Celebrating Scotland's Climate Festival success

We are celebrating the success of Scotland’s Climate Festival, which launched at COP26 in November 2021 and ran until 31 March 2022, reaching nearly 30,000 people across the globe.

In the 130 days since COP26, 40 community festivals and free events, from Annan to Inverness to the Isle of Raasay focusing on growing, active travel, upcycling, film screening and guided walks and talks, were funded. Events were held online over the winter, kicking off with panel discussion “After COP26, What Next? Scotland’s Climate Future. The first in-person event was held on 14 March 2022 at Glasgow Science Centre.

Our programme of national events covered topics such as COP26, women in agriculture, the wellbeing economy and the national Year of Stories. It was hugely popular, with 62 community festivals and events held in 17 local authorities nationwide. Over 18,000 people attended and thousands more from around the world engaged online.

Guest speakers came from a diverse range of professional and personal backgrounds and countries - including Ministers, a comedian-academic, filmmakers and wellbeing economy experts - from Glasgow to the US, New Zealand and Zambia. On 16 February, Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater joined a panel discussion on the Wellbeing Economy and its role in creating thriving communities in a changing climate.  

Our Depute CEO, Catherine Gee, said, “We’re incredibly proud of all that has been achieved in the past 130 days. We saw interest in Scotland’s Climate Festival growing each month - the most popular type of event by far was growing workshops and sessions, with a wide range of groups planning to get their communities involved and talking about pollinators, food security and sustainability.  

“Scotland’s Climate Festival brought the issues discussed before, during and after COP26 right to the heart of our communities, providing much needed energy and mobilisation to support local action following the global agreement.

“Building on our track record of supporting communities and young people, we were able to further unlock opportunities for those currently not engaged in climate change action by providing resources, links to national agency supporters, webinars, branded communications kits and seed funding. Our surveys told us that 92% of people who came along to Climate Festival events were inspired to take action or make changes in their life. 

“Thank you to everyone that took part for all you are doing to help Scotland become a Net Zero country by 2045.”

Climate communicator Zarina Ahmad said, ‘I’ve been working in climate change for the last 12 years with communities and I’ve never seen this level of interest…everybody is getting involved.’

Finbar O’Sullivan, producer of Scotland: Our Climate Journey, said, “It was so encouraging going around Scotland and realising how many people are committed to change.”