Consultation on Environmental Principles and Governance in Scotland

The environment, including the nature and landscapes of Scotland, are what makes Scotland a great place to live, work and do business. The principles will help safeguard this.

Safeguarding the environment, and the services it provides the economy and people of Scotland (and beyond), should be an essential part of everyday life and functioning of Scottish Ministers and public authorities. A key aim of the Scottish Government is sustainable economic growth - such growth wont be sustainable if it harms the environment upon which Scotland's success is built.

This would help ensure consistency and clarity for all.

Standards will slip, it will become too easy for the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social, environmental) to skew away from a balanced perspective, and the environment will be harmed, which in turn will harm society and the economy.

It would make sense if they were aligned with European Union reporting and monitoring requirements, albeit with amendments where appropriate to address budgetary or other constraints. (for example, relaxing monitoring cycles for more common/robust species and habitats)

Without a formal governance structure in place, it will be too easy for those who shout loudest to how sway, putting private interests, profits and personal gain first, at the cost of the environment. A formal (independent) structure and process would avoid this issue.

An independent organisation/body with the relevant specialist expertise, with powers set out in legislation to call-in and/or oversee contentious cases, with legally binding decision making/direction giving powers, much the same as the EU Directives have just now.

Mainly those related to spatial planning, but also other types of 'development' and land use that have the potential to have significant environmental effects (eg forestry, aquaculture, agriculture, etc).

There have been examples of where Ministers have wanted to push through developments that would be harmful to the environment, but EU Directives have prevented this from occurring due the procedures and scrutiny (and infraction proceedings) that the EU Directives require. Without them, it would be too easy for developers and/or private interests to lobby ministers to get poor development pushed through that is harmful to the environment and unsustainable for nature and in the long term for people and the economy too.

If there is no such function (or independent expert organisation/body), confidence in the law and decision making will be reduced. At present all those involved in development, land use and management know and understand the law and the consequences of breaching it - the EU Directives set a high bar. This needs to be maintained to safeguard the environment, and the services it provides to the people and economy of Scotland.

Already some environmental consultants are laughing and think that leaving the EU will mean that the environmental protection bar will fall far lower, if not off completely. There needs to be a rigorous monitoring and enforcement process in place to ensure this perception is not realised, so that the environment is safeguarded for future generations. The environment is Scotland's greatest asset.

There needs to be an independent organisation or body that looks at the environmental consequences of cases raised with them, rather than reliance on judicial review on points of law.