The Scottish Government has announced significant reforms to the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray, with the University of Aberdeen's Just Transition Lab (JTL) recognised as a key influence on the new approach.
The Expanded Fund will reopen with up to £17 million available to support workers, communities, and businesses in the transition to a low‑carbon economy. The latest round introduces important structural changes designed to make the Fund more accessible, more equitable, and more responsive to regional needs.
Crucially, this year’s reforms introduce ring‑fenced funding for community and social enterprise projects for the first time as advocated by the JTL, along with dedicated resource funding to help groups build capacity to deliver and scale local initiatives. This marks a major shift toward placing community capacity and participation at the centre of the region’s transition.
The Scottish Government has acknowledged that these improvements reflect advice from provided by the JTL, which has repeatedly called for a more transparent, community‑centred, and strategically planned process.
Scottish Government Climate Action and Energy Secretary, Gillian Martin, said: "This year, we’re making important changes to the funding available based on advice from the Just Transition Commission and the Just Transition Lab. For the first time, community groups and social enterprises will be guaranteed support for larger projects, alongside our continued backing of the Participatory Budgeting Fund which gives communities the power to directly decide how money should be spent in their areas to help address specific local needs."
For several years, the JTL has been developing evidence‑based approaches to regional just transition planning, in collaboration with the public sector, third sector organisations, and industry. Its work includes:
- A report for the Just Transition Commission on regional planning for the North East;
- A detailed article on measuring a just transition, including indicators for the economy, participation, and equality;
- The influential “Time to Deliver” statement, which argued that the North East required a more generous, more consistent, and more accessible funding mechanism, with stronger emphasis on community capacity building.
The reforms announced today directly build on these recommendations.
Professor Keith Bender, Just Transition Lab, University of Aberdeen, said: "The announcement from the Scottish Government shows the importance of the interdisciplinary and broad-based approach of the JTL in addressing the societal challenges of the energy transition. In this particular case, that the focus is being shifted to a more community focus will give much more voice and impact on individuals, workers and even small businesses who are both most affected by and pivotal to the success of the energy transition."
Dr Daria Shapovalova, Just Transition Lab, University of Aberdeen, added: "We welcome the introduction of ring-fenced funding for communities and social enterprises. This is a major step forward in making funds more accessible to a wider range of organisations than in the previous rounds. The introduction of resource, and not just capital finding, is also a positive step to acknowledge the current under-resourcing of the public sector, particularly in the community development area."
The JTL continues to work with policymakers, local authorities, industry and communities across the region to support a planned, inclusive and fair transition for the North East and beyond. This longstanding track record now sits at the heart of one of the most significant just transition funding reforms to date.