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33 results

  • 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
  • Improving protection given to Priority Marine Features outside the Marine Protected Area network

    The project to improve protection given to PMFs outside the MPA network was initiated in May 2017. This followed an incident in Loch Carron in April 2017 when a flame shell bed was damaged by scallop dredging activity, and resulted in the designation of the Loch Carron MPA. The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Land Reform also requested that necessary steps were taken to ensure that Priority Marine Features (PMFs) were being protected in accordance with the National... More
    Closed 31 August 2018
  • Consultation on Digital Economy Act 2017: part 5 (data sharing codes and regulations) in relation to the delivery of Scottish public services

    We would like public bodies in Scotland to be able to make use of the new data sharing powers as set out in the part 5 of the UK Government’s Digital Economy Act for the purposes of public services delivery. The UK government has recently consulted on draft regulations which set out four specific objectives for which data can be shared under the public service delivery provisions and the specific, non-devolved bodies that can use these powers. The four objectives are: multiple... More
    Closed 5 February 2018
  • Raising Standards and Improving the Quality of Road Works in Scotland

    Road works are a necessary fact of life if we wish to have a safe and well maintained road network and to continue to enjoy a range of utility services such as gas, water, drainage, electricity and telecommunications. This consultation seeks views on proposals for improvements to the regulation of road works in Scotland which includes taking forward the accepted recommendations of the 2016 report: Review of the office and functions of the Scottish Road Works Commissioner. More
    Closed 12 October 2017
  • Consultation in relation to the draft Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) Regulations 2017

    The Scottish Ministers are seeking comments on proposals to transpose, for large private water supplies, Directive (EU) 2015/1787 which makes some changes to Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption (“the Drinking Water Directive”). These changes need to be transposed by 27 October 2017. The Scottish Ministers propose to make the Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. This would replace those provisions of... More
    Closed 28 July 2017
  • Consultation on Proposals for an Integrated Authorisation Framework

    The single authorisation framework will bring together all the permissioning arrangements for SEPA’s four main regulatory (water, waste, radioactive substances and Pollution Prevention and Control) into a integrated permissioning structure and under a single standardised procedure (subject to the requirements of European and national legislation). These authorisations are an integral tool in SEPA’s approach to controlling and minimising the impact of certain activities on the... More
    Closed 12 April 2017
  • Delivering Scotland’s River Basin Management Plans: The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 Proposed Amendments

    This consultation invites stakeholders to respond to proposed changes to The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (CAR). There are 4 key elements to this consultation: proposed points of clarification and consolidation to the general binding rules in Schedule 3 of CAR proposed new general binding rule regarding bank reinforcement proposed integration of the Water Environment (Oil Storage) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 into CAR as... More
    Closed 1 February 2017
  • Modernising the Water Industry's use of rateable value to charge non-households for water and sewerage services

    Thriving businesses underpin Scotland’s economic growth and future prosperity. Our approach to charging for water services has an important part to play in this. In Ministers' Statement on the Principles of Charging for Water Services it was confirmed that surface water and roads drainage charges should continue to be calculated by reference to rateable values. Ministers also noted that there is a requirement to improve the consistency and transparency of the way in which surface water... More
    Closed 7 October 2016
  • Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 (Heating Services) Regulations

    The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on draft regulations under section 19 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004. These would prescribe district heating and communal heating. As a result, an owner of a flat would be entitled to lead through, or fix to, common parts of a tenement pipes in relation to those services. The owner would need to follow the procedures laid down in the regulations. Click here to download a copy of the consultation document More
    Closed 14 April 2016
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