Just Transition
Land Use & Agriculture Just Transition Plan
Scotland has committed to become a net zero greenhouse gas emitting nation by 2045, with interim targets of 75% by 2030 and 90% by 2040, (against 1990 baseline levels). These ambitious targets require a collective effort with all corners of society playing their part, including governments, businesses, organisations, communities, and households.
Within this wider national challenge, land use and agriculture has a unique role. Alongside the other emitting areas of Scotland, it has been tasked with reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike other sectors however, land use and agriculture has been asked to deliver this while producing food and, at the same time working on behalf of all of Scotland to remove additional carbon from the atmosphere by providing the ‘carbon sink’ to help balance left-over emissions from our daily lives.
The Land Use and Agriculture Just Transition Plan will look to complement ambitions and actions of other Government plans and strategies such as Scotland’s Climate Change Plan, Adaptation Plan, (forthcoming) Rural Delivery Plan, (forthcoming) Bioenergy Action Plan and National Island’s Plan, as well as Scotland’s Environment, Biodiversity and Forestry Strategies to name but a few.
This first plan, will focus on introducing, promoting, and embedding just transition within the land use and agriculture sectors. It will set out our baseline approach and actions as well as providing the strategic direction of travel for future plans. It will support the Scottish Governments commitment to a transition to a net zero and nature friendly future that is fair and just and seeks to minimise inequalities whilst maximising opportunities. The plan will introduce a baseline approach, including the establishment of a long-term vision and outcomes as well as a set of shorter-term objectives. The next stage in this process is a formal consultation due for publication in early 2025.
The actions that will be needed for Scotland to become a net zero and nature friendly nation by 2045 will transform all aspects of our economy and society. Our land use and agricultural sectors have a major part to play. Contributing to this future whilst continuing to provide services such as food production, nature restoration, energy generation, the provision of land and timber to build homes, ecosystem services, and places where people from both our urban and rural communities can go for recreation and to connect with our environment and history.
Helping to empower, support and enable the people who live and work on our land and our wider rural, costal and island communities is why a just transition is essential.
The plan team can be contacted at LAJTP@gov.scot. In addition, a discussion paper was published in 2023 signalling the start of the LAJTP work. It can be accessed here.
