd Dhaoine, a’ daingneachadh dòigh-obrach a tha ag amas air an àm ri teachd agus a’ comasachadh ar co-obraichean gus coileanadh tro na luachan co-roinnte againn: Amasach, Proifeasanta agus Dìoghrasach.
Tha ceannardas làidir na Buidhne agus dealas nan sgiobaidhean ri fhaicinn nar coileanadh leis gun do shoirbhich sinn le 11 de na 12 ceuman againn, mar a chithear nar Plana Obrachaidh Bliadhnail 2024/25. Rinn sinn seo a rèir a’ bhuidseit, agus a dh'aindeoin co-theacsa ionmhais dùbhlanach, a’ nochdadh fìor luach an airgid airson sporan a’ phobaill.
Tha mi air leth moiteil às na tha a’ Bhuidheann air lìbhrigeadh airson na h-Alba. Tha sàr phroifeiseantachd agus dìoghras ar sgiobaidhean airson àrainneachd na h-Alba a dhìon a’ lìbhrigeadh a h-uile latha airson coimhearsnachdan na h-Alba. Cumaidh sinn oirnn leis a' choileanadh chudromach seo airson na h-Alba rè 2025/26.
Air sgàth na h-àrainneachd san àm ri teachd.
Nicole Paterson, Ceannard
Lisa Tennant, Cathraiche
10 Dùbhlachd 2025
Performance report
The performance report is divided into two sections: performance overview and performance analysis.
In the performance overview section of this report, we explain who we are and what we do. We provide a summary of our performance, explaining the story of 2024/25 and our key highlights, risks and challenges.
In the performance analysis section, we provide more detail on our performance against the measures and budget set out in our Annual Operating Plan 2024/25, our sustainability and the National Performance Framework.
Accountability report
In this section of the report, we set out four main areas:
1. Our corporate governance report; where we explain our governance structures and how they help us deliver our statutory purpose.
This includes:
2. Remuneration and staff report.
3. Parliamentary accountability report.
4. Independent auditors’ report.
Annual accounts
Read the annual accounts and the notes to the accounts.
Documents
- Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25 (PDF, 9.5 MB)
- Highlights of 2024/25 (PDF, 683 kB)