Scottish climate action hubs: models research

1. Introduction

This report provides insight into four community climate action hubs in the UK, one in Canada and one in Germany. This is to support the successful development of Scottish Government’s Community Climate Hub Programme. This report summarises the experiences of the six case study hubs and provides learnings for the development of new hubs. The findings in this report are drawn from a combination of desk-based research and interviews with stakeholders within the six hubs. See Appendix A (section 7) for further detail of the research methodology.

1.1. Policy Context

In 2019, Scottish Government reviewed the progress of the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to ensure that this fund continued to effectively support communities to take action to address climate change. The fund ran between 2008 and 2022 and was designed to support community-led projects aiming to tackle climate change. Findings from this review suggested that further work was needed to improve strategic and networking opportunities, encourage shared learnings and also generate lasting impacts.

In response to feedback from the CCF review, the Climate Action Hub Programme was announced in 2020 to further support climate adaptation activity at the community level. Scottish Government is supporting the development of a network of regional community climate action hubs as part of a wider programme of community-led climate action. The hubs aim to support and empower communities to engage with the transition to net zero, facilitating a consolidated and coordinated approach to local climate action.

At present, a total of £4.3 million has been allocated by Scottish Government to set up approximately 20 new hubs in Scotland. Two pathfinder hubs were set up in 2021; the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub based in the Northern Highlands, and North East Scotland Climate Action Network (NESCAN) Hub in Aberdeen.

One of the Just transition Commission’s (JTC) key messages is to “empower and invigorate our communities and strengthen local economies”^[1]. Ensuring everyone has the opportunity to take action against climate change is critical to an inclusive transition to net zero. In response to the JTC’s recommendations, Scottish Government committed to utilising Participatory Budgeting to pilot community climate action initiatives^[2]. £1.5 million has been made available through the Just Transition Participatory Fund to support local grassroots organisations and community groups in the Northeast and Moray. NESCAN hub is one of the strategic partners for the fund and will be actively engaging with local communities to generate ideas and develop net zero projects based on local priorities.

1.2. Aims of the Research

Numerous climate hubs have been developed throughout Scotland, the rest of the UK and internationally. These hubs have not developed as part of a single coordinated national effort, and therefore have been established through varying financial means and under differing governance structures.

Scottish Government commissioned this research to review the progress of existing hubs outside Scotland, as well as similar models for community climate action, to ensure that future projects in this area are well informed for success. A case study approach was adopted to ensure that detail around the background, context and set up of each hub are captured. The purpose of this research is to indicate challenges experienced by existing hubs and share learnings which will assist with the ongoing development of the hub programme in Scotland. Lessons learned from existing examples will provide insights as to the most effective way to structure a network of hubs which can facilitate the sharing of knowledge, take advantage of regional expertise, and foster a culture of increased partnership working.