Climate change should be a compulsory subject in all Scottish schools, people’s panel says

Climate change should be a compulsory school subject in Scotland, according to a new report on how the government can better engage with people on the issue.

Classes on climate was the top recommendation from a panel made up of 23 members of the public. They were randomly selected from across the country to join the Climate Change People’s Panel.

“There needs to be within the curriculum climate change as a compulsory subject from primary and into high school and children should be involved in developing this," the report reads.

“So that all children are made aware, have the opportunity to engage and talk to, influence their parents and help change within the home and at a local level.”

It adds that - as many climate topics are currently optional - this would allow all students to gain a basic understanding of the topic including energy production, global issues and green job opportunities.

What is Scotland’s Climate Change People’s Panel?

The panel was established by the Scottish Parliament’s net zero committee earlier this year to answer two questions:

How effective has the Scottish Government been at engaging the public on climate change and Scotland’s climate change targets?

What else (if anything) could the Scottish Government do to inform and involve the public to help meet Scotland’s climate change targets?

In total, it had 18 recommendations which included more collaboration with local authorities and expert community-led organisations as well as funding for climate hubs.

The report says that the Scottish Government “could be more ambitious, delivering a positive narrative and enabling Scotland to set a standard of excellence”. It also argues that the government has not communicated effectively enough with the public on climate change.

Policy documents are often too long, filled with jargon and difficult to understand, the panel said.

“We felt that there needs to be more truth and honesty from the Scottish Government about the scale of the challenge, and that creating a more compelling vision of the better world we’re all aiming for would help,” said panellist Kevin Roarty.

Report urges concrete action to engage Scottish public

The Climate Change People’s Panel will present its findings to Scottish MPs next week and hopes they can encourage “positive, concrete actions”.

“This report identifies the need for the Scottish Government to lead from the front to bring governments, business, and the public together in a mutual understanding of the shared challenge we all face and the actions that need to be taken to effect change,” said Edward Mountain MSP, convener of the Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee.

“Just last month the Climate Change Committee said that Scotland’s 2030 climate goals are no longer credible. Collaboration on all levels of society will be essential to help drive action forward.”