Charity demonstrates commitment to excellence extends from social to environmental impact, beating out strong competition to be named Net Zero Champion.

Capella, the non-profit organisation behind Teens+ and Sleep Action, has been named Net Zero Champion of the Year at the 2026 Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, in recognition of the charity’s commitment to environmental responsibility and measurable carbon reduction.

This prestigious accolade celebrates Capella’s comprehensive and transparent approach when establishing its first emissions baseline and embedding low‑carbon practices across every aspect of operations. Capella was commended for its practical, people‑centred climate action, designed to benefit service users, staff teams, and the wider third sector.

In 2024, Capella joined the Net Zero Nation Accelerator Programme from Net Zero International, enabling the organisation to accurately measure its emissions for the first time. In its benchmark year (April 2024–March 2025), Capella recorded total emissions of 74.7 tCO₂e, with a carbon intensity of 0.4 tCO₂e per employee, figures now used to track annual progress.

Capella has formally committed the organisation to:

• Halving emissions by 2030
• Achieving full Net Zero no later than 2050 (aligned to Scotland’s 2045 target)

To realise these goals, Capella has already implemented wide-ranging initiatives.

• Energy-efficient improvements across Teens+ centres
• Green travel schemes, including public-transport incentives, cycle-to-work uptake, and active travel challenges
• A shift to sustainable procurement, ethical purchasing, and reduced printing
• Enhanced recycling systems and zero-waste practices across all sites
• Quarterly staff “Green Champion” workshops to co-design new initiatives

These efforts are bolstered by a monthly carbon-data capture process, a growing Scope 3 analysis, and investment in team expertise through the Net Zero Leaders CPD programme.

“Sustainability is woven into our purpose as a charity,” said Christopher McShane, Head of Corporate Services at Capella. “We are committed to supporting young people, families, and communities. This includes safeguarding the environmental future they will inherit. This award reflects the hard work of our teams, our Green Champions, and our partners. We see this award not as the end of a journey but as motivation to go further.”

Capella has used its platform to support other charities to begin their sustainability journeys, sharing learning through networks such as:

• Net Zero Nation
• The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Net Zero Edinburgh Project
• ACOSVO
• The Edinburgh Third Sector Interface

The charity is developing a Third Sector Environmental Responsibility Toolkit, releasing this year, to help small organisations build their own carbon‑reduction capacity, in line with its goal of supporting at least 50 other charities to begin their Net Zero journey by 2027.

“We are absolutely delighted to see Capella recognised as Net Zero Champion of the Year,” said a spokesperson from Net Zero Nation. “Their commitment to sustainability reflects the power of community – bringing people together within their organisation and across the wider sector to share learning, inspire action and accelerate progress. Capella’s journey shows what’s possible when organisations support one another to move further and faster towards net zero.”

“Congratulations to Capella on being named Net Zero Champion of the Year and being recognised for innovation,” said James Napier, founder of carbon intelligence platform Notch and author of Sustainability Without the Noise. “Through robust carbon accounting and the data captured on the Notch platform, organisations like Capella can gain clear insights into their environmental impact while also uncovering opportunities that are good for the business. It’s inspiring to see a team using data not just to report progress, but to drive smarter decisions and meaningful change.”

This recognition follows a period of significant achievement for Capella. Earlier this year, Teens+ received a 6 – Excellent rating from the Care Inspectorate for its exceptional student wellbeing outcomes, one of the highest ratings available in social care.

Capella has made its Carbon Reduction Plan publicly available to ensure transparency and to help inspire similar action across Scotland’s charity sector.

Read the full plan at: https://capella-charity.org/2025/12/08/capella-net-zero-carbon-reduction-plan/