Warmworks named Climate Action Champion at Scottish Impact Awards 2026

Warmworks, the managing agent for the Scottish Government's Warmer Homes Scotland fuel poverty scheme, has been named Climate Action Champion at the Scottish Impact Awards 2026 after cutting its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 41% since 2019.

The company said it received the award at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel on 1 October. The judges praised what they called its "outstanding commitment to climate action, combining measurable emissions reductions with ambitious long-term targets" and said it showed "clear, practical impact and leadership that others can learn from".

The awards are organised by The Herald newspaper and, according to the organiser's results page, delivered with Newsquest Events Scotland & NI. They recognise organisations working towards a fairer and more sustainable Scotland. Other 2026 winners listed by the organiser included Circulus, which took the Sustainable Innovation Award, and SSEN Transmission in the large-company Wellbeing & Workforce category.

Ian Cuthbert, Warmworks' Head of Workplace Sustainability, said: "While it is a fantastic honour for our business, it also reflects the collective effort of colleagues across the organisation who have helped drive our net zero and wider sustainability journey."

The figures behind the award

In its announcement, Warmworks said that since 2019 it had cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 41% and carbon intensity by 86%, while growing revenue by 420% and its workforce by 258%. Its separate net zero commitments web page puts the carbon intensity reduction at 80% since 2019/20.

The company said its decarbonisation investments included turning its Edinburgh office into a fully net zero space, running a vehicle fleet that is more than 90% electric, which saves more than 32 tonnes of carbon a year, and diverting 99% of office waste from landfill.

Warmworks' net zero page gives more detail. Removing fossil fuels from the Edinburgh office with a heat pump and solar installation saves over seven tonnes of carbon a year. The same page describes the fleet as currently 90% electric and lists a commitment for at least 80% of the fleet to be fully electric by the end of 2025. Its 2025 impact report said the office work included a commercial air source heat pump and solar PV.

The company said its measured operational carbon footprint is 2,749.81 tCO2e, independently verified each year by Auditel to ISO 14064-3, and that its carbon targets and reduction pathway are approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It is also a signatory to the Edinburgh Climate Compact and has committed to becoming a fully net zero business by 2030.

Supply chain focus

Sub-contractors account for 82% of Warmworks' indirect emissions, according to the net zero page, and the company said it is in recognition of that share that it works with its supply chain. The announcement said it had supported more than 40 supply chain partners on their own net zero journeys.

Cuthbert said: "We also hope our experience inspires other organisations, including our suppliers and partners, to take action and see that decarbonisation is not only possible but beneficial for businesses and communities alike."

Contractual commitments

The net zero drive also sits within Warmworks' public contract. The Scottish Government appointed Warmworks Scotland LLP as managing agent for the Heat in Buildings Scotland national scheme, the successor to Warmer Homes Scotland, with the contract starting on 2 October 2023.

According to a post on the Scottish Government's public procurement blog announcing the contract award, Warmworks committed under that contract to becoming an accredited net zero carbon business by the end of 2025, to creating 600 jobs in the core PAS 2030, PAS 2035 and MCS work areas, and to paying at least the real Living Wage to all staff delivering the contract.

A Scottish Government freedom of information response gives the contract an initial term of five years and a maximum possible total value of £728m excluding VAT if the scale-up option is fully used.

Delivery scale

Warmworks was founded in 2015 as a joint venture between Energy Saving Trust, Changeworks and Sureserve. It now has more than 180 staff across offices in Edinburgh, London, Newcastle, Kirkwall, Lerwick and Stornoway, and said it has helped 175 people into modern apprenticeships and created more than 900 jobs since it was set up.

The company said it has supported over 50,000 households in Scotland as managing agent of Warmer Homes Scotland, with the 50,000th household reached in 2025/26. Its 2025 impact report said it supported over 9,000 households across its programmes in 2025, more than in any previous year, saving them an average of about £485 a year on energy bills.

The Heat in Buildings Scotland managing agent contract's five-year initial term runs from 2 October 2023.