Draft Climate Action Plan Consultation

Climate change is no longer a distant threat – it is reshaping Scotland’s environment now. In 2025 alone, wildfires have burned a record area across the UK (read about wildfires burning record areas across the UK), all of Scotland experienced water scarcity following the driest start to a year since 1964 (read about Scotland's water scarcity) and provisional Met Office data suggests this summer was almost certainly the hottest on record. Read about summer 2025 being the hottest summer on record.

These extremes follow a broader trend: Scotland’s 10 hottest years have all occurred since 1997 (read about Scotland and climate change). Despite this, average annual rainfall in Scotland has been 10% higher in the last decade (2014-2023) compared to the 1961-1990 average, with winters bearing the brunt of the increased rainfall. Visit the BBC News website for more information on Scotland's average annual rainfall.

Climate impacts that were projected to occur in the middle of this century are already happening now (Read the Scottish climate change adaptation programme 2019-2024: strategic environmental assessment). Acceleration of heatwaves, intensification of rainfall and water stress (when demand exceeds supply or poor quality restricts its use) are no longer future risks, but present realities. Read more about Scotland and climatr change.

To confront the impacts of climate change, Scotland has set a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. East Dunbartonshire is also playing its part by developing its Climate Action Plan (CAP) – a strategic roadmap to reduce emissions, build resilience and deliver co-benefits for our communities. 

Net zero: when the amount of emissions – or ‘greenhouse’ gases – being released into the atmosphere from human activities is balanced out by the amount removed from the atmosphere, typically through nature-based solutions (e.g. planting trees, restoring peatlands).

The growing severity of climate change impacts, which are already visible in our communities, underscores the urgent need for large-scale action. Achieving net zero emissions is essential to limit further harm and protect future generations.

While national policies require public bodies, including local authorities, to reduce their emissions, meaningful progress depends on all of us working together. Individuals, businesses, and communities all have a role to play in cutting emissions and building climate resilience. Climate action is therefore both a statutory obligation and a shared responsibility.

The Scottish Government set a target to reach net zero by 2045 in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, as amended by the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) 2019. While additional interim targets were also previously set by this Act, the independent UK Climate Change Committee found that the targets were no longer achievable. 

This led the Scottish Government to pass the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2024, replacing both interim targets with a carbon budget-based process.

Draft amendment regulations were laid before the Scottish Parliament in 2025 – known as the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Scottish Carbon Budgets) Amendment Regulations 2025 – which set out newly-proposed emission budgets from 2026 to 2045.

Carbon Budgets: place a limit on the total amount of emissions that can be released over a period of time. 

The carbon budgets adopted by the Scottish Government require emissions (compared to 1990 values) to be:

• 57% lower for the First Carbon Budget (2026 to 2030)
• 69% lower for the Second Carbon Budget (2031 to 2035)
• 80% lower for the Third Carbon Budget (2036 to 2040)
• 94% lower for the Fourth Carbon Budget (2041 to 2045).

Emissions reduction is not the only motivation to take climate action. Climate action also brings wider benefits, known as co-benefits – such as cleaner air, improved quality of health, job creation and enhanced biodiversity. Some examples of co-benefits can be seen below.

The Council approved the CAP Evidence and Options Report in September 2023. The report set out targets and pathways to reach net zero for both direct and indirect corporate emissions, as well as area-wide emissions. The CAP will build on these pathways to deliver net zero.

Corporate direct emissions: emissions from sources controlled by the Council, such as its fleet of vehicles and fuel use in the Council’s buildings.

Corporate indirect emissions: emissions from all other activities such as supply chain, waste and business travel.

The CAP Evidence and Options Report set out alternative options for reaching net zero.  The Council adopted an option which requires that it reaches net zero by:

• 2036 for the Council’s corporate direct emissions and purchased energy
• 2045 for the Council’s corporate indirect emissions
• 2045 for all East Dunbartonshire’s area-wide emissions.

Progress has already been made on the reduction of emissions in East Dunbartonshire. The Council’s overall corporate emissions for 2023/24 (14,720 tCO2e) are down 55% from 2012/13 (32,420 tCO2e).

East Dunbartonshire’s area-wide emissions have also decreased significantly since record keeping began, down around 49% from 2005 to 2023 (786.41 ktCO2e in 2005 to 399.13 ktCO2e in 2023).
The Council has a strong track record of climate action, including:

• Passivhaus standard agreed for 390 new affordable housing units
• Expanding electric vehicle charge points – including £650,000 to support decarbonisation of the Council’s fleet
• Active travel infrastructure projects
• Cycle and scooter training for schools
• Funding secured to deliver 150 bikes for schools 
• Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy adopted 
• Traffic Free Schools Scheme made permanent following a successful pilot
• BetterPoints app launched to encourage active travel and public transport use – with users able to “earn” points that can be spent locally or donated
• Green Business Support Programme launched to support local organisations in reaching net zero
• 20 mile per hour zones being established in Bearsden and Twechar
• Waste collection schedules optimised – significantly reducing emissions.

The CAP guides our journey to net zero, helping us meet our statutory duties as a public body while strengthening the Council’s ability to adapt to a changing climate.

The CAP’s Mission is: 

“East Dunbartonshire is carbon neutral and climate resilient with a better quality natural and built environment conducive to healthier, more active lifestyles and flourishing biodiversity. Decisive action has achieved a just and inclusive transition that has created high value jobs, investment, and equipped people with the knowledge and skills to thrive in a low-carbon, wellbeing economy.”

The draft CAP identifies five objectives to achieve this mission: 

1. Prioritise Council spending plans and resource allocation to reduce emissions, support adaptation and deliver on the Council’s net zero targets with a presumption against spending, investment and infrastructure that would hinder achievement of net zero and increased climate resilience.
2. Set ambitious, interim targets on the path to net zero emissions for the Council and the East Dunbartonshire area – accompanied by a robust framework for transparent monitoring/review and effective governance.
3. Integrate climate considerations including biodiversity gain into all Council decision-making processes by developing a standardised approach to climate change risk and impact assessments – encompassing all council decision-making processes, policies, plans and strategies.
4. Improve climate change awareness, strengthen community resilience, and encourage behaviour change to promote a just transition and reduced vulnerability.
5. Maximise the social, economic and environmental co-benefits of local climate action, including nature-based solutions – achieving efficient use of natural resources, and improving health and wellbeing outcomes.

The CAP provides detailed information on climate change background, policy context and local impacts. It outlines corporate and area-wide net zero targets, identifies strategic themes that influence emissions, and introduces a framework for governance, monitoring and communications.

The CAP has eight strategic themes – based upon areas that have the greatest influence on national, local and individual carbon footprints – which are critical to meeting our net zero targets. Each theme sets out a list of actions that will drive efforts to reach net zero and enhance our overall climate resilience.

A list of these actions can be seen in Appendix A – draft CAP Strategic Theme Options . In time, this list of actions will be revised into a more comprehensive, dynamic action plan (known as the Net Zero and Resilience Action Plan), which will be regularly updated to ensure that the Council remains on track to reach its net zero targets and enhance the resilience of local communities (see the Governance Structure section below).

Strategic Themes

The strategic themes included in the CAP are:

• Theme 1 – Transport: Switching to walking, cycling and zero-carbon public transport modes, making car-free living more viable across East Dunbartonshire and converting remaining Council fleet vehicles to zero-carbon fuels.
• Theme 2 – Buildings and Heat Decarbonisation: Retrofitting buildings to become energy efficient, carbon neutral and resilient to climate change – with the Council leading by example on the decarbonisation of its buildings – maximising local renewable energy generation and increasing system resilience.
• Theme 3 – Sustainable Communities: Ensuring planning and development patterns promote low-carbon lifestyles and local resilience. Avoiding actions that lead to additional emissions or create dependence on high-carbon transport and infrastructure.
• Theme 4 – Natural Environment: Restoring, protecting and enhancing greenspaces and biodiversity through nature-based solutions to climate change.
• Theme 5 – Consumption and Waste: Reducing emissions through the procurement of goods and services, and zero-carbon waste management.
• Theme 6 – Business and the Economy: Supporting businesses to become carbon neutral and climate resilient, creating job opportunities and bolstering investment in a low-carbon, wellbeing economy – while assisting a just transition to ensure that nobody is left behind.
• Theme 7 – Supply Chains, Investment and Digital Infrastructure: Reducing emissions from the Council’s supply chain and investments. Maximising digital and technological decarbonisation opportunities to reduce East Dunbartonshire’s exposure to climatic hostility, hazards and costs, including ‘stranded assets’ (assets worth less than expected due to changes associated with energy transition).
• Theme 8 – Food and Agriculture: Establishing a resilient, sustainable food network, with locally-produced goods and enhanced community food growing, in addition to supporting movement to a plant-based diet.

Monitoring System

The Council currently calculates and reports on its carbon footprint through the annual Scottish Public Bodies’ Climate Change Duty report. 

You can view reports on the Sustainable Scotland Network website. This data then informs the Council’s annual Carbon Management Plan, which provides an analysis of internal emissions and sets targets for corporate mitigation.

The CAP proposes extending the scope of the Carbon Management Plan to incorporate additional corporate emissions, area-wide emissions, adaptation monitoring and sustainable development progress.

The newly-formed Scottish Climate Intelligence Service (SCIS) will support carbon reporting by local authorities through a standardised approach to area-wide emissions calculations and extending the boundaries of corporate carbon footprints.

To help keep the Council on track in terms of mitigation and adaptation targets, the SCIS will be used as a dynamic tool to update existing – and help to identify new – actions at a council and area-wide level.

Communications Plan

The success of the CAP relies not only on aligning its objectives with relevant programmes, plans and strategies, but also on working closely with partners across East Dunbartonshire.

Since the Council directly controls only around a third of area-wide emissions, achieving net zero will require a collaborative effort involving residents, businesses, community organisations and other partners.

To strengthen engagement and partnerships, the draft CAP proposes a dedicated Net Zero and Resilience Communications Plan. This will guide community engagement and consultation activities, helping to build stronger partnerships and ensure that local voices are actively involved in shaping and delivering climate action. 

The Communications Plan will provide clear pathways for people to contribute ideas, stay informed and to take part in East Dunbartonshire’s journey to net zero.

Emissions are also often referred to as greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). GHGs are types of gases emitted which add to the ‘greenhouse effect’ that leads to rising temperatures across the globe (since heat energy has a hard time leaving the atmosphere through these gases).

Essentially, the more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the higher the rate of warming since more heat energy is trapped. The four main types of GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and Fluorinated gases group (F gases).

Emissions are released as a result of various activities – such as industry, transportation, heating, agriculture, energy production, etc.

Carbon primarily refers to carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that traps heat in Earth's atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise.

Carbon reduction refers to actions taken to reduce the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere from various activities. Carbon reduction includes all greenhouse gases, with carbon dioxide being the most recognisable.

Net zero means that the emissions released into the atmosphere and removed from the atmosphere (normally through nature-based solutions) balance out to zero – meaning we are not adding additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Reducing overall emissions to net zero is essential to tackling the climate crisis. For more information visit the Net Zero Nation website.