Our Scotland, Our Future: Public Engagement Strategy for Climate and Nature

1. Introduction

What is the Public Engagement Strategy (PES)?

The Scottish Government published its first Public Engagement Strategy for Climate Change in 2010. Over the past 16 years, we have continued to learn and develop our approach, publishing further iterations of the PES, the most recent being ‘Net Zero Nation’ in 2021. Independent research shows that the approach of ‘Net Zero Nation’ still aligns with best practice.^[3] As such, this strategy will build upon its success and refresh – rather than revise – the strategic direction.

This PES supports the statutory duty under section 91 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. In addition, the refresh integrates climate and nature to address these twin crises in one engagement strategy.

The Strategy sets out our strategic framework and approach to delivery, and aims to act as a key reference document for climate and nature engagement activity from 2026 to 2031.

Action on climate change and nature loss can create wider social, economic, health and financial benefits – supporting stronger communities, improved physical and mental health, reduced fuel poverty, healthier local environments and more resilient local economies. Our Climate Change Plan outlines the estimated worth of these co-benefits are £8 billion over 2026 to 2040. Our Adaptation Plan sets out actions to ensure that as the climate changes, people’s wellbeing is supported by safe and resilient transport, water and other essential infrastructure. Community-led action can build social connection, trust and pride in place, helping people to see climate and nature action as something that improves everyday life rather than as an additional burden.

Our public engagement approach seeks to build understanding that motivates, inspires and leads to action across the whole of society, among our urban, rural and island communities. It aims to shift the conversation about climate change and nature loss towards one of hope, honesty, resilience, and shared ownership of solutions, recognising people not only as audiences, but as active partners in re-imagining and shaping Scotland’s future.

The role of the PES is to provide clear leadership, policy direction and transparency, while creating the conditions for collaboration, to enable meaningful engagement and participation of the public in climate and nature action. This includes supporting partnerships, sharing evidence and insight, enabling participation, and working across the public, private and third sectors to align efforts and amplify impact. The PES supports building the understanding and connections required across society to support a just, inclusive and transparent approach, built on collaboration, trust and shared ownership of the transition.

Who is the PES for?

Delivering Scotland’s climate and nature ambitions requires navigating a complex and dynamic set of challenges and risks. Evidence shows that having a clear engagement strategy set by government at the national level allows for the coordination of large-scale activities and supports local activities over a substantial period.^[4]

For Government

Within the Scottish Government, the PES sets the approach to national, regional and local engagement with the public in support of our climate and nature policy pathways set out in the following core strategies:

• Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024‑2029^[5]
• Scotland’s Climate Change Plan: 2026‑2040^[6]
• Environment Strategy for Scotland^[7]
• Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045^[8]
• National Just Transition Planning Framework^[9].

The PES will serve to support coherence across engagement activity relating to these strategies, and their future iterations, as well as facilitate better integration of climate and nature in public engagement activities led by other sectors and policy areas (such as Health, Education, Economy, Culture and Sport).

For Trusted Messengers

The PES is also a guide for public engagement by public, private, third sector and community organisations to engage their own audiences on climate and nature.

Effective public engagement depends on working with ‘trusted messengers’ – the organisations, networks and community groups that have established, trusted relationships with specific audiences. These include public sector bodies, local authorities, community and voluntary organisations, faith groups, youth organisations, businesses, trade unions, professional bodies and environmental organisations, as well as community leaders and informal networks.

We welcome and encourage those with less knowledge and experience of climate change and nature engagement to use the strategy. We have provided a glossary of key terms to help make this document more accessible.

Overview of approach to PES 2026-31

In assessing how best to deliver on the PES for the next five years, we have considered the evidence on the effectiveness of the approach set out in ‘Net Zero Nation’. We are retaining what continues to represent best practice while updating or introducing elements where appropriate.

Based on the lessons learned, we have focused on four key improvements:

1) This will be a public engagement strategy for climate change mitigation, adaptation and nature loss together, reflecting how interconnected they are and how people experience their local environment, understand how climate and nature-related risks are changing where they live, and enabling local action that delivers multiple benefits.

A decline in biodiversity and degraded ecosystems will exacerbate the climate crisis, reduce resilience to the impacts, and limit nature’s capacity to store carbon, while climate change accelerates species decline and habitat loss. Restoring and protecting nature is therefore central to delivering climate mitigation and adaptation outcomes. We also know that most people do not separate climate and nature in their daily lives. People typically encounter climate and nature through the same personal lived experiences and local environmental changes. Public engagement that links climate action with tangible improvements to local nature can also help to make climate change feel more immediate and actionable. Framing the issues together can help engage and connect wider audiences with a range of environmental values and priorities.

2) We have revised and strengthened the Vision, Objectives and Outcomes for the PES. This will provide a robust theoretical framework for climate and nature engagement over the next five years. [See Chapter 2 for more details].

3) We have set out the approach to delivery within this strategy. This will be supplemented by a separate Delivery Plan, which will set out activities and commitments that will meet our objectives and enable us to coordinate and work with a range of partners nationally, regionally and locally. The delivery plan will be published in the spring, and allow for regular updates to learn and evolve the programme of commitments throughout the five-year period. [See Chapter 3 for more details].

4) We have strengthened our approach to Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), founded on an improved Theory of Change. [See Chapter 4 for more details]