Scotland's Climate Change Plan – 2026-2040 - Easy Read version

Introduction

The climate is the weather we expect to have. Climate change means we will have warmer temperatures, more heavy rain and drier summers. Sea levels are also rising.

This change in normal weather is bad for the environment and harms people. We are all living with climate change, now and in the future.

This can change depending on where you live. For example, an island community will have different climate change to a city community.

The Climate Change Plan is a 15 year plan covering 2026 to 2040. This plan will help Scotland take action on climate change.

Scotland has a target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Net zero means finding a balance between emissions released in the air and those we remove from it, for example by trees absorbing greenhouse gases. The goal is to ensure that our planet remains at a comfortable temperature so that all living things, from plants to animals, can grow and survive.

The Plan outlines the actions Scotland will take to reach net zero. The actions are shown within 7 sectors: Buildings (Residential and Public), Transport, Waste, Energy Supply, Business and Industrial Process, Agriculture and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry.

The actions need to be fair and improve the lives of the people in Scotland. People will have better health, job opportunities and lower costs in daily life as a result of them.

The Plan will help people to take action to stop or slow down climate change. It is important we take action to limit further changes.