Community
There are countless ways that you and your community can get involved in Scotland's goal to become a net zero nation. Whether you’re a community group member, wanting to inspire young people, organising events at work, or just someone wanting to support a sustainable future, this page has all of the information and resources you need to get started.
Get Involved
Looking to start your own project, reduce waste or just find inspiration? Our Climate Action Hubs are here to empower communities and help support us all to become a Net Zero Nation. At your regional hub, discover best practices and find advice and support for developing climate action plans – whether that’s identifying climate adaptations, helping you to find funding, or just connecting you to other groups and communities.
Find your local climate action hub.
Interested in volunteering? Find out what’s going on in your area.
Engaging young people
Keep Scotland Beautiful is an environmental charity that leads a wide range of climate change engagement initiatives, including educational programmes, climate literacy training, and tackling litter and waste. The charity supports and celebrates community achievements in protecting and enhancing Scotland's natural and built heritage. Through Climate Action Schools, they provide education initiatives that empower children, young people, and educators to understand environmental challenges and take positive action. Additionally, the Young Reporters for the Environment programme gives young people a platform to voice their environmental concerns.
Find out more about Keeping Scotland Beautiful
Networking
Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN) is a volunteer-led network open to any community group across Scotland that is taking action on the climate crisis and to any organisation that is involved with or supports community-led climate action.
Climate Cafés are informal spaces for people to get together, share ideas, information and get involved in climate action. Cafés bring people together from across communities to focus on solutions. Find out about a café near you.
Adapting to the effects of climate change
The Adaptation Scotland provides advice and support to help organisations, businesses and communities prepare for, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change we now can’t avoid.
Visit the Adaptation Scotland website
Energy advice
Home Energy Scotland is a network of local advice centres across Scotland. As well as working directly with households, their advice centres partner with any community group or organisation that gives energy-saving advice, or that has potential to refer people vulnerable to fuel poverty. They offer free advice, support and training to staff and volunteers, as well as support with funding applications and access to a secure online referral portal.
The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), supports communities across Scotland to engage with, participate in and benefit from the energy transition to net zero emissions.
Visit Local Energy Scotland's website to find out more.
Community benefit schemes are voluntary packages of benefits - often in the form of funds - provided by renewable energy businesses to local communities. They can help improve energy use in homes and public buildings, creating and improving local nature sites and transport hubs, helping people to learn new skills, and much more.
To find out if there is a community benefit scheme in your area you can visit Scotland’s Community Benefits Register.
Active travel and sustainable transport
Energy Saving Trust deliver a number of initiatives on behalf of the Scottish Government that help community transport groups switch to the use of low-carbon vehicles.
Switch to low carbon travel modes - Energy Saving Trust
Sustrans Scotland provides advice, support and funding that makes it easier for people to walk and cycle for everyday journeys.
Our work in Scotland - Sustrans.org.uk
Cycling Scotland offers a programme of expert support to organisations across Scotland to take a leading role in increasing the number of people who cycle, creating sustainable communities.
Community - Cycling Friendly - Our Programmes - Cycling Scotland
Path for All offers technical advice and support to community organisations to help them to create, promote and maintain safe, welcoming community paths and active routes for everyone. They also manage grants, including funding from Transport Scotland, designed to encourage people to travel more sustainably.
TravelKnowHow works with each of the seven Regional Transport Partnerships to deliver bespoke support to workplaces across Scotland. Their aim is to assist organisations in developing meaningful and tailored active and sustainable travel planning measures. By doing so, they help reduce environmental impact, improve the health and wellbeing of workforces, and contribute to Net Zero targets.
Reducing waste
Zero Waste Scotland provide advice and support to community groups, including delivery of cascade workshops on waste related topics and also links to funding opportunities.
What Zero Waste Scotland can offer community groups | Zero Waste Scotland
The Share and Repair Network, delivered by Circular Communities Scotland, is a nationwide initiative that helps you set up or connect to local repair cafés and sharing libraries. This network aims to reduce consumption and cut waste across Scotland, and cultivate environmental and social justice, ensuring every community can benefit from these sustainable practices. For more information about starting a sharing library or a repair café in your local community, visit The Share & Repair Network – A project of Circular Communities Scotland (shareandrepair.scot).
Food growing
Get Growing Scotland is brought to you by the Community Growing Forum Scotland, a group of grassroots projects and support organisations sharing information, inspiration, and expertise from communities and partners across Scotland.
Funding
There are also a number of funding opportunities in addition to the Scottish Government programmes listed above.
Funding and support for the natural environment can be found at: Funding and Projects | NatureScot
Funding Scotland lists funders with a track record of supporting projects in Scotland, and is run by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Our policy
For more information on the Scottish Government's Community Climate Action Team policy supporting community-led climate action, contact ClimateChangeEngagement@gov.scot