RESPECT response to Scotland's Climate Change Plan 2026-2040 consultation

This document presents the RESPECT project’s response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Scotland’s Climate Change Plan 2026–2040 (CCP). It focuses on the land use and agriculture sectors (particularly the protection, restoration and sustainable management of agricultural peatlands) which are key to meeting Scotland’s statutory net-zero target. While welcoming the focus on peatlands in the CCP and the integration of just transition principles, the response argues that a just transition will not occur automatically and must be intentionally designed into climate policy and delivery. Current policies to direct (peat)land use change are fragmented, heavily reliant on voluntary action and unregulated markets, and insufficiently integrated with agricultural policy, land reform and community wealth building. A continued focus on hectare-based targets (with a new proposed target of 400,000 hectares of restored peatland by 2040) and private finance risks reinforcing existing inequalities in land governance and access to funding for small farmers, crofters, tenants and communities, without guaranteed environmental success. The response calls for a more strategic, integrated and outcome-focused approach that embeds climate action within broader environmental and social policies, ensuring that climate change action delivers fair processes, meaningful participation and just outcomes at local level.