Scotland's Climate Change Plan: 2026–2040

Delivering a Just Transition

We are determined to ensure that Scotland makes the transition in a way that is just, delivering the benefits of net zero to people across our country. As set out above, those benefits are significant– for example, there is an opportunity to redesign systems like energy and transport in a way that supports households and communities, ensures greater energy security and improves air quality. There is also a huge investment and innovation opportunity to design these new systems and capitalise on Scotland's world-class strengths in green services such as finance and engineering. The changes to our infrastructure and local places give us a chance to enhance people’s health and wellbeing, by improving our natural and built environments, supporting access to vital services and green space.

However, as Scotland transitions to net zero, we are also determined to avoid repeating the mistakes of previous economic transitions – the rapid, unplanned change that our former coal mining communities still bear the scars of. As Scotland’s Just Transition Commission have emphasised, there is no path to net zero through deindustrialisation. We want, therefore, to ensure the necessary changes are managed in a way that supports workers and communities.

This CCP reflects that commitment. It is the first Scottish CCP to be underpinned by statutory just transition principles. It sets out the wider impacts of our policies across different sectors, and our actions to ensure a just transition for people and communities, workers and employers.

It also recognises that some of the transition’s impacts will have greater implications for particular regions of Scotland. Accordingly, it sets out the work we are doing with local government, regional partners and communities to ensure that any negative impacts are addressed, and that new opportunities are seized. This includes our efforts to support the places where the transition presents particularly significant or concentrated impacts, such as the North East of Scotland, Grangemouth and Mossmorran.

In addition, this CCP reflects the particular implications of the transition for rural and island communities. The sector annexes provide more detail on how we are responding to the rural and island implications of our policies.

Crucially, this is also the first CCP to include just transition indicators as part of its monitoring and evaluation framework. These social, environmental and economic indicators will allow us to track progress towards a just transition.

Overall, the CCP reflects our determination to manage the process of change in our economy – protecting people, communities and places from potential risks – while actively seizing the opportunities of the transition in a way that is fair. The Scottish Government’s approach will continue to be guided by the advice of the Just Transition Commission, including its final report for this parliamentary term. We have committed to renewing the Commission with a refreshed remit to support delivery.

Further detail on our just transition approach is set out in Annex 1A, and outlined for each sector in their annexes.