Scottish climate action hubs: models research

Findings

Structure and governance of climate hubs:

• The research indicates hubs tend to develop organically. This is often a result of networking between individuals involved in local climate action activities.
• Hubs are most commonly delivered by third sector organisations. However, we did identify hubs delivered by other types of organisations, such as local authorities. It is common for hubs to collaborate with local authorities, though for the most part the local authorities do not actively assist with management of the hubs.
• The case studies suggest having a paid member of staff is key for the long-term success of climate hubs, rather than solely relying on volunteers. Most volunteers prefer to deliver events and activities. Management, administration, and oversight roles are best delivered by paid members of staff, who also provide consistency for hubs.
• Whilst many of the hubs have overarching aims, they do not have specific strategic plans. This is because a fundamental aspect of community led hubs is to reflect the interests of the community and not enforce activities. This creates a sense of local ownership but does also mean that hub resources are used for delivering projects not fully aligned with the hubs’ aims.
• In the case of networked hubs, a core team of staff was found to be beneficial. Staff facilitate networking and knowledge sharing. This oversight also prevents duplication of work and maximises resources.
• Conflict between partners was found to be an unexpected challenge for multiple hubs. This tends to occur at larger networks of hubs as there are more individuals involved with competing opinions. It was suggested that core staff with strong social and mediation skills are crucial to manage relationships between stakeholders.
• Regularly scheduled meetings, both in person and online, were found to be beneficial for several reasons, such as facilitating networking, knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• The research found that physical hubs have multiple benefits. These hubs provide a consistent place to offer information and host events. Anecdotally, the findings from interviews indicates this increases engagement locally.

Hub projects and activities:

• Early engagement with the local community was found to be beneficial to the development of hubs. This is to ensure that the hubs initiatives are aligned with local priorities and to avoid duplication of work.
• Hubs tend to deliver sustainability projects that are not directly about climate activism or providing information on the climate emergency. Hubs opt for climate-related projects that are of interest to the wider community. This is because hubs struggle to engage members of the community outside the “climate bubble”. Activities that focus on the climate emergency are daunting and have been found to turn people away.
• The short-term nature of the current funding landscape, which is largely project based, is preventing the creation of lasting programs of work with ongoing impact.