Climate Manifesto:
Policies to deliver action and justice

Due to the various policy and delivery responsibilities of local government and its cross-sectoral partners, including the NHS, their role in contributing to Scotland reaching (or not) our climate targets is vital. They also set a very visible public example of pro-climate activity. Ideally, the public sector should be leading by example.

The key areas where local government are a key policy or delivery lead or partner include:

• transport
• planning
• buildings and energy
• education

Local authorities and some other public bodies, like NHS Scotland and Scottish Water, are also major energy users.

Scotland’s territorial emissions 1990-2021

Emissions in MtCO2e from the public sector 1990-2021, showing a fall of 60% (bold red line)

The public sector’s direct emissions are relatively small at 2.2% of Scotland’s total emissions in 2021, but their footprint, through the impact of their procurement and other choices, is likely to be several times this amount. The 2009 Climate Act imposed a duty on public bodies to contribute to national climate targets and to adaptation and to act sustainably. But, although reporting has improved,²⁷¹ there is little real monitoring of this obligation. The Climate Change Plan update does not have a separate chapter on the public sector.

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