Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan launched

The Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Government Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan was launched earlier this week, and identifies a series of priority areas focused on employers, education and individuals that will help Scotland capitalise on job opportunities emerging from the net-zero transition. 

In February 2018, the Scottish Government published the ‘Climate Change Plan: the Third Report on Policies and Proposals: 2018- 2032’ (the 2018 Plan). In response to the global climate emergency, the Scottish Government brought forward primary legislation to amend Scotland’s emissions reduction targets; the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 was commenced in March 2020. This sets annual and interim emissions reduction targets for Scotland, on a trajectory to net zero emissions by 2045. These targets include the world-leading interim goal of a 75% reduction in emissions by 2030 (relative to the 1990 baseline). The Scottish Government also committed, in line with recommendations from the Scottish Parliament, to updating the 2018 Plan, in order to account for these new targets. This update to the 2018 Plan fulfils that commitment.

Scottish Government had planned to lay this Plan update before Parliament earlier this year, and were on track for April 2020, however, its progress was necessarily postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the unprecedented circumstances we are faced with, this Plan update now demonstrates not only the pathway to meeting Scotland’s emissions reduction targets over the period to 2032, but is also a strategic document on Scotland's green recovery from COVID-19. A green recovery is a commitment to deliver an economic recovery from COVID-19 that helps Scotland toward net zero emissions in a way that is just, and that maximises the opportunities to deliver a thriving, sustainable economy.

Find out more on the gov.scot website.