A community powered future

The energy transition is the defining challenge of our lifetime. How we approach it today will determine the legacy we leave for future generations. As the transition accelerates, those living closest to renewable developments are being left behind. Attending the Highland Sustainable Development Summit last November reinforced something critical for me: how we deliver the transition will determine whether it succeeds.

I left the Summit optimistic about what lies ahead. At the Future Voices workshop, twenty young people from across the Highlands shared their views on renewable energy. Many described themselves as neutral rather than openly supportive, yet what stood out most was their commitment to the future of the Highlands and the role the transition will play in shaping it. The apathy we often fear was nowhere to be found Instead, there was curiosity, optimism, and a clear call for their voices to be heard.

The lesson was clear. As an industry, we must do better at engaging young people early and in meaningful ways. Too often, key decisions are made long before youth voices are invited into the room. If we expect the next generation to support the energy transition, they cannot be treated as passive observers. They must be recognised as active partners, with a genuine say in the future being built around them.

After the workshop, I attended a roundtable hosted by Michael Matheson MSP, which brought together key stakeholders genuinely committed to taking communities on the journey to net zero. There was a shared understanding that trust, inclusion, and fairness matter. Yet one fundamental question remained unanswered: how do we do this well?

Without clear frameworks, meaningful engagement, and a willingness to listen before decisions are made, even well-intentioned projects risk deepening mistrust. Moving forward means going beyond consultation as a tick-box exercise and towards genuine partnership, particularly with young people who will live with the outcomes long after projects are built. Those frameworks must create real routes for communities to share in decision-making, value, and long-term benefit.

We need to move away from treating communities as passive hosts and towards enabling them to become active participants in shaping their own energy futures. Community ownership must therefore sit at the heart of how we deliver net zero. Achieving this will require strategic collaboration, boots-on-the-ground engagement, and a unified approach making community ownership work at scale.

Crucially, this work must start with young people. Building the skills, confidence, and pathways for youth to participate meaningfully in the transition is essential if community ownership is to succeed long term. If we get this right, we can begin to close the gap seen in places like the Highlands where 27% of Scotland’s renewable energy is produced, yet one in three households still faces the heartbreaking choice between heating and eating. Young people understand that the current system is not working. Our responsibility now is to invest in their future and invite them into decision-making spaces as partners in building a just transition.

The energy transition is moving quickly, but trust moves more slowly. Net zero will only succeed when communities see themselves reflected in its outcomes. If we want lasting public acceptance, we must rethink how we listen, who we include, and where value flows. Community ownership and youth leadership are the foundations of a truly prosperous transition.

The opportunity is in front of us and the next generation is ready to lead. What matters now is whether we are willing to listen with intent and bring them with us. If done correctly, the energy transition can become something communities believe in and not something that simply happens to them.