The next Scottish Parliament must deliver tangible, transformative climate action
Our members and supporters – and a clear majority of the Scottish public – want to see real climate action, delivered through popular, durable policies.
Change doesn’t need to wait – it can start now. But the Scottish election in May 2026 creates a huge opportunity for progress. Our coalition is campaigning for every political party to set out detailed and costed policies to deliver the just transition we all need.
Our policy proposals for next Scottish Parliament
Climate questions to ask candidates
It’s critical that candidates from all parties who are standing for election know that people in Scotland want them to prioritise climate action that delivers real benefits to our lives, and for us to know where they stand on key issues.
We’ve put together these suggested questions for you to ask candidates about the action they would take to deliver a greener, healthier and fairer Scotland. You could ask candidates these if they knock on your door, if you go to a hustings event, or by email.
These questions mostly relate to action that the Scottish Government can take – areas that are devolved. Where they relate to action that the UK Government can take – on areas that are reserved – we have made it clear what decision makers in Scotland could do on these.
Read the suggested questions for candidates below and click on it to read what a good answer could include.
What a good answer might include:
- Agreement that the 2045 target is important and we need to meet it.
- Commitment to action to reduce emissions in high polluting sectors, like transport, heating and agriculture.
- New and transformational ideas, like free public transport, support to install insulation in our homes, and ramping up community ownership of energy.
- Acknowledgement of the need to ensure climate action is fair, people are supported to make the changes needed, and everyone benefits
What a good answer might include:
- Recognising that we need to raise funds fairly, so that the wealthiest and biggest polluters pay the most.
- New ideas like a private jet tax or other taxes on high polluting activities.
What a good answer might include:
- The need for proper plans and funding for how workers in key sectors and locations will transition, developed with workers and communities.
What a good answer might look like:
- Embed climate education in the curriculum and maintain funding for existing climate and environmental education programmes to support educators and young people.
- Fund and deliver a comprehensive, sustained public information campaign to deepen understanding of climate change and the action needed across all parts of society.
- Commit long-term funding for community climate action.
What a good answer could include:
- Recognition that although this is a UK Government responsibility, Scotland has an important role to play to drive progress and support people.
- Maintain funding for Scotland’s Climate Justice Fund, including a dedicated Loss and Damage element, and ensure the whole fund is spent in a locally-led, transparent and transformative way.
- Increase funding for Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund, boosting its capacity to provide effective, life-saving support to those facing humanitarian crises due to both rapid and slow-onset climate impacts through local humanitarian leadership.
- Continue engagement in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, using Scotland’s sub-national role to show international leadership, champion key issues at the talks and support the calls of Global South countries for greater equity and justice.
- Champion action on the global debt crisis and advocate for the UK Government to adopt world leading debt legislation and support a new UN debt workout mechanism.
- Support the call from some of the world’s most climate vulnerable countries for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
What a good answer might include:
- Although licensing of oil and gas is a UK Government responsibility, show leadership by adopting an unequivocal policy position against new oil and gas exploration or extraction in Scotland
- Ensure that community ownership of energy is a substantial part of the energy transition
- Continue the ban on new nuclear energy production.
- Restrict any use of negative emissions technologies to the most hard to decarbonise heavy industry and ensure any inclusion of these is backed by a credible, science-based delivery plan
What a good answer might include:
- Create more new native woodland, more trees in cities, and regenerate Scotland’s rainforest.
- Restore more peatland and stop the sale of peat for horticulture.
- Designate more protected areas for Scotland’s seas
What a good answer might look like:
- Commit more funding to walking, wheeling and cycling
- Make bus travel free for more age groups, but ideally for all
- Expand and fund community-owned sustainable transport options in every community in Scotland.
What a good answer might include:
- Put in place the mechanisms to enable more homes to be fitted with clean heating solutions, like heat pumps.
- Rolling out support for homeowners to install home insulation
What a good answer might include:
- Introduce carbon footprint targets, so we can properly see the impact of the materials we import.
- Invest in reuse infrastructure in communities to help avoid buying new items and creating jobs.
What a good answer might include:
- Increase funding for adapting to climate impacts.
- Recognise that the impacts don’t hit everyone hardest, and some communities need more support.
Opportunities to make your voice heard
We’ve listed some climate-related election events below, click on the images for more information and to book to attend.
If you know of any more to add, please email us at info@stopclimatechaos.scot.
Climate campaigns to add your voice to
Our members are also pushing for all political parties to make strong climate commitments. We’ve listed some of their campaigns that you can get involved with below.
A Scotland we can be even prouder of
The 2026 Scottish election is a chance to demand bold action for a fairer, greener, more caring Scotland. We need leaders who’ll maximise the use of the Scottish Parliament’s powers to help deliver progress, while strongly pushing the UK Government to do more too.
It's in our nature to act
Scotland’s nature has shaped us. Now, it needs us. We can’t afford to lose the wild altogether.
Sign the WWF Scotland petition to demand the next Scottish Government and all major Scottish political parties deliver urgent action on climate and nature.