Responding to Scotland’s Draft Climate Change Plan (2026–2040)
The Scottish Government has opened a public consultation on its draft Climate Change Plan for 2026–2040, setting out proposed policies and actions to reduce emissions and meet Scotland’s statutory climate targets over the next 15 years. The consultation opened on 6 November 2025 and closes on 29 January 2026.
The Plan will help shape how climate action is delivered across Scotland, with implications for communities, local infrastructure, housing, transport, land use, nature restoration and the transition to a net zero economy. Many community groups and networks are already engaging with the proposals and considering how they reflect local priorities and lived experience.
At the same time, ECCAN recognises the challenging context in which this consultation is taking place. The window for review and feedback is short, and much of it falls over the winter holiday period, when capacity can be limited. Alongside a number of other Climate Action Hubs across Scotland, we have written to the Scottish Government to share these concerns and to highlight the importance of inclusive and accessible engagement in national policy processes.
What’s in the draft Climate Change Plan?
The draft Plan outlines how Scotland intends to meet its carbon budgets between 2026 and 2040, while delivering a just transition and wider social benefits. It includes:
Delivering a Just Transition – how the transition to net zero can be fair for workers, communities and regions
Sectoral action – proposals covering homes and heating, transport, energy, waste, land use, agriculture and nature restoration
Community participation – how people and communities are involved in shaping and delivering climate action
Impact assessments – including equality, island communities and socio-economic impacts
Monitoring and accountability – how emissions reductions and just transition outcomes will be tracked over time
The consultation includes a series of questions, but respondents do not need to answer them all. Groups are encouraged to focus on those most relevant to their experience or local context.
Support for community responses
We recognise that many community groups and organisations are operating with limited time and resources, and that responding to a national consultation can be challenging alongside ongoing work.
To support engagement, ECCAN is sharing a community-friendly consultation toolkit, originally developed by Fife Climate Hub, which breaks the Plan down into accessible sections and highlights questions most relevant to communities.
In addition, ECCAN can offer Edinburgh-based groups the opportunity to take part in short online discussions or video calls, depending on interest, to:
Talk through key elements of the Plan
Ask questions about the consultation process
Discuss possible next steps, including whether there is interest in individual or collective responses
This support is intended to complement the work of other climate organisations and networks.
If you would like to explore this, please get in touch with the ECCAN team to register your interest by emailing edinburgh@eccan.scot with the subject line: “Climate Change Plan consultation support”.
The consultation closes on 29 January 2026, and we encourage participation wherever possible — particularly from communities whose perspectives are often under-represented in national policy processes.