Scotland's Climate Change Plan: 2026–2040

Working Internationally

The Scottish Government is committed to working with and supporting our international partners to help secure a global transition to a net zero and resilient future in a way that is fair and just for all. We are committed to being a bridge builder on climate justice internationally: including by utilising our convening and influencing position to amplify voices of the Global South and addressing the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalised groups, especially young people, women and girls, and people with disabilities.

The Scottish Government was among the first to put climate justice at the heart of its international climate action, and to take action to address loss and damage. Our approach to climate justice aims to tackle existing inequalities such as wealth disparity and discrimination based upon gender, age, disability or indigenous status, recognising that these inequalities are exacerbated by the climate crisis.

We launched the Climate Justice Fund (CJF) in 2012. The CJF takes a people-centred approach by focusing on communities most affected by climate change. In ensuring the views and needs of those typically marginalised in such communities are at the centre of interventions, we are helping to shape a model of climate action that is just, inclusive and grounded in human rights.

Over the next year, we will provide £7.5 million of funding towards climate justice grants in our international development partner countries of Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda. Building on our existing programmes, this new round of funding will deliver tangible support to communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, strengthening their capacity to adapt and respond to escalating climate impacts.

We recognise that global challenges demand global solutions, and that Scotland has an important role to play in accelerating climate action internationally—particularly among states, regions and devolved governments. Through our leadership roles of the Regions4 and the Under2 Coalition we are committed to strengthening international cooperation and supporting capacity-building efforts. Scotland’s transition to date has generated both successes and lessons, and we are committed to sharing these openly while learning from the experience of others. We continue to prioritise peer‑to‑peer exchange and practical projects that equip governments with the knowledge, tools and resources needed for effective transitions to net zero and climate resilience. Central to this is ensuring that these initiatives remain responsive to the needs and priorities of governments from the Global South.

Renewable energy is a priority area for our African partner countries and since 2022, we have also partnered with the University of Strathclyde on the Scottish Global Renewables Centre (GRC) to facilitate knowledge exchange between our international development partner countries and the Scottish renewables sector.

Given the crucial role that devolved governments play in tackling climate change, we are also working to enhance their visibility and influence within multilateral climate discussions, ensuring that voices like Scotland’s—and those of our partners—help shape global progress.

Scotland is committed to realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals, both within our own communities and in the wider world. The National Performance Framework (NPF) is designed to localise the SDGs in Scotland’s specific political environment. Each NPF outcome has been mapped to an SDG goal where possible – further detail on the specific goals is contained in Annex 1C.