Climate Change - Net Zero Nation: draft public engagement strategy - consultation

Theme 1: Communicating Climate Change Policy

Our approach to tackling climate change and ensuring a green recovery has people and fairness at its heart. To achieve the national effort needed to transform our economy and society, we need to bring people with us. We must communicate this approach in an engaging and relevant way which caters to
every audience. 

In Scotland, we are proud of the world-leading approach we are taking to address climate change, but we understand the need to improve how we communicate it to individuals and communities. 

We are therefore committed to ensuring that:

1. People are aware of the action that the Scottish Government is taking to address climate change and how it relates to their lives

The Climate Change Plan update, published alongside this strategy, sets out the policies and proposals to meet future emissions reduction targets, demonstrating how we will deliver a green recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Climate Change Plan update will have implications for all corners of Scottish society. 

Given its importance it is crucial that we as a government communicate these policies positively and effectively so that people and communities understand what it will mean for them. 

We will do this through a range of initiatives: 

Communications and Marketing

During Climate Week 2020 we launched the first stage of our new communications approach, the Net Zero Nation website. This website will provide an accessible and interactive tool for public engagement on climate change over the coming years. It will be developed in  successive stages to become a 'one stop shop' for individuals, communities, and organisations looking for information about what they can do to address the climate emergency in all aspects of their life.

A still of the Net Zero Nation home page

Marketing activity will also play a part in educating individuals and organisations about the scale of change needed to address climate change, the policies being developed by the Scottish Government to respond to climate change at home and overseas, and the role of individuals and organisations in getting Scotland to net zero. Our engagement principles will be embedded in these communications, particularly in ensuring that information is accessible and positive. We know that not everyone in Scotland has the same views and beliefs. There is no 'one size fits all' approach for creating a compelling narrative to engage with.

We will communicate through a variety of channels to reach different audiences in the ways most appropriate and engaging for them.

We will continue to develop our communications activity across all appropriate channels to ensure that the climate impacts of our policies are clearly understood by all of Scottish society and that this understanding helps support uptake of the actions needed to reach net zero.

Climate Change Plan Update

Across the sectors included in the Climate Change Plan update there are over 100 policies and proposals aiming to reduce Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions up to 2032. Many of these will directly affect the daily lives of the Scottish public, and some will seek to engage members of the public, for example through consultations or pilots. In many cases, success of these policies hinges on effective engagement with the public. 

In transport, for example, commitments to reduce car kilometres and increase public transport use depends, along with ensuring increased access to infrastructure, on communicating a strong case to the public. Equally, the success of some buildings policies is dependent on increasing people's awareness of the options available to them to improve energy efficiency and move towards zero emissions heating systems, while supporting them to make well informed choices that are most appropriate for them.

We will ensure that the public is kept aware of upcoming policies across all parts of the Scottish Government, both by communicating directly and by working with delivery partners in the public, private, and third sectors. 

Working with Others

We recognise that governments are often not the most suitable messenger when it comes to communicating policies to differing audiences^[8]. Many of the policies included within the CCPu will require a range of organisations to help deliver them. This could be local authorities, wider public sector organisations, businesses, the third sector, and community organisations.

Our public bodies, in particular, are at the frontline of Scotland's climate emergency response, with many already going well beyond their legislative duties to drive action and influence change across society. 

We will continue to work closely with local government and the wider public sector to better engage the public and communities through the vast range of public services they deliver.

We will work with organisations across Scotland including through the Climate Change Communications Working Group, which brings together communicators from various organisations, to collaborate on this work.

Some areas of climate change policy, such as heat decarbonisation, are reserved to the UK Government. UK Government communications on reserved policies therefore has an effect on Scottish people. We are working collaboratively with them to ensure that this is managed effectively and will continue to do so. 

We will work with partners including UK Government, business, public and third sector organisations, and communities to ensure a joined up and effective communications approach. 

Communicating Climate Impacts

The Adaptation Scotland programme^[18] is funded by the Scottish Government to support capacity building and action on adaptation by the public sector, businesses, and communities in Scotland and to deliver on policy outcomes in the second Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme. 

Adaptation Scotland's collaborative approach and resources such as Climate Ready Places, helps to provide communities, organisations, and the public with the information they need to engage with, and plan for, the impacts of climate change. Adaptation Scotland supports the development and expansion of place-based initiatives which drive effective adaptation action across cities, regions, islands, and localities, aligned with the interests and needs of communities. 

The programme also supports public bodies to develop adaptation capabilities that enable them to take adaptation action at the right time and in an effective way through their award-winning Adaptation Capability Framework. 

We will continue to work alongside Adaptation Scotland to develop a new approach to engaging the public and communities on climate risks and Scotland's approach to adapting to these risks.

Consultation Questions:Communicating Climate Change Policy

5) What are your views on our approach to communicating climate change policy?

6) Are you aware of any practical examples or case studies of good practice for communicating on climate change that could be useful for informing our approach?