The multiple crises (climate, biodiversity, austerity) facing our socio-ecological systems require ambitious responses; with much of the responsibility for protecting public goods and developing sustainably lying with public policy. To tackle these wicked problems, there are increasing calls for policy coherence: to use the levers of government in a more holistic and systemic manner. Land use transformation is crucial to achieving these ambitions. However, there is limited scholarship that takes a comprehensive approach to analysing policy coherence (both horizontal and vertical). Common to many nation-states, the Scottish Government has made ambitious pledges to address climate action (mitigation and adaptation) and nature, with an emphasis on leaving no one behind e.g., net zero by 2045 using Just Transitions. In this research we examine the policy coherence of 66 Scottish land use related policies in addressing land use transformation, as well as an in-depth coherence analysis of 11 agricultural policies.
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