The Scottish Government's independent advisory body on sustainable development
News
Creating the right climate for progress
29 January 2009
The Scottish Climate Change Bill represents one of the most significant pieces of legislation being placed before Parliament this term. It is a particularly complex piece of legislation. The planned Act will have to be based on the best and most up to date climate science and an appraisal of how the aspirations of the Bill can be translated into action on the ground.
The impact of the anticipated Act will also be long lasting, as Parliament will be expected to scrutinise delivery over a 40 year plus time horizon. Successive Governments will be required to develop policies that can deliver these commitments, as well as report to Parliament on progress. To ensure longevity, a high degree of consensus will be required across Parliament.
To support discussion around the Bill the Sustainable Development Commission Scotland hosted a series of seminars for MSPs and other key stakeholders. The four seminars explored different aspects of the Bill. Experts in the field presented on specific issues, which was followed by a round table discussion.
A note of each seminar has been prepared and is available below along with the presentations:
Climate Change science and scenarios for Scotland
The first of the four seminars considered the latest scientific evidence around climate change and what this is likely to mean for Scotland. The international framework for climate change was also discussed. Presentations to the seminar were made by Prof Pete Smith (University of Aberdeen), Dr Richard Wood (Met Office Hadley Centre) and Dr Chris West (Director of UK Climate Impacts programme (UKCIP).
Policy options to achieve the 80% Cut (part one)
The second of the four seminars considered the Government’s overall approach to the delivery of the 80% cut outlined in the draft Bill. The seminar also moved on to consider the potential for action in two important policy areas: energy efficiency/conservation and carbon capture and storage. Presentations to the seminar were made by Cameron Maxwell (Scottish Government), Dr Brenda Boardman (Oxford University) and Prof Stuart Haszeldine (Edinburgh University).
Policy options to achieve the 80% Cut (part two)
The third of the four seminars considered the potential for action in three key policy areas: energy generation, transport and land management, sequestration and sinks. Presentations to the seminar were made by Dr Keith McLean (Scottish and Southern Energy plc), Prof Tom Rye (Napier University) and Dr Robin Matthews (Macaulay Land Use Research Institute).
Scrutiny and Technical Challenges for the Bill
The final seminar considered the specific technical challenges facing MSPs in developing an effective Scottish Bill. Two presentations were made to the seminar – Philip Wright (Scottish Government) provided an overview of the UK Climate Change Bill and its links to the planned Scottish legislation. Dr Richard Dixon (WWF Scotland) provided an NGO perspective on the Scottish Bill and the issues that WWF Scotland believes still need to be addressed by the Scottish legislation.
