Renewable projects are increasingly hitting the headlines for anti-campaigns stemming from community concerns. With multiple developers consulting rural communities in parallel, community groups feeling overwhelmed and fatigued have united, and campaigns are becoming more sophisticated. Effective engagement on community benefit from renewable developments has never been more important.
The Scottish Government has a live consultation to review the existing ‘Good Practice Principles’ for community benefits derived from onshore and offshore wind energy developments. The consultation seeks to gather diverse perspectives on how community benefits should be defined, distributed, and monitored.
The feedback from this consultation will play a crucial role in shaping how community benefits are shared and how locals can maximise the socioeconomic benefits from wind energy projects across Scotland. This is more than a policy exercise; it’s a chance to create a framework that helps deliver a just transition.
The recent Local Energy Scotland’s CARES Conference 2025 highlighted the critical role of communities in shaping renewable energy projects, with an emphasis on collaboration and mutual benefit. Building trust and understanding with local communities isn’t just about informing them, it’s about listening and involving them in every stage of the process.
Communities offer unparalleled local knowledge, a nuanced understanding of regional dynamics, and a vested interest in the outcomes of developments. Their engagement aligns projects with local needs and values, fostering a sense of ownership and cooperation. By positioning communities at the heart of projects, the renewables industry has a better chance of establishing a collaborative environment where projects are not only accepted but championed by those closest.
Throughout the CARES conference, one message was hammered home: ‘engagement is not a box-ticking exercise’. Having worked both inhouse at a wind developer and within wind policy at the Scottish Government, I’ve seen examples of developers getting it right, which helps projects get off the ground and instances where poor engagement means projects stall and grind to halt.
Lessons learned include:
- Early Involvement: engaging communities from the start ensures that concerns and suggestions are integrated into the project design, giving the community a sense of ownership over the project.
- Continuous Engagement: maintaining constructive dialogue throughout the project lifecycle (i.e. from planning to end of operational life). When communities are involved and informed, they are more likely to support and accept developments.
- Transparency: open and honest communication about project goals, potential impacts, minimising impacts and investment into the community helps address concerns and demonstrates contributions are valued.
- Tailored Approaches: recognising that no two communities are alike, engagement strategies must be flexible and reflect local contexts and cultures.
When communities are engaged from the outset, the benefits delivered are more likely to reflect their true priorities; be it investment in local infrastructure, job creation, education outreach, or environmental enhancements. This alignment not only enhances the project’s socioeconomic impact but also reinforces the community’s support and commitment. As a result, the benefits become a shared success, fuelling long-term growth and sustainability. A prime example of this in action was the successful community shared ownership agreement at Crossdykes Wind Farm.
At a time of increasing social divides, the Scottish Government’s consultation is a call to action for thought leaders, policymakers, developers, and communities to come together and shape a future where renewable energy projects are a source of pride and progress.
I left the CARES conference more determined than ever to be part of this positive change. The journey to net-zero is one we must all take together, and the time to act is now.
The consultation is open, the questions are on the table, and the future is ours to shape, together.
For more details on the consultation and to submit your response, visit the Scottish Government’s consultation page.
Back to blog