With world leaders gathering in Baku for COP29, talks have again been revolving around how to move economies to a low-carbon future. It’s something that the Scottish Government should also be considering as it aims to balance the books in next week’s Budget, whilst also tackling the climate and nature emergency.

In May of this year, First Minister John Swinney declared tackling the climate emergency as one of his top priorities in government- a welcome response to such a major threat.

But in order to do this, there must be proper funding in key areas such as climate action and nature recovery, which are already critically under-resourced.

An area that could deliver so much for not only the environment, but also economy, is recommitting to the previous £1.6 billion spend to lift people out of fuel poverty and improve the energy efficiency of our homes. Insulation schemes will make properties warmer and healthier, easing the burden on the already creaking NHS as fewer people will require treatment for issues such as respiratory diseases caused by damp. The re-skilling of engineers able to replace fossil fuel boilers with heat pumps will create jobs across the country and reduce energy bills for homeowners. People in Scotland are worried about the climate and most realise that their gas or oil boilers are not helping. But too many are unsure about what they can do about it. By providing certainty in the Budget next week, alongside the introduction of the long-awaited Heat in Buildings Bill, homeowners and businesses can finally have the confidence to commit to making the switch to "clean" heating.

Turning to agriculture, many farmers and crofters are already feeling the financial impacts of our changing climate: extreme flooding, storms and droughts are no longer rare "once in a decade" events. Following the UK Budget, the Scottish Government has more freedom in how it uses funds to support the sector. We believe this should be geared towards supporting climate and nature friendly farming, alongside food production. To enable the rural sector to continue to produce nutritious food, whilst protecting and restoring nature, funding must be more fairly distributed with proper investment in skills.

Last, but by no means least, the importance of nature recovery should be front and centre. Without a healthy environment, we all suffer. That’s why we were deeply frustrated earlier this year that money from the Nature Restoration Fund was diverted to settle local authority pay awards. We understand the pressure on public finances but it’s wrong that the small amounts of money which are allocated to climate and nature action come under further pressure. We’re calling on the Scottish Government to re-instate the full Nature Restoration Fund.

In short, alongside important government commitments, we must have proper investment behind them. It’s time for us to put our money where our mouth is on climate change and nature recovery. By doing so we all win.

Claire Daly is Head of Policy and Advocacy, WWF Scotland

Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk