As we prepare for COP26 in Glasgow later this year, an awareness of how the UK can be a role model for positive change and soft global influence is becoming discussed more and more. For companies in the Energy sector especially, and all other sectors, their environmental impact is being increasingly analysed, measured and scrutinised. This will ultimately affect and touch almost every part of corporate development strategy, from recruitment to competitive tender processes, public relations and investment.

A year ago, we were trying to consider the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic when it first fully hit the UK and we were very much still trying to get our heads round new terms, new schemes, new support measures and HMRC extensions.

At AAB we’re always looking to progress both to enhance our awesome client experience and provide a platform for our people which reflects this. The latest changes follow discussions and feedback from the team around working policies in ‘the next normal’. As a result, we are happy to announce that we have introduced hybrid working for all staff (as of 1 April 2021) and enshrined this in our employment contracts for all existing and new staff across our offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and London.

The quantity and quality of scale-up technology businesses continues to increase in Scotland with technology incubators such as ONE in Aberdeen, Codebase in Edinburgh and Stirling and universities such as Heriot Watt, Napier and Strathclyde providing a clear pathway for entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into a business.

Statistics suggest that the UK tax gap, ie the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid, fell to the lowest rate on record for the 2018/19 tax year @ 4.7%. This is a major achievement for HMRC and reflects investments made in automating many administrative systems to make it as easy as possible for taxpayers to pay the right tax, at the right time. It also reflects their success acting against those who have sought to deliberately evade their Offshore tax obligations. More than £3 bn has been secured by the UK Government since 2010, just from initiatives that focused on Offshore non- compliance.

It is so odd to think it has been over a year since the last of the Scotland Food & Drink Leadership Dinners, a chance for industry leaders to catch up and discuss the key issues facing their sector, whilst celebrating all that Scotland’s food and drink produce brings to the world.