Developing an effective response to climate change in Scotland will depend in part upon consumers being willing and able to change their behaviours, routines and buying habits. The UK Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget estimates that household low-carbon choices will contribute to one-third of emissions reductions in 2040.
Most consumers are aware of, and tell us that they are concerned about, climate change. However, this concern competes with many other priorities for consumers, including cost-of-living pressures. Many households face significant concerns in being able to afford the goods and services they need. Across Consumer Scotland’s work, people tell us that with busy lives and competing priorities, they also need the products and services they buy or use to be simple and convenient.
Some of the changes consumers might be asked to make to support the climate transition have significant costs and might be inconvenient or require changes in routines. Addressing these issues of cost and convenience will be crucial in enabling consumers to play their full part in the climate transition.
The Scottish Government’s draft Climate Change Plan
The Scottish Government published its draft Climate Change Plan in November last year setting out how it intends to reduce carbon emissions across a range of key sectors between 2026-2040.
We welcome the plan’s recognition that governments cannot tackle climate change alone and that individuals, communities and businesses across society all have a role to play - and that partnership working is essential in meeting climate ambitions.
Our response to the draft Plan identified specific actions in relation to waste, transport, energy and water which can support and enable consumer action. We also highlighted the key things the final Plan must do to make the transition a fair and just one.
However, involving consumers in the transition requires innovative thinking from government, regulators and businesses. We need a new, system-wide approach focussing on fair and effective consumer engagement, and our climate change framework is designed to help policymakers deliver this.
The key consumer issues the final Climate Change Plan must address
Consumer Scotland’s climate change framework identifies cost, convenience, clarity and confidence as the key consumer issues facing decision makers:
- Cost: The final Climate Change Plan must be clear about the costs involved and allocate these fairly between current and future generations
- Convenience: It must make it more straightforward for consumers to make the changes being asked of them
- Clarity: It must be clear how interventions and policies will deliver the five-year carbon budget
- Confidence: It must communicate the changes consumers will need to make, identify where any additional consumer protections are required and where support is available - particularly for significant upfront costs such as changes to home heating or vehicles
What next
We will continue to push for the plan to better reflect the needs and priorities of consumers, including those in vulnerable circumstances, in the transition to net zero. Our draft workplan for 2026-27 sets out ongoing work to encourage more sustainable consumption and more efficient use of our natural resources in ways that also work for consumers.
We will shortly publish new research that focusses on repair and recycling, including how consumers might engage with a deposit return scheme and a charge on single use drinks cups. These findings will help enable consumers to enjoy the benefits of a more circular, low carbon economy and support the wider shift in society required to support consumers and make the transition to net zero a reality.