RICS Scotland Manifesto 2026 - Surveying Scotland

RICS has published its Scotland Manifesto – Surveying Scotland, setting out clear priorities for the next Scottish Government and warning that ambitions on housing delivery, infrastructure investment, protecting our existing assets and climate action will not be achievable without urgent action on skills and workforce capacity.

Launched ahead of the Scottish Budget, the manifesto highlights growing shortages of skilled professionals across the built and natural environment, with a particular lack of surveyors already constraining housing supply, delaying infrastructure projects and slowing progress towards net zero.

Skills Development Scotland estimates that the construction sector will require at least 10,000 additional jobs by 2028 to meet future demand. RICS is therefore calling on the next Government to work closely with industry to rebuild workforce capacity and support the next generation of professionals.

Key recommendations include the introduction of fully funded apprenticeships for all SME-employed apprentices under the age of 25, aligning Scotland with existing UK commitments. The manifesto also calls for an urgent review of building surveying and commercial valuation course provision across Scotland, alongside reform of higher education funding to better reflect Scotland’s economic needs and graduate employability outcomes.

RICS emphasises that difficult decisions will be required across a range of policy areas if Scotland is to tackle the housing emergency, deliver essential infrastructure and meet its climate ambitions.

On retrofit and decarbonisation, the manifesto urges a more joined-up national approach, including robust quality assurance frameworks, professional guidance for homeowners and effective monitoring to prevent poor-quality installations. RICS also recommends establishing a Ministerial Oversight Group on retrofit and introducing legislation to measure and report embodied carbon in line with RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment Standard.

To support housing delivery, RICS calls for improved coordination of housing functions, the creation of a Housing Land Agency, a presumption in favour of modern methods of construction for social housing, and ensuring that all local development plans are up to date.

Nick Maclean OBE RD FRICS, President of the RICS said: “The publication of the RICS Scotland Manifesto highlights the vital role our members play in shaping Scotland’s built and natural environment. From housing delivery to land management and the transition to net zero, RICS professionals bring the expertise and standards needed to deliver lasting change. The manifesto offers a clear platform to inform party policies ahead of the budget and election, and we look forward to working with them to secure a fair, sustainable and prosperous future for Scotland.”

Professor Norman McLennan, FRICS, FCICES, RICS Scotland Board Chair, said: “Scotland faces a growing skills crisis across the built environment, with shortages in surveying now threatening the delivery of housing, net zero and effective land management. Surveyors are essential to turning political ambition into reality, yet the workforce is under real strain. Unless the next Government prioritises skills and works with industry to rebuild capacity, its ambitions on housing supply, climate action and sustainable communities will simply be impossible to deliver.”

Robert Toomey, Senior Public Affairs Manager at RICS said: “The next Government will govern at a pivotal moment for the built environment in Scotland, with the Budget playing a decisive role in what can realistically be delivered. From tackling the housing emergency to delivering energy security through investment in vital infrastructure, funding decisions taken in the coming term will shape Scotland for generations.”