National Islands Plan: annual report 2023

Climate Change and Energy

Strategic objective 9 – Contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and promote clean, affordable and secure energy

We committed to work with island communities to support their climate change aspirations.

Commitment 9.1 Work with island communities to support their climate change aspirations.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Community climate action hubs across the islands will empower communities to identify the actions that are most appropriate to their needs and provide support in their local areas. They will help groups to take advantage of funding opportunities, and promote collaboration between projects. We will continue to support the development of a further one to two community climate action hubs to ensure full island coverage.
• The Carbon Neutral Islands project will embrace the opportunity for island communities to lead the way in realising Scotland’s climate change ambitions. Directly supporting 6 islands in their journey towards carbon neutrality by 2040, this will not only benefit the environment, but support local economies, facilities and general wellbeing through investment in communities.
• A carbon audit has been completed on each island looking at emissions from energy, transport, waste, land and agriculture. Marine was also looked at and where appropriate, further validation of this data will be carried out this year.
• A Community Climate Change Action Plan for each island has been published in June 2023 and includes a consideration of adaptation. Each Plan puts forward priorities and lists of actions and projects from an island perspective.

Carbon Neutral Islands

The Carbon Neutral Islands project continues to support six island communities (Barra, Cumbrae, Hoy, Islay, Raasay and Yell) in their journey towards carbon neutrality in a fair and just way.

In June 2023, each island published a Community Climate Change Action Plan (CCAPs) following carbon audits and the establishment of community led structures in the previous financial year.

We continue to support Community Development Officers who lead on delivery of the project on each island. During the 2023-24 financial year, we have provided £1 million capital investment to support delivery of the CCAPs.

We have also begun exploring ways in which the project can share learning and good practices to other islands in Scotland. Whilst the project continues to directly focus on the six islands, a key driver is replicability. Knowledge exchange and good practices stemming from the project will be shared to other islands across Scotland. Our delivery partner Community Energy Scotland continues to engage widely across islands to understand how we can expand the reach of the project and support other islands in a meaningful way.

In order to deliver the ambitions of the CCAPs, in the coming financial year we will develop investment strategies focusing on the longer-term delivery of the project.

Climate Hubs

The Scottish Government continues to support the Climate Action Hub network to help communities take forward climate action in their areas, with funding allocated in 2023- 24 totalling £4.3 million.

The Climate Action Hub network has expanded to 20 hubs throughout Scotland, including the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub, which covers Orkney and Shetland, the Outer Hebrides Climate Action Hub and the Argyll and Bute Climate Action Hub. These hubs play a pivotal role in supporting place-based climate action, fostering peer- to-peer learning, and establishing local climate action networks.

The Highlands & Islands Climate Hub organised the Highlands & Islands Climate Festival in September 2023. This festival celebrated climate-friendly actions, initiatives and organisations in the region while encouraging active participation in local community climate efforts. It served as a platform to promote low-carbon sustainable living and raised the profile of the Highlands, Orkney, and Shetland as leaders in community-led climate action and advocates for sustainable, local living, working, and visiting.

Climate Hebrides CIC, who lead on the delivery of the Outer Hebrides Climate Action Hub, held a Gaelic Climate Convention in November 2023. The event aimed to develop the Gaelic language to encompass climate change terminology as well as supporting policy development of the Scottish Government’s just transition plans. The Hub is working with wider stakeholders to produce an adaptation plan for the Outer Hebrides, building capacity to deliver GHG audits locally. The Hub is also working with the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) to build audit training into their sustainability programme.

The Argyll and Bute Climate Action hub is currently working towards its public launch.

Local Energy Scotland

The Off-Electricity Grid Communities Fund has provided financial support to help communities decarbonise and future-proof their existing local independent electrical grids.

Additionally, the Community Buildings Fund provides a rolling programme of support to communities, charities and faith organisations across Scotland, including in island communities, to decarbonise their buildings and reduce energy bills.

Commitment 9.2 Work with island communities to look at alternative solutions to managing waste, particularly in respect of Scotland’s Circular Economy Strategy.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• The Programme for Government committed us to the development of a route map to achieving our recycling and waste targets for 2025 and beyond. We consulted on this last year, including an Islands Communities Impact Assessment. The final route map will be published this year. We are also committed to bringing forward a Circular Economy Bill in 2023 and will undertake an Island Communities Impact Assessment as part of this.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament in June 2023 and included an Islands Communities Impact Assessment.

We published an initial consultation on the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map in May 2022 together with an Island Communities Screening Assessment, publishing the consultation analysis in 2023. An updated draft Route Map to 2030 and island communities screen assessment was published on 18 January 2024.

The draft Route Map notes our commitment to end the practice of sending biodegradable waste to landfill from 2025, and we continue to work with local authorities, through Zero Waste Scotland, to support them to put new solutions to managing their waste in place.

Commitment 9.3 Work with local authorities to help them work towards their statutory targets.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Whilst local authorities do not currently have individual statutory targets for climate change, there are national climate change targets that they have an important role in contributing towards. There are a number of programmes and funding streams targeted at local authorities in this area, which we are continuing to support including EV charging infrastructure fund, support and funding through the Heat Network Support Unit, Local Heat Strategies, support for building retrofits/Heat in Buildings and funding through the Learning Estates programme.

Climate Delivery Framework

Scottish Government and COSLA officials are working together to develop and launch a Climate Delivery Framework (CDF) in early 2024. Scottish and Local Government agree that we should foster reciprocity, share resources to add value, and bring together national and local to address gaps and leverage influence.

Scottish Climate Intelligence Service

We have now established a Scottish Climate Intelligence Service (SCIS), jointly funded by Scottish Government and local authorities, which will help councils build capacity to reduce area wide emissions. The SCIS will provide all 32 local authorities with the data- informed evidence, insights and intelligence they need for continuous improvement of their climate action plans, and the skills, knowledge and confidence to present and use these insights effectively for delivery across Scotland. The SCIS will also have a critical role in supporting Scottish Government and local authorities with meeting the recommendations from the recent Environmental Standards Scotland investigation into local authorities’ climate change duties.

Developing new statutory guidance

We are developing new Statutory Guidance for public bodies, to support them in putting their climate change duties into practice. We intend to open a public consultation on the draft guidance in spring 2024, with formal publication of the guidance by March 2025.

Commitment 9.4 Work towards creating net zero emission islands and providing global climate change leadership.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Following the publication of the CNI project community climate change action plans in June 2023, we will focus on implementation of the Climate Change Action Plans and the development of investment strategies aimed at leveraging finance streams to support the project.
• We have worked with the government of Malta and influenced the development of offshore policy in the country. We have also developed a strong relationship with other islands partners around the world and have co-organised a Nordic Energy Research Island Net Zero Conference in Shetland in May 2023.

Please see commitment 9.1 for more information on the Carbon Neutral Islands project.

Over the course of 2023, we continued engaging with international partners to promote Scottish islands’ expertise internationally and encourage mutual learning.

In May 2023, the Scottish Government and Nordic Energy Research (NER) – in partnership with Shetland Islands Council and the Icelandic Embassy to the UK – co-organised a two-day series of workshops in Lerwick to facilitate knowledge- exchange between Scottish and Nordic experts on shared challenges and ambitions around the low carbon energy potential of islands. Cabinet Secretary Gougeon opened the event. Discussions are underway on how we can build on the event and ensure Scotland continues to be involved in initiatives promoted by the NER-convened Net Zero Islands Network.

We have also liaised with the Government of Vanuatu, who have expressed interest in learning more about Scotland’s island based renewable energy technology and expertise. We are exploring avenues to support longer-term collaboration with Vanuatu on island decarbonisation.

Building on our longstanding contribution to the work carried out by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on islands and rural areas, in 2023 we chaired the first workshop of the new OECD project on Island Economies.

In addition, in October 2023 we convened a workshop attended by officials from the Irish, Finnish and Croatian governments to look at strategic opportunities for knowledge sharing on the implementation of island-specific policies and legislation.

Commitment 9.5 Put in place resilient adaptation plans on islands that are at greater risk from climate change linking these strongly with development plans for those islands.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Dynamic Coast 2, which identifies lengths of coastline at risk of erosion from the sea, was published in August 2021. This work considers how future sea level rise could further exacerbate coastal erosion and erosion enhanced coastal flooding. We are encouraging councils to prepare coastal change adaptation plans using evidence from Dynamic Coast. A budget to help councils plan for and take action to adapt to coastal change was distributed to councils in their general capital grant settlement from 2022-23.
• Coastal Change Adaptation Guidance was published in 2023. Continued engagement through the Adaptation Scotland Programme with the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership and Climate Hebrides to support development of locally led adaptation across the islands. Ongoing engagement with other island stakeholders through national capacity building projects and events.
• An adaptation component runs through the Carbon Neutral Islands project community climate change action plans published in June 2023.

During 2023, the Scottish Government-funded Adaptation Scotland programme has continued to support island communities and local authorities by:

• Encouraging relevant public bodies to share learning on climate adaptation through the Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network. Members of the network include Argyll and Bute Council, Shetland Islands Council, and Highlands and Islands Airports.
• Continuing to participate in the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership’s (OHCPP) Climate Change Working Group (CCWG).
• Identifying and securing new external funding for climate resilience work in the Hebrides, including participatory mapping activities to capture lived experience of climate impacts and adaptation priorities.

From January to March 2023, via the Adaptation Scotland programme, Sniffer worked in partnership with Community Energy Scotland and island Community Development Officers to support inclusion of climate adaptation and resilience in the Carbon Neutral Islands Project. This involved:

• Capacity building to establish island needs/understanding of climate impacts and adaptation.
• Commissioning customised climate and coastal change analysis for each island, provided in an accessible, easy to communicate format.
• Facilitating interactive mapping workshops to explore climate impacts and adaptation priorities with community members.
• Provision of £3,000 of funding for each island for adaptation and resilience related action. Funded activities included a seagrass mapping project, community food schemes, facilities for local wood drying and weather stations for local schools.

Dynamic Coast

Guidance for Coastal Change Adaptation Plans was published in February 2023 and is available on the Dynamic Coast website.

In 2022-23, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands Councils were awarded £160,000 of capital funding for coastal change adaptation projects. In 2023-24, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has received £150,000.

Commitment 9.6 Work closely with island partners, the network owner and all other key stakeholders to deliver existing proposals for electricity transmission links to mainland Scotland.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• We will continue to engage closely with island local authorities and industry to assess the risks and opportunities as Scottish island wind projects approach this year’s Contract for Difference (CfD) allocation round.
• Scottish Ministers will continue to make clear to Ofgem that its decisions on island links must take the net zero imperative more fully into account, and incorporate a more flexible approach to what are vital strategic investments.

The Scottish Government is working with all stakeholders to ensure that reforms to, and expansion of, the electricity grid are robust and work for Scotland, including our island communities.

Regulation of electricity networks is reserved to the UK government. The Scottish Government has no role in networks regulation apart from its statutory consenting process. However, we are engaging with the UK Government, regulators, the National Grid ESO and Scotland’s Transmission Owners to enable the timely delivery of critical energy infrastructure (including those in Orkney, Skye and the Western Isles).

The Western Isles (1.8 GW), Shetland (600 MW) and Orkney (220 MW) transmission links will support continued growth of renewables and the decarbonisation of our islands communities, while creating a host of wider economic and environmental benefits across the islands.

Commitment 9.7 Work with Resilience Partnerships and energy providers to encourage them to focus on the resilience of islands’ energy supply networks.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• The Scottish Government Energy Networks Strategic Leadership Group will continue to be an influential forum for discussing the development of Scotland’s energy networks.
• We await the outcomes of draft business plans submitted to Ofgem in December which will influence our approach to the coming year.

While policy and regulation in respect of electricity networks is reserved to the UK Government, these are critical matters for the Scottish Government. We have regular engagement with the networks companies regarding their business plans, and their wider activities, to ensure they reflect the Scottish Government’s policies and ambitions. This included the RIIO – ED2 plans which were determined by Ofgem in November 2022 and cover the price control period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028.

Commitment 9.8 Work with transport-related stakeholders to have the most energy-efficient and climate-friendly transport services possible across the islands.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Transport Scotland has consulted on developing an aviation strategy (closed 21 January 2022). The responses will help us to determine how the Highlands and Islands commitments noted can be progressed:
• We have committed to decarbonising scheduled flights within Scotland by 2040.
• Aim to create the world’s first zero emission aviation region in partnership with Highlands and Islands Airports.
• Exploring the potential for the purchase of zero/low emission aircraft.
• Continue to examine the scope for utilising hybrid and low carbon energy sources in the public sector marine fleet as part of our vessel replacement programme.
• Additionally, as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan, we will explore and consult on pathways to zero/low emission ferry transport.
• We will support all island authorities to develop public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging strategy and expansion plans.
• Through schemes such as the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, we will support local authorities covering rural and island areas to move towards zero emission road transport.

In June 2023, we published A Network Fit For The future: Vision for Scotland’s Public electric Vehicle Charging network, which sets out what an ideal electric vehicle charging network for cars and vans could look like, with the needs of local communities, businesses and visitors being central to this.

All six Scottish local authorities with responsibility for islands have developed and submitted public EV charging strategy and expansion plans to Transport Scotland. These strategies show that there are a number of approaches being taken to enabling the private sector to work with local authorities to invest in public EV charging, highlighting challenges around attracting the scale of private sector investment required to meet future EV charging requirements.

Transport Scotland and its partners will continue working with local authorities to address those challenges and reflect their unique circumstances, ensuring island communities are not left behind as Scotland’s public charging network grows and evolves.

As part of the range of support available, the Energy Saving Trust has developed the EV infrastructure Guide, an online resource which can be accessed by anyone with an interest or involvement in planning and installing EV charging.

Commitment 9.9 Continue working to unleash the potential of renewable energy as both a way to mitigate climate change and as a driver of sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) was published for consultation in January 2023. The draft ESJTP lays out over 150 actions, as well as consulting on further actions, to help maximise a just transition to net zero. It seeks to deliver a just energy transition that benefits communities across Scotland, including island communities, and provide high-quality jobs and economic benefit, affordability, and protect our environment and energy security. An Island Impact Assessment will be carried out for the final ESJTP.

We are scaling up renewable energy and taking action to transform and expand Scotland’s energy generation sector. Scotland has the skills, talent and natural resources with which to become a global renewables powerhouse. Our ambition to grow renewable generation in Scotland by an additional 20GW could power every house in Scotland for over seven years.

A comprehensive draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan was published for consultation on 10 January 2023, setting out our vision for a future net zero energy system. We expect the publication of the final strategy by summer 2024.

Through our sectoral marine planning process, we are continuing to work with stakeholders to consider the potential impacts on the marine environment and other marine sectors from both the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds, as well as the mitigation and management that will be required.

Commitment 9.10 Work with communities, crofters, farmers and landowners to expand forests and woodlands on the islands, recognising wider land-use objectives.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Scottish Forestry will continue to support sustainable woodland creation on the islands through the Forestry Grant Scheme.
• Scottish Forestry will also continue to work with a range of partners including the Woodland Trust and Point and Sandwick Trust to deliver the Croft Woodlands Project, which covers all islands, including Argyll and Arran, providing advice and support for crofters.

Forestry Scotland

The Forestry Grant Scheme continues to support sustainable woodland creation. In 2023, grant contracts were signed for nine woodland creation schemes on the northern and Western Isles: three on Shetland, two on Lewis, two on Skye, one on North Uist and one on Harris. These schemes will create over 30 hectares of new woodland and have a total value of almost £270,000.

The Forestry Grant Scheme includes a specific premium option for crofters in the Northern Isles, Western Isles and crofting counties, where establishing trees can be more expensive.

Forestry Scotland continue to work with partners, including Woodland Trust Scotland and Point and Sandwick Trust, to deliver the Croft Woodlands Project, which covers all of the islands and offers free advice and support to crofters to plant and manage woodlands. The project has supported significant increases in woodland planting by crofters.

Forestry Scotland also support the Integrating Trees Network, a demonstrator network of host farmers and crofters across Scotland, who provide information and support to other farmers and crofters who are considering planting trees, including those on the islands.

Land Use Strategy

Published in March 2021, Scotland’s third Land Use Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s long-term vision and objectives for sustainable land use. The Strategy introduces a new landscape scale approach to look at issues of land-use, presenting a more holistic view of all the ways we depend on our land in Scotland and showcasing the range of demands and benefits we get from our land. This approach recognises that it is only though understanding these multiple and sometimes conflicting relationships that we can look to secure the fine balance that will be needed to allow our land to contribute sustainably to our multiple long term national priorities.

Scotland’s fourth Land Use Strategy is due for publication in early 2026 and development will commence in spring 2024.

Commitment 9.11 Put the themes of meeting emissions targets and adapting to the effects of climate change at the heart of the preparation of National Planning Framework 4.

Commitment fulfilled – This commitment was fulfilled in 2022. Please see the National Islands Plan Annual Report 2022 for details.

Commitment 9.12 Support the adaptation of Scotland’s aquaculture and fishing industry.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• We will continue to ensure island fishing representatives contribute to the development of annual fisheries negotiations strategy and priorities.

Fisheries Negotiations

Negotiations with Coastal State partners to set catch limits and management measures for jointly managed stocks in 2024 concluded in December 2023.

Our key priority throughout negotiations is always to protect Scottish interests by securing sustainable catching opportunities. The agreements reached for 2024 include a number of positive outcomes for Scotland, providing key opportunities to vessels and coastal communities, and building on the successes of last year’s negotiations.

As always, close engagement with stakeholders across all sectors was key to the success of the negotiations. Officials consulted with a wide range of stakeholders in the lead up to and during negotiations, and their views played an important role in the development of our negotiating positions and strategies. Officials will continue communicate with stakeholders on a regular basis throughout the year, engaging through a number of fora. This includes the Fisheries Management and Conservation (FMAC) group, formal and informal consultation, and attendance at plenary sessions held during negotiations.

Blue Economy Vision

Scottish Ministers announced their intention to develop a new National Marine Plan (NMP2) in the Programme for Government published in September 2022.

In line with the Blue Economy Vision for Scotland, NMP2 will help to address the global climate and nature crises by delivering sustainable management of our sizeable marine shared space in the interest of the whole of Scotland. The NMP2 will adopt a blue economy approach, considering our marine economy, local communities, and the environment altogether. This will help to get the right planning framework in place to address the increased competition for marine space, whilst safeguarding sustainable marine activities and recognising the importance of specific sectors, such as fishing, to our coastal and island communities.

Aquaculture and Recreational Fisheries

The Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture was published in July 2023. It aims to support island communities through a focus on the provision of lasting social and economic benefits.

Investment will be required in new technologies and working practices, which will help to build the sustainability of island businesses and communities. This will be achieved through innovation and collaboration in order to realise a variety of outcomes which include delivering emissions reductions in line with climate targets, the development of climate resilience plans, using responsibly sourced feed ingredients and generating more circular economy applications for wastes.

The impacts of climate change on fish farming and mitigations continues to be explored through our Farmed Fish Health Framework Forum, with a focus on increasing fish survival and minimising economic loss experienced through climate change related events such as harmful algal blooms.

Fisheries Management

As part of Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy, we have committed to developing a climate change action plan for sea fisheries in partnership with stakeholders. We have completed a range of baseline research, and have agreed the formation of a climate change stakeholder group to focus activity and identify key actions for progression. We have also committed funding through Marine Fund Scotland to support innovation and development of vessel adaptation solutions.

We are working with academics and stakeholders both within and out with Scotland, to ensure that our data and knowledge base is developed to support us to understand how we might need to adapt our policies and fishing practices in the future, to enable the sector to remain resilient to climate change. This is not something the Scottish Government can or will do in isolation, we will take a co-management approach to identifying and implementing the right solutions.

Strengthening the evidence base for climate change adaptation is pivotal in advancing policy implementation and realising the objectives of climate change adaptation policy. In 2023, through ClimateXChange (CXC) we commissioned research aimed at informing Scotland’s fisheries policies seeking to address the evolving impacts in climate and ocean acidification on Scotland’s fisheries. This research will provide invaluable insights and scientific evidence that will contribute to shaping robust adaptive management approaches in Scotland.

Commitment 9.13 Work with a range of stakeholders to develop an action plan to improve resilience to properties at flood risk.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• We will continue to work with a stakeholders to deliver the Living with Flooding: Action plan, which was reviewed in 2021.

The Scottish Government continues to support island local authorities to reduce flood risk to communities. We have provided £38 million of funding to North Ayrshire Council for the Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme on the Isle of Cumbrae.

The Scottish Government also provides funding to the Scottish Flood Forum who offer advice and information to individuals across Scotland to help them protect their homes (or to recover from) flooding.

In 2024, we will be consulting on a new Flood Resilience Strategy for Scotland. The Strategy aims to initiate a transformational change to flood management to set Scotland on a long-term course towards a sustainable level of flood resilience.

Commitment 9.14 Work with local authorities to strengthen recycling and food waste services in island communities.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Continued development of route map for Scotland’s waste and recycling targets to 2025 and beyond which will include an Island Communities Impact Assessment.

We continue to support island local authorities and communities to increase the quality and quantity of recycling and expand access to reuse and recycling facilities and services. We are supporting island-based local authorities to deliver ongoing projects from our landmark £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF). Funding of £846,012 was awarded to Western Isles Council to provide additional refuse and recycling capacity by increasing the availability of bins and glass banks to the public, as well as an electric vehicle to allow expansion of recycling to rural areas. Project delivery is now complete and evaluation of the impact is planned.

North Ayrshire Council was awarded £74,535 to support Household Waste Recycling Centre improvements (including at Brodick on the Isle of Arran). Argyll and Bute Council was awarded £891,945 to support improvements to recycling infrastructure at six Household Waste Recycling Centres, including five island centres on Islay, Mull, Coll, Colonsay and Tiree. Funding of £4,875 has also been awarded to Orkney Islands Council to improve the reuse infrastructure at the Hatston Recycling Centre.

As outlined in the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, we also intend to launch a new co- design process for a revised, high-quality Household Recycling Code of Practice, to be put on a statutory basis. Working with service operators and households, this will take account of local circumstances and the needs of island communities to design service standards. This process will include delivery of our commitment to consult on the current rural exemption and food separation requirements for food waste collection.

Commitment 9.15 Work closely with key stakeholders to ensure that the voices of islanders are fully heard, achieving a just transition to net-zero, and that islands benefit from the many opportunities associated with a green and sustainable economy.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• We will engage on a draft Islands Energy Strategy setting out approach to decarbonisation for Scotland’s Island communities.
• We are committed to publishing a Just Transition Plan as part of the refreshed Energy Strategy – it will involve extensive engagement with those likely to be impacted by the energy transition, including in the islands.
• We will also publish a sectoral Land Use and Agriculture Just Transition plan, which will be co-produced with relevant stakeholders. Impacts on islands will be a key consideration.

Please see commitment 9.9 for more information on the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Carbon Neutral Islands

The Carbon Neutral Islands project continues to work directly with six islands to understand the steps they wish to take in order to decarbonise. A key component of the project has been its bottom-up approach. We support an anchor organisation on each island who employ Community Development Officers to engage with their communities and feed into the delivery of the project.

Within this structure each island has produced a Community Climate Change Action Plan recognising the voice of each island and how they themselves would like to take action to decarbonise.

Land Use and Agriculture Just Transition plan

The Land use and Agriculture Just Transition Plan, currently under development, will focus on the livelihoods, skills, health, and wellbeing of those who live in and rely on Scotland’s land and agricultural sector for their livelihoods and wellbeing, as well as focusing on maintaining and supporting thriving rural and island communities. As part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to co-design and co-develop, an extensive series of events and workshops, both in-person and online, have taken place across the country. These included 11 community-based workshops, of which two were held on the islands of Arran and Harris respectively. Engagement with rural and island stakeholders will continue as the Plan develops. It is anticipated the draft plan will be published for consultation in 2024.

Regional Just Transition Planning

We have committed to develop regional just transition plans during the course of this parliament and we will be setting out our intended approach in 2024. We will be working with key partners, including the Just Transition Commission, existing regional partnerships, Local Authorities, community, worker and business groups.

Regional just transition plans will aim to outline challenges and opportunities faced by regions, seeking to identify appropriate actions to both mitigate and realise these. They will be underpinned by a commitment to wide engagement and co-design, ensuring that those who stand to be most impacted by the transition, including communities, businesses and workers are engaged throughout the process.