Climate change is reshaping the world we live in, influencing everything from wellbeing to community safety. For the people who draw on social care, these impacts are often felt first and most acutely, whether through extreme weather disrupting support, cold homes that compromise health, or anxiety about an uncertain future.
But social care is not just affected by climate change, it is part of the solution. The Care Creates manifesto sets out a clear, ambitious truth: by embedding sustainability in care, we nurture both people and the environment, ensuring a thriving future for all. As part of our election campaign, Scottish Care is calling upon officials to put green care into their own campaigns, and we would like to extend an invitation to work together to embed our thinking into policy action.
A greener care sector is one that is resilient, efficient, people centred, and climate aware. It is one that recognises sustainability as essential to health, dignity, safety, and community wellbeing, not an optional addon. To achieve this, the manifesto sets out bold, practical actions that, taken together, can reshape how social care supports Scotland’s journey toward a healthier planet and a stronger society.
First, we call for ringfenced funding for climate related projects within social care. Meaningful climate action requires investment in infrastructure, technology, training, community initiatives, and service redesign. Targeted funding ensures providers can take forward renewable energy projects, green travel solutions, outdoor therapeutic spaces, and resilience planning without compromising core services.
Second, every care provider should be supported and resourced to develop and implement a service specific sustainability strategy focused on reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact. This brings clarity, accountability, and direction but most importantly, ensures sustainability is embedded in everyday decision making.
The built environment is central to climate ready care. Upgrading facilities with energy efficient infrastructure such as insulation, heat pumps, renewable energy sources and low emission transport reduces emissions while creating safer, warmer, healthier places to live and work. This improves wellbeing and lowers long term costs across the system.
Sustainability is also about people. That is why the manifesto calls for training and support for care staff on sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. Staff are role models, advocates, and leaders in sustainable living, but only when equipped with the right tools and time to put them into practice.
Local planning must also evolve with social care providers included in local resilience efforts. Extreme weather events such as storms, heatwaves and cold snaps are increasing and care services need to be part of designing responses that keep people safe, supported, and connected.
Commissioning and procurement are powerful levers for change. By incorporating environmental sustainability into the way that social care is planned and purchased, Scotland can mainstream greener standards, stimulate innovation, and ensure that public investment drives environmental as well as social impact.
But sustainability is not only technical, it is relational and change accelerates when it is collective. We must engage with people across the health and social care ecosystem to build awareness, shared ownership, and participation in climate friendly initiatives. The care sector thrives when people shape the solutions and collaboration across the sector to share best practice and maximise impact ensures that good ideas spread quickly and innovation becomes the norm.
This Climate Week, Care Creates shines a light on all of this: what the sector is already doing, what is possible with the right investment, and how sustainable care strengthens not only the planet but the people at the heart of Scotland’s communities but we need help to go further. The next Scottish Parliament must recognise that climate action in social care is not a secondary issue, it is foundational.
We are calling on elected officials and candidates across Scotland to:
- Prioritise and protect ringfenced investment for climate ready social care services.
- Embed sustainability expectations and resourcing across all commissioning and procurement.
- Ensure social care is represented within every local and national resilience plan.
- Champion adaptation as essential infrastructure for safer, healthier communities.
- Recognise the workforce as leaders in climate stewardship, and support and reward them accordingly.
- Act now so adaptation and climate change mitigation stop being the items that fall off the bottom of the list when competing pressures arise.
Climate action has waited long enough. The sector is ready to lead, but because of the way that it is funded and planned, it needs political will, partnership and investment to realise its full potential.
Care Creates… A Greener Sector for Healthier Communities and a Stronger Planet.
And with the right action, investment, and leadership, we can make that future real.
Karen Hedge, Deputy CEO
#CareCreates
