Draft Climate Change Plan January 2026
On 6 November, the Scottish Government published its Draft Climate Change Plan, outlining the policies and proposals intended to meet Scotland’s carbon budgets for the period 2026–2040. The plan sets out a national approach to reducing emissions while supporting communities, learners and organisations to adapt to the realities of a changing climate.
As part of the consultation process, the Government sought views on a wide range of areas, including how the Draft Plan could better reflect and strengthen the role of communities. CLD plays a vital role in empowering individuals and communities, supporting skills development, building climate literacy, and enabling meaningful participation in local and national climate action.
This consultation offered an important opportunity for the CLD Standards Council to respond on behalf of its members, highlighting CLD’s critical contribution to delivering the Draft Plan, raising the profile of the workforce, and ensuring policymakers understand the strengths, expertise and needs of CLD practitioners, partners and learners. Our response aims to ensure that the sector’s role in supporting Scotland’s transition to a fairer, greener future is fully recognised and effectively supported in the final Climate Change Plan.