Climate Action Hubs programme: evaluation

3. Programme overview

Key points:

• The Climate Action Hubs programme supports Scotland’s transition to a net-zero, climate resilient future, expanding from two pathfinder Hubs in 2021 to a national network of 24 Hubs in 2026.
• Hubs follow a flexible, place based delivery model, adapting structures and activities to local priorities while working towards shared objectives such as building community capability, supporting climate projects and enabling inclusive engagement.
• The Scottish Government provides programme-wide support, including coordination, training, networking opportunities and a monitoring framework to build consistent evidence of impact across the network.

This chapter provides an overview of the Climate Action Hubs programme, describing the background of the programme, its intended delivery model and the support offered at a network-level by the Scottish Government.

3.1: Background

The Climate Action Hubs programme forms part of Scotland’s transition towards a net‑zero, climate‑resilient future. Its founding principle was that communities are uniquely placed to contribute to national climate goals when provided with the right support, networks and resources.

Established initially through two pathfinder Hubs in 2021, the programme has since expanded to a nationwide network of 24 regional Hubs, supporting communities across Scotland to build capability, confidence, and participation in local climate action.

Funding is allocated on an annual basis and varies by Hub. Funding allocation reflects plans for the upcoming year, geographic size, local population and delivery models.

3.2: Intended delivery model

Each Hub is given the flexibility to adopt a model of working appropriate to its local context. While the scale and structure of delivery may vary, all Hubs share the overarching objectives of building local capability and motivation for climate action, supporting communities to develop and implement climate projects, and enabling more equitable, inclusive engagement with climate action. The programme was intentionally designed to allow for flexible, place‑based approaches tailored to local priorities, geographies, and capacities.

In each Hub’s first year, the founding members, usually representing one or more third sector or community group, were required to submit an application to the Scottish Government. The application form collected details such as the applicants’ experience in delivering climate action, their existing community relationships, links to their local authority and wider stakeholders, the proposed Hub design, planned activities and a detailed budget. Submissions were reviewed; those awarded grants were set with objectives and outcomes (linked to the programme’s key objectives) to be delivered within the funding period.

While there is no prescriptive definition of a Hub model, common features include:

• paid staff teams who deliver and coordinate Hub activity
• partnership working and relationship building with local community groups, charities, local authorities, schools and other public bodies
• delivery of climate-related support and engagement with communities, such as local climate festivals, outreach events, capacity‑building workshops on adaptation, biodiversity, and net‑zero planning; provision of small grants or seed funding to deliver climate-related projects and climate literacy training

3.3: Support available for Hubs

A dedicated team at the Scottish Government coordinates the programme and provides support to Hubs on a network-wide and individual level. The team offers guidance on project management and administration, support in understanding and accessing grant processes and advice on the completion of necessary project documentation. It also facilitates connections between Hubs and national partners who can provide specialist expertise or resources.

Learning and networking opportunities which help Hubs to connect, share practice and build knowledge are offered via the programme. These include:

• annual in-person gatherings
• monthly online network meetings which bring together Hub managers to discuss programme updates
• regular learning and development sessions, open to all Hub staff and partners; these often involve an external speaker or consultant who shares expertise on a specific area
• a shared Teams channel which provides a digital space for ongoing communication between Hubs

The Scottish Government has also introduced a monitoring framework to help ensure Hubs gather consistent and proportionate data and evidence to demonstrate impact. The framework is built around the programme level ToC. It tracks progress towards outcomes aligned with the programme’s objectives.