[gausswho]

My understanding is this preference is a little known schism in Britishisms and American English.

In American English, a scheme is an unscrupulous, nefarious plan villains make. Often accompanied with riotous laughter.

In British English, it's more general. Like a plan, but with superficial consensus and often spreadsheets. Trees die, but people don't. You see this neutral usage in government discussion regularly.

It also reminds me: Europeans speaking English often use 'simple' before they start demonstrating things. Often painfully non-obvious things. Really boxes my ears. If it was simple I wouldn't be asking for an explanation and now you're insulting me.

[alphabetter]

Exactly this. As a British English speaker that works a lot with the US it was an early learning.

In British English a "scheme" has no negative connotations. It's commonly used in all kinds of legitimate places - for example the company you work at will have a "pension scheme".

In U.S. English it has a connotation that it is nefarious in some way.

[sentientslug]

Yeah, this always throws me off. In American English I’d always use the word “program” instead.