What is Green Participatory Budgeting?

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Green PB is a way for people to make direct decisions about how budgets are spent addressing climate change and reducing our carbon footprints.

A type of participatory budgeting (PB), Green PB can be about entire PB processes delivering geen aims, or parts of a PB process that make a climate impact.

Green PB is a driver for achieving a Just Transition to Net-Zero for Scotland, and supporting more people to be involved in the decisions that affect them, their communities and the environment. 

What are the benefits of dedicated Green PB Activity? 

As well as encouraging more people to have a say in the decision hat affect them, green PB also has the following benefits:  

  • Increases the awareness and understanding of Climate Change and associated issues and activities related to the reduction of carbon footprints. 

  • Encourages a shift in local attitudes towards climate change and is a good way of raising awareness through simple messages and projects.  

  • Presents opportunities for people who want to be part of the climate change solution to turn their sense of joint responsibility into a real purpose.  If people feel involved in contributing towards the climate change agenda, then they will often be more committed to making it succeed. 

  • Reduces carbon footprints and contributes to the net-zero agenda for Scotland whilst improving the health and wellbeing of both local people and their communities. 

  • Encourages creative ideas about local climate change opportunities.  

  • Generates sustainable projects for the benefit of local people and their communities.  Projects can be implemented in a short time, tailored to local peoples’ needs and located where the need is felt.   

  • Encourages a network of green PB projects that can have a positive measurable effect on the quality of life, carbon footprint and polluting emissions in local areas.   

Don’t forget other positive Green Benefit PB activities 

Whilst dedicated Green PB activity is described as a targeted thematic process, there are lots of examples where green benefits are being seen in other PB activity and areas in Scotland.

Whilst making an impact on climate change is seen as a by-product, the PB activity is still positively contributing to an improved environment and drive toward net-zero.  This should be recognised and recorded as PB ‘Making a Green Impact’.

Examples of such projects have been seen in almost all communities where PB activity has taken place.  They haven’t been branded “Green PB” as their focus was not climate change or environment but rather improvement to service and/or activity for local people.   

Examples of where PB has made a green impact include:

  • projects such as outdoor sports facilities changing all their lighting to LED bulbs.

  • local youth projects providing refurbished bicycles and riding lessons to their members and encouraging more active travel, and reducing their carbon footprint.

These types of projects are very important in contributing to the climate change agenda - and that’s why we recognise them as ‘Making a Green Impact’ as part of our Green PB programme.