Scotland is experiencing more frequent heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures. Climate change is no longer a distant issue—it’s something communities and organisations are dealing with right now.

ClimatACTical, a gamified learning resource from Growing Climate Confidence, helps organisations explore these challenges in a practical, hands-on way. Through gameplay, teams respond to climate events, make decisions under pressure, and see how their choices shape what happens next.

In sessions so far, participants have been caught out by unexpected events, then quickly reflecting on what they could have done differently. The result is simple but powerful: a clearer sense that small decisions made today can build resilience for tomorrow.

ClimatACTical is supporting organisations across Scotland’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to move from awareness to action. In some cases, this has already led to practical changes, including teams setting up green groups to take ideas forward. It creates space to test ideas and identify realistic next steps as part of everyday work.

Creating space for confident action

ClimatACTical was developed in response to a clear need. There is strong willingness across the sector to take action, but time, capacity and headspace are often limited.

The game brings climate considerations into familiar organisational decisions, giving teams space to step back and explore choices together in a way that feels manageable and relevant. No prior knowledge is needed.

As one participant reflected:

“I was approaching this from a community spaces perspective, and the game felt like a useful way to get people thinking about climate resilience and net zero in a related context, but removed from day-to-day pressures. It opens up conversations and helps people see a wider range of options, including lower-cost actions like setting up a green team or greening outdoor spaces, not just focusing on grant funding.”

Developed with Verture and Small99, and shaped by input from across the sector, the aim was to create something practical and grounded.

Taking ClimatACTical on the road

A series of pop‑up and play sessions has taken climatACTical across Scotland, with each session adapting to its setting and the people taking part.

At the Village Halls Conference in Glasgow, a drop‑in session introduced the game to a range of community organisations, sparking immediate discussion. In Dumfries, participants explored scenarios in more depth, with conversations ranging from community energy to food growing and waste reduction. Many reflected on the value of stepping back to consider longer-term priorities alongside immediate pressures.

Across other locations, similar themes emerged—highlighting the importance of local knowledge, community resilience and shared learning. The flexibility of the game has been key, working equally well as a short introduction or a more in-depth workshop.

Capturing and celebrating what is already happening

Alongside delivering sessions, visits to Dumfries and Galloway and Moray created space to capture real-life stories from across the sector.

These visits highlighted the breadth of activity already underway. At KPT Development Trust, collective local action is powering change, from community hydro projects to food growing and shared green spaces. Dumfries Swift Group emphasised the importance of protecting biodiversity, while Moray Waste Busters demonstrated how the circular economy can come to life through a busy reuse store. Full stories will be shared in early autumn.

Much of this work is already happening, often with limited resources. ClimatACTical helps surface and connect this activity, making climate considerations more visible in day-to-day decision-making.

Learning through real-world scenarios

At the heart of climatACTical is the opportunity to explore decisions in context. Players balance actions against budgets, priorities and unexpected events, with climate scenarios adding a level of realism.

These moments often lead to the greatest reflection. Participants see how early preparation can reduce disruption, while delayed action can increase pressure on services and staff. In a supportive environment, teams can test ideas, make choices and reflect without risk—leaving with practical next steps.

Role play is also key. By stepping into different organisational roles, participants gain insight into financial constraints, service pressures and competing priorities, helping teams have more effective conversations about how to move ideas forward in practice.

What we are learning so far

A few clear themes have emerged:

• Confidence grows through doing
• Action feels more manageable when linked to everyday decisions
• Flexible formats make it easier to take part
• There is already strong activity across the sector to build on

ClimatACTical brings these elements together, supporting organisations to take practical next steps in ways that fit their work and communities.

Get involved

This is just the start. As more organisations take part, climatACTical will continue to develop through feedback and shared experience.

If you would like to host a session, try the game with your team, or find out more, please get in touch at chiara.fingland@scvo.scot or complete this enquiry form.