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41 results

  • Draft Climate Change Plan

    This draft Climate Change Plan includes the policies and proposals that Scotland needs to end our contribution to increasing global emissions and deliver real benefits for people across Scotland – warmer homes, better air quality, and the health benefits of active travel – to support people in our communities to live longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives. We invite you to share your views on the Plan by responding to this consultation. You’re welcome to contribute as an... More
    Closed 29 January 2026

  • Water services: investing in and paying from 2027

    Scottish Water supplies clean water to 97% of households and businesses in Scotland and provides wastewater services to 93%. Scottish Water is a public corporation accountable to the Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament. It is regulated to ensure services are efficient, meet mandatory standards and operate in an environmentally sustainable way. Customers fund these services and ongoing investment through charges collected alongside council tax. Plans for water and... More
    Opened 6 January 2026

  • Proposals to update the School Premises Regulations

    The Scottish Government is consulting on proposals to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967 to ensure they reflect the needs of modern education. The current regulations set minimum standards for aspects such as site size, lighting, and ventilation, but they are outdated and do not account for contemporary priorities like digital connectivity and wellbeing spaces. This consultation seeks views on what minimum standards should apply... More
    Opened 16 December 2025

  • Regulation of fish and shellfish farm deposits

    The Scottish Government Programme for Government 2025 to 2026 sets out the commitment to streamline the consenting process for aquaculture, to improve efficiency, and clarify the consenting process for aquaculture development between 3 – 12 nautical miles. Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are the responsible authority for the regulation of fish farm environmental discharges between 0-3 nautical miles, and Marine Directorate - Licensing Operations Team... More
    Closed 16 December 2025

  • Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Action Programme review

    We invite stakeholders to respond to our review of the Action Programme for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2008. We are reviewing the measures in the current Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Action Programme to evaluate whether they remain sufficient to achieve the aims of the Nitrates Directive. The review considers the latest scientific research and new evidence affecting Action Programme measures - taking account of the variation in agricultural, soil and climatic... More
    Closed 13 October 2025

  • Support for part-time study and disabled students: Survey for students, potential students, parents and carers

    This consultation seeks to capture views on student support available for further education (FE) and higher education (HE) part-time and distance study; and on the support available for full-time and part-time disabled students undertaking FE and HE study. We are pleased to be taking forward this work as part of our continued commitment to ensure that all students who choose study on a part-time or distance learning basis and students with a disability or long term medical... More
    Closed 9 October 2025

  • Support for part-time study and disabled students: Survey for the Higher Education and Further Education sector, training providers, third sector and interested organisations

    This consultation seeks to capture views on student support available for further education (FE) and higher education (HE) part-time and distance study; and on the support available for full-time and part-time disabled students undertaking FE and HE study. We are pleased to be taking forward this work as part of our continued commitment to ensuring that all students who choose to study on a part-time or distance learning basis and students with a disability, long term medical... More
    Closed 9 October 2025

  • A review of Scotland's shellfish water protected area designations

    This consultation is on the on the proposed designations and de-designations of Shellfish Water Protected Area’s (SWPAs), as part of work to meet a statutory obligation. SWPAs are designated zones aimed at safeguarding shellfish waters from pollution, ensuring the sustainable development of economically significant shellfish production. The purpose of the review is to identify areas where it may be appropriate to designate a new SWPA or de-designate... More
    Closed 29 September 2025

  • Building Regulations: Determining the principles for a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard: Stage 1 consultation

    Scottish building regulations set minimum standards applicable to new buildings and to new work to existing buildings. This consultation is the first of two which will consider the technical, commercial and wider policy implications of improvements to building regulations in the context of broader action by the Scottish Government on climate change, to further our ambition of becoming a net-zero society by 2045. In December 2022 the then Minister for Zero... More
    Closed 23 October 2024

  • Developing a natural capital market framework: survey

    Natural capital is our geology, soil, air, water, plants and animals. We depend on our natural capital for goods and services that make our lives possible and worthwhile. Public and private investment will be needed to restore and improve our natural capital. We are committed to ensuring that this investment is responsible; that it contributes to a just transition, benefits communities and achieves robust environmental outcomes. Our forthcoming Natural Capital... More
    Closed 12 July 2024

  • Meeting our '30 by 30' biodiversity commitment on terrestrial and freshwater sites: consultation on legislative proposals

    The Global Climate Emergency and the Nature Emergency are twin reinforcing crises: the actions we take to address each are fundamental to our wellbeing and survival as a species. There is now an indisputable body of evidence that biodiversity, both globally and in Scotland, is in real trouble. Our efforts to address the crisis to date have generated some lessons and local successes but we urgently need to accelerate and scale up those efforts to drive landscape and seascape scale recovery.... More
    Closed 24 May 2024

  • Facilitating marine nature restoration through legislation

    Why we are consulting Over the last few years we have seen a strong groundswell of interest from local communities across Scotland who want to take part in nature restoration in the marine environment. Restoration activity comes in many shapes and sizes, but most projects currently in the water in Scotland are small, community-led initiatives that undertake some form of habitat (re)creation or species reintroduction, for example by planting seagrass and placing native oysters on... More
    Closed 16 May 2024

  • Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018: proposed amendments

    The Environmental Authorisation (Scotland) Regulations 2018 amendment will bring together all the permissioning arrangements for Scottish Environment Protection Agency's (SEPA’s) four main regulatory regimes (water, waste, radioactive substances and Pollution Prevention and Control) into an integrated structure and under a single standardised procedure. These authorisations are an integral tool in SEPA’s approach to controlling and minimising the impact of certain activities on... More
    Closed 31 March 2024

  • Water, wastewater and drainage policy consultation

    This consultation seeks your views on the Scottish Government’s proposed principles and considerations in developing policy for the future of the water industry in Scotland in response to the climate emergency. Climate induced events both at home and around the world this summer and autumn are a stark reminder that we are in the middle of a climate crisis – it is not in the future or somewhere on the horizon, it’s happening now. We are seeing extremes in temperatures... More
    Closed 21 February 2024

  • Amendments to Scottish Road Works Regulations 2024

    Minor amendments are needed within the Road Works (Qualifications of Operative and Supervisors (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and a replacement Stautory Instrument is required to replace the Scottish Road Works Register (Prescribed Fees) Regulations 2022. This consultation seeks views on both proposed changes. Scottish Road Works Register (Prescribed Fees) Regulations: The proposal is to revoke the 2022 Regulations, and create new Regulations to account for the running costs of ... More
    Closed 15 January 2024

  • Regulation of alkaline hydrolysis (‘water cremation’) in Scotland

    The Scottish Government wants to ensure that all those who have died are treated with the utmost dignity and respect. Death, burial, cremation and related topics are very emotive subjects. There are also ethical, faith, social and cultural dimensions to caring for the deceased. This consultation seeks to balance clarity of language around the alkaline hydrolysis process with the objective of ensuring that the subject matter is treated with care, respect and sensitivity. While developing... More
    Closed 17 November 2023

  • Burial and cremation consultation collection

    The Scottish Government ran a range of consultations on proposed regulations being developed under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016. Please read the foreword from Jenni Minto MSP, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health. Bereavement can be emotionally overwhelming and being able to engage with the practical issues and funeral arrangements can be very difficult. However, it is something everyone is likely to experience at some stage in their life, whether... More
    Closed 17 November 2023

  • New National Parks - appraisal framework

    There is increasing global consensus around the urgent need to address the interlinked crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. The natural environment underpins our economy and our society. It affects our jobs, our health, the food we eat and the water we drink. It supports food production and security and provides the blueprint for many modern medicines. Healthy biodiversity prevents soil erosion, purifies water and helps prevent and mitigate flooding. Nature... More
    Closed 4 August 2023

  • New environmental quality standard (EQS) for emamectin benzoate (EmBz): consultation on the implementation timescales

    This paper sets out Scottish Government's directions to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) on the application of a new EQS for EmBz. This ensures that SEPA exercise its regulatory and river basin management planning functions. Emamectin benzoate is widely used in the fish farm industry to control sea lice in marine finfish farming. The new standard for EmBz is lower than the standard SEPA has used previously to set discharge limits for marine finfish farms. We are... More
    Closed 24 July 2023

  • Ending the sale of peat in Scotland

    Scotland’s peatlands have a critical role to play in responding to the twin crises of the global climate emergency and loss of biodiversity. In good condition, peatlands are a significant natural carbon store. They hold around 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon, equivalent to around 145 years’ worth of Scotland’s total net carbon emissions. Covering about a third of our country, peatlands support important ecosystems and biodiversity, improve water quality and reduce flood risk. ... More
    Closed 12 May 2023

  • Scottish Biodiversity Strategy 2022

    The Scottish Government are seeking views for their Biodiversity Strategy, which is due for publication in 2022. The Strategy is the starting point in a process which will lead into the development of rolling delivery plans and, through the introduction of a Natural Environment Bill, statutory nature restoration targets. This consultation forms part of an engagement process with a wide range of stakeholders who have an interest in Scotland’s biodiversity, including land... More
    Closed 12 September 2022

  • Call for evidence: Single-use food containers and other single-use items

    Material consumption and waste are the primary drivers of nearly every environmental problem we currently face, from water scarcity to habitat and species loss. Around 75% of Scotland’s carbon footprint is caused by the production, consumption, and all too often waste, of goods, and services. In Scotland we use on average 18.4 tonnes of resources per person, well above the 6-8 tonnes per person considered to be sustainable. Cutting our material consumption is therefore one of the most... More
    Closed 30 June 2022

  • Consumer Scotland draft workplan for energy, post and water 2022-23: Consultation

    Consumer Scotland will be the official, independent and expert voice of the consumer in Scotland. The Consumer Scotland Act 2020 gave it the general function of providing consumer advocacy and advice with a view to: reducing harm to consumers increasing confidence among consumers in Scotland in dealing with businesses that supply goods and services to consumers increasing the extent to which consumer matters are taken into account by public... More
    Closed 4 March 2022

  • River basin management plans - silage, slurry and anaerobic digestate – improving storage and application: consultation

    This consultation invites stakeholders to respond to a range of proposed updates to The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (“CAR”). This consultation serves several purposes: Proposed consolidation of The Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (Scotland) Regulations 2003 into CAR as a set of general binding rules, Modernisation of those provisions to take account of recent changes in land use... More
    Closed 13 April 2021

  • Establishing a Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet

    The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 requires the establishment of a national Nitrogen Balance Sheet for Scotland by March 2022, via a process of regulations. The Scottish Government is now consulting on proposals for establishing a Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet (SNBS). Nitrogen is a basic building block of life and present everywhere across the economy and environment. A Nitrogen Balance Sheet is a way to keep track of how nitrogen is being... More
    Closed 14 January 2021

  • Implementing the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003: Updating environmental standards for the water environment

    Environmental standards form the foundation of a risk-based approach to River Basin Management Planning. In 2014, prior to the publication of the second River Basin Management Plans, Scottish Ministers directed the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to apply a range of environmental standards in protecting, improving and assessing the condition of the water environment. Updating environmental standards in the light of improved scientific understanding is important. It... More
    Closed 11 December 2020

  • Determining the 2020 bathing season in light of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic

    The aim of the Bathing Waters (Scotland) Regulations 2008 is to protect public health, by monitoring water quality at locations popular with large numbers of bathers; providing public information on that water quality; and taking steps to improve water quality where the necessary standards are not met. The Bathing Waters (Scotland) Regulations 2008 require that Scotland’s most popular beaches (86 in 2019) are designated each year by Scottish Ministers, along with the period of... More
    Closed 29 May 2020

  • Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021: final consultation

    This updated consultation seeks views on drafts of the 2 statutory inputs Scottish Ministers must make to the Strategic Review of Water Charges for the regulatory period 2021-2027 and key issues arising. The documents are the Principles of Charging statement and the Investment Directions and they provide the general policy framework which will guide the detailed work on the strategic review by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland and Scottish Water. More
    Closed 5 April 2020

  • Amendments to Scottish Road Works Regulations 2018

    Minor amendments are need to both the Road Works (Qualifications of Operative and Supervisors (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and the Scottish Road Works Register (Prescribed Fees) Regulations 2017. This consultation seeks views on both proposed amendments. More
    Closed 8 March 2019

  • Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021

    This consultation seeks views on drafts of the 2 statutory inputs Scottish Ministers must make to the Strategic Review of Water Charges for the regulatory period 2021-27 and key issues arising. The documents are the Principles of Charging statement and the Investment Direction and they provide the general policy framework which will guide the detailed work on the strategic review by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland and Scottish Water. More
    Closed 28 September 2018
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