Gray's School of Art plays key role in Achieving Net Zero project

Created by Iain Morrison at Gray’s School of Art, the project uses visually engaging infographic-led posters to help explain the complex challenges and opportunities surrounding Scotland’s journey towards achieving net zero emissions by 2045.

Working with Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the project will initially be introduced to secondary schools across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, helping connect career planning and education directly to the emerging green economy and future workforce opportunities.

The posters explore topics including renewable energy, hydrogen, climate policy, circular economy and sustainable development, presenting research-based information in a format designed to encourage discussion, critical thinking and civic engagement among young people.

Iain Morrison, Lecturer at Gray’s School of Art, said: “Achieving Net Zero in partnership with Skills Development Scotland will use engaging information graphics to make Scotland’s path to its 2045 net-zero emissions target clear and accessible, encouraging curiosity, understanding and informed action for Scotland’s young people.”

“This project was born from the belief that complex climate information shouldn’t be inaccessible. By visualising key concepts, we’re hoping to help people see how Scotland’s energy choices will shape our future.”

Skills Development Scotland (SDS), who work with secondary schools in the region to provide career information, advice and guidance through qualified SDS advisers have agreed to support the Achieving Net Zero pilot by distributing the broadsheets to secondary schools in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Nicola Graham, Area Manager, Skills Development Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to support Achieving Net Zero with colleagues at Robert Gordon University. The broadsheet makes complex topics around climate, energy and sustainability more accessible and discussion‑friendly for young people through engaging visual storytelling that works well in school settings.

“In the North East, we’re proud of our region’s energy expertise and recognise that the energy sector is evolving. This resource helps pupils link their learning to career options and pathways, supporting informed choices about future skills and opportunities as Scotland works towards its 2045 net‑zero target.”

The project gained research funding in the summer of 2025 from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSA) to cover an initial pilot to develop the information graphics posters further through the creation of a newspaper-style pop-up exhibition.

This publication could be used either as a traditional broadsheet or with two copies of the broadsheet, which could be cut down the spine and the pages used as a pop-up exhibition.

The posters cover a wide range of topics related to Scotland’s journey towards Net Zero 2045, with a focus on supporting secondary school pupils alongside their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) lessons while grabbing the viewers' interest and encouraging them to explore, question and develop their understanding of the topics for each poster.

For those wanting to delve deeper, each poster also has a supporting page on the Achieving Net Zero website. These pages provide links to all the research materials used in creating each poster and help viewers understand how each element fits into the bigger picture as Scotland moves towards its 2045 target (and the UK towards 2050).

SDS will start to distribute the broadsheet to schools in early June 2026 and then Iain and partners will review the outcomes of the pilot in the summer to see if the project can be developed further in the future.