Leveraging local and community energy for a just transition in Scotland

The Scottish Government’s draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan emphasises the importance of local and community energy projects for supporting Scotland’s net zero and just transition ambitions.

This study examines how those projects can help deliver against these ambitions within devolved powers. The research explored developments in local and community energy and assessed key innovations, opportunities and barriers, and how to leverage those projects to support Scotland’s National Just Transition Outcomes (NJTOs).

The report contains:

• Six overarching recommendations to help increase the contribution of the local and community energy sectors to Scotland’s Just Transition.
• A set of 19 evidence-based actions to increase local and community energy as the Scottish Government develops the final version of its flagship Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Summary findings

• Local and community energy can directly contribute to all eight of Scotland’s National Just Transition Outcomes.
• There are key barriers to delivering against these outcomes across sectors:
  • limited resources to build capacity for local and community energy projects in underserved areas
  • challenges around skills and project delivery processes particularly within local authorities
  • justice and equity issues within projects themselves
  • lack of appropriate finance and business models

Further details on the findings can be found in the report attached.