Climate Action in Scotland

We know that the Community Transport sector is committed to community-led climate action and delivering for people and planet. That’s why it’s a major priority for us too.

The aim of our Climate Action programme is to create, deliver and lobby for advice, information, investment, resources and support to CTA members across Scotland which will help you to:

• Decarbonise your fleets, services and operations
• Develop and deliver new sustainability projects
• Empower your community to take climate action

Here’s what we’re doing – and how you can benefit and get involved:

Act Local

We’re delighted to publish our new report – Act Local: Community Transport, Climate Action and Scotland’s Just Transition to Net Zero. It features:

• 7 fantastic case studies of Community Transport operators helping to reduce car use, reduce carbon emissions and deliver a Just Transition to net zero
• New data and evidence about the sector’s climate-related commitments and challenges
• 5 important recommendations to politicians, policymakers and funders

You can download the report here or read our blog here.

Forums

We’ve created new forums for CTA members on issues around climate action. We nurture these new communities of interest and practice as spaces for sharing ideas, discussing best practice, engaging with experts and learning from each other.

They’re run and supported by CTA, but led by the needs of participants. They offer a chance to hear about and shape CTA’s evidence, policy and influencing work:

• Electric Vehicles
• Active Travel
• Car Clubs

Evidence, Policy & Influencing

We’re working with Scottish Government, local government and funders to promote our sector as an essential partner in the Just Transition to net zero. We know the potential of Community Transport to accelerate modal shift, reduce car use and reduce carbon emissions:

• Our More Than a Minibus report identified a ‘net zero funding gap’ of over £87m
• We’ve celebrated the impact of Electric Vehicles in local communities
• We’ve set out how Community Transport can revive town centres and high streets through more sustainable travel
• We’re working with Transform Scotland to advocate for sustainable transport
• We’ve worked with our allies and partners in the Sustainable Transport Alliance to produce a new briefing on the evidence of carbon savings and co-benefits from accelerating modal shift away from private car use towards active travel and shared transport

We’ve pushed for more funding for zero-emission fleets in our sector. We’re pleased that the Scottish Government have listened to our calls for further investment:

• Plugged-In Communities Grant Fund: up to £75k to purchase or lease zero-emission cars, minibuses, LGVs, mopeds or motorcycles
• ScotZEB2: a total of £58m for consortia, which must include smaller and non-profit operators, to purchase new zero-emission technologies and vehicles

Training

Climate action is everyone’s job, so we’ll all have to develop new knowledge and learn new skills to make informed choices, reduce our own carbon footprint and help Scotland achieve net zero.

We all need to be carbon literate as we adapt to Electric Vehicles, find new sustainable suppliers or redesign transport services. We’ll signpost CTA members to learning and training opportunities and develop our own to help you upskill.

Why not join us in taking advantage of FREE Climate Emergency training for charities by Keep Scotland Beautiful in partnership with the Carbon Literacy Project and SCVO? We’ve blogged here about how useful we found the training.

We’re hosting a series of training workshops on Climate Action and Active Travel with Sustrans over the course of 2023. Sign up here.

Take Action!

The Growing Climate Confidence platform is where third sector organisations in Scotland can find help to reduce emissions and engage their community.

Start off by completing the Scorecard to assist you in assessing your progress on the journey to net zero and suggesting next steps for you to take.

Briefings & Guides

We know that many of you have lots of questions about climate action, from operating Electric Vehicles in a rural community to complying with new environmental protection regulations.

We’ve produced new briefings and guides with practical information and analysis to help you navigate your journey to net zero:

• Low Emission Zones in Scotland
• How to Set Up an eBike Project
• What is the Just Transition? – coming soon…
• How to Develop an Environmental Strategy/Policy – coming soon…

We’re also continuing to provide advice and support on these issues through the CTA Advice Service.

Events

In addition to our new forums, check out our packed events programme for opportunities for you to network with green funders, hear from climate experts, access net zero training and learn from your peers:

• ScotZEB2: Opportunities for Community Transport? – 12 July, Online
• Planning for Net Zero – 31 August, Online
• Scotland Conference 2023 – 12 September, Glasgow
• EV Charging Infrastructure – coming soon…

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