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

Theme 2: Enabling Participation in Policy Design

Actions to migitate and adapt to climate change will be transformational across all of society, affecting how we all live our lives on a daily basis. Given these policies will be so far-reaching, it is vital that constructive dialogue with people and communities is at the heart of all new policy, including the policies included in our green recovery from COVID-19. 

We are therefore committed to ensuring that:

2. People actively participate in shaping fair and inclusive policies that encourage adaptation to and mitigation of climate change

The Scottish Government is committed to being an open government where citizens are co-designing the policies which affect their lives both now and in the future. Within climate change this commitment is also evident. 

We are building on our experience of developing public climate conversations and have now established an independent Citizens' Assembly. We will develop this approach further by delivering an innovative, comprehensive and consistent approach to participation in climate change policy making.

We will do this through a range of initiatives:

Scotland's Climate Assembly

The establishment of Scotland's Climate Assembly is an essential component of the Scottish Government's objective to give the people of Scotland the opportunity to participate in developing Scottish policy on climate change. The independent Assembly will bring together individuals in a group that is widely representative of the greater Scottish public and, in this way, give a voice to individuals and communities with unique and diverse perspectives from across the length and breadth of Scotland. 

The assembly has been tasked to learn about, discuss, and make recommendations based around the question of: 'how should Scotland change to tackle the climate emergency in an effective and fair way?'. 

The recommendations made by the Assembly at the end of the programme require a formal response from the Scottish Government within six months which will ensure that individual's voices are truly captured and reflected in policy.

We will learn from Scotland's Climate Assembly and other similar initiatives and incorporate learnings into further deliberative approaches to public engagement across climate change and environmental policy.

Further Climate Conversations

Engaging in conversations about climate change as part of our daily lives plays a vital role in creating the social change required across the country. Conversations with friends, family, colleagues, and in your local community are vitally important to mainstream climate change beyond the 'bubbles' of engaged groups. The Scottish Government has led the way in developing and promoting climate conversations^[19] as a means to share views and improve climate literacy, culminating in the Big Climate Conversation in 2019.

We will continue to develop and promote climate conversations throughout Scotland in a variety of formats including with increased use of digital approaches. 

We will continue to facilitate meaningful climate conversations at both a regional and national level as a part of our green recovery from COVID-19 and beyond.

Just Transition Engagement

The Just Transition Commission was established by Scottish Ministers to advise on how just transition principles could be applied to climate change action in Scotland. The independent commission has already engaged extensively with industry and with communities across Scotland. 

We have accepted all interim recommendations related to public dialogue and participation and we will continue to work with the Commission to advance these and embed them within our approach. This includes a commitment to carry out more engagement activities with groups identifed by the Commission which are most likely to be impacted by the transition. 

We will ensure that those most affected by our transition to net zero are actively engaged in the policies affecting them.

Enhanced Consultation 

Openness is a core value of the Scottish Government's National Performance Framework. The Scottish Government is committed to being an Open Government and is a member of the international Open Government Partnership. An Open Government is one which values openness, accountability, transparency, and involving people. 

Improving the way people are able to participate in policymaking is one of the core commitments of our Open Government Action Plan. The CCPu reflects our commitment to Open Government, containing numerous commitments to consult with the people who will be affected by changes in policy. Work towards meeting this commitment includes the development of a 'Participation Framework'. 

We will ensure that this framework guides the approach taken to climate change policy development. 

Youth Participation

2019 was a landmark year for youth engagement in climate change, as young people across the world stepped up and demanded climate action to protect their futures. The Scottish Government are committed to making it the norm for children and young people to be involved in decision-making across Scotland. This approach is set out in our Action Plan to Progress the Human Rights of Children in Scotland, an essential legacy of the Year of Young People 2018. 

We are already taking steps in this important area. Scotland's Climate Assembly is running a youth engagement project alongside their deliberations and plans are being developed for meaningful youth engagement leading up to COP26. 

We will continue to look for and implement opportunities to ensure that our young people have a voice in our future and can influence policy design.

Consultation Questions:
Enabling Participation in Policy Design

7) What are your views on our approach to enabling participation in policy design?

8) Are you aware of any practical examples or case studies of good practice for enabling participation in decision-making that could be useful for informing our approach?