Scotland's Climate Change Plan – 2026-2040

Securing a Just Transition

Clearly, the economic opportunities of the transition are significant; however, as Scotland transitions to net zero, we are 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.

This Climate Change Plan 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 the work we are doing 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 work to support the places where the transition presents the most significant, concentrated impacts: the North East of Scotland and Grangemouth.

This CCP reflects our understanding of the particular implications that the transition has for rural and island communities. The sector annexes set out more detail on how we are responding to rural and island implications of our policies.

Crucially, this is also the first Climate Change Plan 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.

As this plan demonstrates, our priority is 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, which will be refreshed to support delivery.

However, this Government is also clear that a failure to take the right action now would mean Scotland missing out on the enormous opportunities that net zero offers. For example, the transition provides us with an opportunity to redesign systems like energy and transport in a way that supports households, ensures greater energy security and improves air quality. This is also a huge investment and innovation opportunity to design these new systems, capitalising 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, in a way that supports access to vital services and green space.

All of these factors have been taken into consideration as the policies and proposals set out in this plan have been developed. Further detail on our Just Transition approach is set out in Annex 1A, and outlined for each sector in their annexes.