Through 2022/23 PB Scotland, managed by the Scottish Community Development Centre, will be focusing on how Green participatory budgeting (PB) is a key part of the response to the climate crisis and in particular contributing to the achievement of a ‘just transition’ to net zero carbon.

As a key part of these commitment to Green PB approaches, Scottish Government and the National PB Strategic Group, in partnership with SCDC, are supporting the development of both short and medium-term processes to stimulate new Green PB processes as well as consolidate existing Green PB work, and to develop key learning on how Participatory Budgeting can play a key role in achieving a just transition to net zero.

Key elements of this programme of work will include:

Work with local authorities to support Green PB as part of their mainstream PB approaches
Strengthening emerging place-based initiatives and to develop PB processes as part of this.
Work with young people to build on existing and developing activity around climate action and PB.

Supporting the National PB Strategic Group’s Cross Cutting Priorities sub-group

What the work will look like

To address and support commitments including those above, we’re leading on the design and co-ordination of the Green PB programme with support from a range of delivery partners including COSLA, PB Scotland Network members, Youth organisations, and technical experts on climate change such as Zero Waste Scotland and Greenspace Scotland.

The programme, throughout 2022 will focus on exploring, learning and supporting Green PB activities and approaches to ascertain how these can be used to support Scotland’s Just Transition to Net-Zero. More specifically the programme will:

Establish a Green PB Action Group that oversees the programme and advises on approach/direction.
Advise on principles and best practice on PB/Green PB across each of the project strands and will capture and share learning.