National and local leaders were brought together by the Improvement Service to advance Just Transition in local government.
In collaboration with the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) and the Scottish Local Authorities’ Economic Development Group (SLAED), the online event explored how local government can put Just Transition policy into practice.
The session, ‘Just Transition in Local Government: From Policy to Practise’, brought together over 110 participants from across local authorities, government, and partner organisations. Speakers from the Scottish Government, the Just Transition Commission and Future Economy Scotland, stressed that Just Transition must go beyond achieving net zero to embed fairness across energy, housing, transport and nature restoration.
Panellists highlighted the unequal impact of climate change, calling for stronger community ownership, local investment, skills development and more hopeful public messaging.
Local authority approaches were highlighted as well, and included:
- Shetland calling for a “Fair Share” framework to secure community benefits from energy projects
- Edinburgh highlighting its use of partnerships and tools like AI-generated “personas” to embed fairness in planning
- Glasgow presenting youth-led programmes building local skills and leadership for climate action.
Rami Zaatari, IS Climate Change Transformation Project Manager, said:
“This successful event shows the power of collaboration across local and national levels. Together we can turn Just Transition from a policy ambition into tangible local benefits – from fairer energy systems to healthier, more resilient communities.
“The feedback showed rising confidence among participants: nearly 80 per cent left the event feeling better equipped to apply Just Transition principles.
“Funding, skills shortages and clearer national leadership were identified as key challenges, but there was strong momentum and consensus on the need for collaboration, equity and community empowerment.”
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