What should be included in Scotland’s Climate Change Plan? Members of the public, experts and stakeholders are being asked just that, as the Scottish Parliament launches a call for views to support its scrutiny of the Plan.
The draft CCP, which is expected to be published later this year, will set out how the Scottish Government intends to meet emission reduction targets across all portfolio areas and sectors of the economy. It must also set out the costs and benefits of policies, whilst taking into consideration the principles of a Just Transition – that the switch to net zero should reduce not increase social injustice.
This CCP will cover the period 2026-2040, as Scotland looks to be “net zero” in carbon emissions by 2045. In doing so, it will seek to meet reduction targets for this period, based, on advice from the independent Climate Change Committee.
Questions included in the call for views cover a wide range of sectors including electricity and energy; buildings; transport; industry; waste and circular economy; agriculture and land use; and negative emissions technologies, but participants are free to answer only those they are most interested in.
The Parliament is also seeking views on other aspects of the draft Plan, including how the proposed policies should be funded and how to overcome challenges in delivering them.
The findings will be shared across Parliament to support parliamentary committees scrutinising the draft CCP later in the year.
Launching the call for views, Convener of the Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee, Edward Mountain MSP, said; “The last time the Scottish Parliament considered a full Climate Change Plan was in 2018.
“Since then, the pandemic made changes, some of them long-lasting, to how we work and live our lives. There have been new technological developments, bringing both challenges and opportunities for climate change policy. And global uncertainty has raised new questions about our energy security.
“In Scotland, some progress towards net zero has been made, but not enough. The Climate Change Committee’s warning last year that delays and slippages had put Scotland off-target in reaching net zero were a wake-up call for the Scottish Government to find credible policies that will deliver positive change in areas like agriculture, public transport and car use and domestic heating.
“Now, the Scottish Parliament can play its part by ensuring there is a robust, workable and costed delivery plan for net zero. But expert and public buy-in and participation must be at the heart of a credible plan.
“What do you think should be included in the Plan and what else do you think is needed to deliver a just transition to net zero by 2045?
“To help form our thinking, please share your views so that when the draft Plan arrives, we will be in a strong position to start detailed scrutiny.”
Once the draft CCP is laid, the Scottish Parliament will have 120 days to scrutinise it.
The call for views will be open until 19 September 2025.
