The Highland Council has formalised its response to the Scottish Government's Draft Climate Change Plan 2026-2040. Following a meeting of the Council's Climate Change Committee, members agreed on a position that balances support for national net-zero goals with a demand for better recognition of the unique challenges facing rural and island communities.

The Scottish Government's Draft Plan outlines a strategic pathway to reach net zero by 2045, focusing on key sectors including energy supply, transport, buildings, agriculture, and waste. While the Council acknowledged the comprehensive nature of the proposal, it emphasised that the Highland region's dispersed population and specific infrastructure constraints require a more tailored approach than urban areas.

Chair of the Climate Change Committee, Councillor Kate Willis, said: "Members welcomed the opportunity to shape the Council's cross-service response. Our response recognises that while the Draft Plan is well structured and comprehensive, rural and island areas such as Highland face very different delivery challenges due to our geography, dispersed population and infrastructure constraints.

-- Advertisement --

"We strongly support the Plan's commitment to a place-based approach including the forthcoming Rural Delivery and Islands Plans. These must clearly set out how the Scottish Government will support a fair, inclusive and locally led transition for rural and island communities.

"Successful delivery of the Climate Change Plan will rely on stronger recognition of the role of regions such as the Highlands, alongside locally resourced action that empowers local authorities as delivery partners and delivers benefits for our communities.

"Communities across the Highlands will play a critical role in shaping and delivering national climate ambitions, and it is vital that they see clear, tangible and enduring benefits from the change they are being asked to support."

The Council's response highlights several critical areas for the final plan, including the necessity for sustained and predictable investment to fund building retrofits, transport decarbonisation, and nature restoration. It also calls for a significant expansion in workforce skills, particularly for clean heat installation and renewable energy.

Furthermore, the local authority stressed the importance of improving grid capacity and ensuring that Highland residents benefit directly from the region's vast renewable energy generation through fair community benefit and equitable pricing.

The feedback provided by Highland Council, alongside other stakeholders, will be used to shape the final Climate Change Plan, which is expected to be presented to the Scottish Parliament in early 2026.