Draft Climate Change Plan

The consultation questions are included here for your reference. Please click 'Begin consultation' at the bottom of this page to proceed.

Section 1: Delivering a Just Transition

The following questions concern the Delivering a Just Transition section of the Plan, more specifically: communities, skills, workforce, employers and adapting to climate change.

Question 1

What are your views on our approach to delivering a just transition for people and communities?

Question 2

We recognise that workers face particular impacts from the Plan and we have outlined our approach to supporting the transition of the workforce, including skills for jobs. What skills, training and qualification provisions will be most important in a net zero future and what more could be done to support them?

Question 3

The Plan will bring opportunities and challenges for businesses and employers. How can we best support employers across the private, public and third sectors to make the changes needed and seize the benefits of net zero?

Question 4

Our approach recognises that some of the Plan’s impacts will have greater implications for particular regions of Scotland. What are your views on our approach to supporting places where the transition presents particular regional impacts?

Section 2: Sectoral contributions, Policies and Proposals

The following questions concern the Sectoral contributions, policies and proposal sections of the Plan.

Buildings (Residential and Public)

Question 5

How can we decarbonise homes and buildings in a way that is fair and leaves no one behind?

Question 6

How can clean heating systems (such as heat pumps) be made more affordable for everyone? 

Transport

Question 7

Which of the following would be most effective in enabling you to transition your vehicle(s) to zero emissions alternatives? Please rank your choices from highest to lowest priority, where 1 is the highest priority. Please only give one ranking to each option:

If you’re responding for an organisation: you may want to consider car fleets as well as HGV fleets.

   1. Cost of new zero emissions vehicles needs to come down

   2. Cost of used zero emissions vehicles needs to come down

   3. Reliable infrastructure for vehicles (such as fuel or charging networks)

   4. Noticeably cheaper running costs (including electricity, maintenance and insurance)

   5. Convenient access to public charging infrastructure

   6. Ensuring an adequate number of trained mechanics available to perform essential maintenance and repairs

   7. Access to funding support /low cost finance

  8.  All of the above

   9. Other (use box below)

Question 8

How can the Scottish Government support communities to participate in planning of local sustainable infrastructure (such as, walking, wheeling and cycling routes)?

Question 9

What action by the Scottish Government would be most helpful in supporting you to live a more climate-friendly lifestyle?

Waste

Question 10

Are there any additional proposals to support waste sector emission reduction that should be considered across the following 5 areas:

• Strengthen the circular economy
• Reduce and reuse
• Modernise recycling
• Decarbonise disposal
• Other emission sources (including waste water and anaerobic digestion)

Energy Supply

Question 11

What are your views on Scotland generating more electricity from renewable sources?

Business and Industrial Processes

Question 12

What support do industries need to reduce their carbon emissions while remaining competitive?

Agriculture and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)

Question 13

How can the Scottish Government encourage sustainable land use, that is also productive for local communities?

Question 14

What do you think about our proposals for planting trees and restoring natural habitats like peatlands?

Question 15

How can the Scottish Government support farming to become more climate-friendly while continuing to support food production and improve biodiversity?

Section 3: Impact Assessments

The following questions concern the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), Child rights and wellbeing impact assessment (CRWIA), Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA), Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA), Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment (FSD). The purpose of these impact assessments is to understand the effects of government policy on specific groups, including children and young people, island communities, business and equalities groups.

Question 16

Which groups or communities do you think will be most affected by the transition to net zero, and in what ways?

Question 17

How do you think the Climate Change Plan aligns with existing local, regional, or national priorities that you are aware of or involved in?

Question 18

If you identified there could be negative impacts of the Climate Change Plan, are there any ways you think we could reduce that negative impact and if so, what would you recommend?

Question 19

Please share any other quantitative data, or sources of this, to assist in developing the impact assessments:

Question 20

Are there any previous examples or case studies we should consider when assessing potential impacts?

Question 21

Can you think of any further positive or negative impacts, that are not covered in the impact assessments, that may result from the Climate Change Plan?

Section 4: Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

The following questions concern the SEA. There is a legal requirement to consult on the SEA Environmental Report (Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005). The purpose of the SEA is to assess the likely environmental effects of government policy, considers how negative impacts can be avoided or minimised and ways that positive effects can be enhanced.

Question 22

What are your views on the accuracy and scope of the environmental baseline set out in the environmental report? Are you aware of further information that could be used to inform the assessment findings?

Question 23

What in your view are the most significant environmental effects which should be taken into account as the Draft Climate Change Plan is finalised?

Question 24

What are your views on the predicted environmental effects as set out in the environmental report? Please share any other useful sources.

Question 25

What are your views on the proposals for mitigation, enhancement and monitoring of the environmental effects set out in the environmental report?

Section 5: Monitoring emissions reductions

The following questions concern the reporting of annual emissions reductions.

Question 26

What are your views on the proposed approach to reporting annual emissions output and how this could support public understanding of Scotland’s progress towards achieving our Carbon Budgets?

Question 27

How useful do you think reporting emissions statistics at a more detailed level (including at the sub-sectoral level), would be in helping people understand key sources of emissions, and our progress in reducing them?

Question 28

How might the use of timely indicators, as proposed, help people to understand what needs to be delivered to achieve our Carbon budgets, and to understand whether progress is on track?

Section 6: Monitoring Just Transition

The following questions concern the following 14 proposed indicators for monitoring and evaluation of the Climate Change Plan.

1. Participation in decision making
2. Community energy
3. Community benefits
4. Changes to places
5. Fuel Poverty
6. Transport affordability
7. Socio-economic impact on oil and gas communities
8. Impact on household finances in oil and gas communities
9. Access to training for offshore oil and gas workers
10. Green jobs
11. Impact of energy prices on small businesses
12. Air pollution
13. Woodland creation
14. Peatland restoration

Question 29

Please detail any specific changes that would improve any of the 14 proposed indicators, including any data sources not currently included within this framework that could provide a useful indicator of progress towards a just transition in Scotland on an annual basis.

Question 30

What are the most appropriate indicators for judging whether we are achieving meaningful public participation in decisions related to the climate? This includes both the quality of the participatory process itself, and the impact of that participation on the decision-making process.

Question 31

What indicator would provide the best measure of the impact of net zero development in local communities across Scotland? For example, the impact of the installation of renewable energy infrastructure or other land use changes (e.g. through peatland restoration or tree planting).

Question 32

Ensuring positive outcomes for workers who have transitioned from jobs within high-carbon industries is central to delivering a just transition. What specific data or indicators could we use to monitor the extent to which workers in high-carbon industries are securing alternative employment?

Question 33

What specific data or indicators could we use to meaningfully monitor the impact of the transition to net zero on the environment and biodiversity across Scotland on an annual basis?