Environment: Subject Profile

Author: Alexa Morrison, Damon Davies, Roxana Shafiee, Ellie Wood

PDF Published: Thursday 19 Aug 2021 (SB 21-54)

Expand
Overview
Report

Hide

Hide

Overview
Report
- Introduction
- Key strategic policies and goals
  - Scotland’s Environment Strategy
  - The UN SDGs and Scotland's National Performance Framework
  - Scotland's Environmental Principles
- Key bodies and regulators, and duties of public bodies
- Environmental standards and governance (following EU exit)
  - Maintaining or keeping pace with EU environmental standards post EU exit
  - Environmental Standards Scotland
  - Post EU-exit environmental funding including rural support
  - Proposals for a human right to a healthy environment
- Waste and the Circular Economy
  - Waste regulation, roles and key legislation
  - Waste and recycling targets and progress to date
  - Greenhouse Gas emissions associated with consumption and waste
  - Key areas of development in waste and circular economy policy
  - Deposit Return Scheme
- Biodiversity and wildlife management
  - The ecological emergency - a nature crisis
  - Biodiversity strategies and key legislation
  - Protected areas, protected species and nature networks
  - Marine protected areas and other approaches
  - Nature-based solutions within a green recovery
    
    Peatlands
    
    Forestry
    
    Blue carbon
  - Invasive species
  - Wildlife crime
  - Wildlife management - including deer, grouse moors and beavers
- Air Quality
- Flooding
- The freshwater environment
  - Scottish Water and the water industry
- Chemicals and pesticides regulation
Sources

Image: Figure 1 - The 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals

Image: Figure 2 - Factors influencing Scottish environmental standards post EU-exit

Image: Figure 3 - The waste hierarchy

Image: Figure 4 - Recycling Rates in Scotland

Image: Figure 5 - Waste Landfilled in Scotland

Image: Figure 6 - Emissions from Waste in Scotland 1990 - 2019

Image: Figure 7 - A nature crisis in Scotland and globally

Image: Figure 8- Drivers of biodiversity loss in Scotland

Map showing the Scottish Marine Protected Area network

Image: Figure 9 - Scottish Marine Protected Area Network

Image: Figure 10 - Habitats and settings that can provide NbS

Image: Figure 11 - Comparison of blue carbon storage and sequestration with terrestrial carbon, and Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions

Plans and Programmes required by the Climate Change Acts, showing that the CCP must set out policies and proposals to consider carbon storage when designating MPAs under the Marine Scotland Act (shown on the left). Grey boxes indicate the requirements set out in the Acts. Dashed line and blue text indicates the consideration of blue carbon in the CCP and the CCPu.

Image: Figure 12 - Plans and Programmes required by the Climate Change Acts.

Image: Figure 13 - Status of surface waters in Scotland (2018)

Scottish Government . (2020). Continuity Bill: Equality Impact Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/continuity-bill-equality-impact-assessment/

Sargeant, J., & Stojanovic, A. (2021). The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. Retrieved from https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/internal-market-act.pdf [accessed 18 August 2021]

Brexit & Environment. (2018). UK Environmental Policy Post-Brexit: A Risk Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.brexitenvironment.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Environment-and-Brexit-Risk-Analysis-C-Burns-Et-al-2018.pdf

Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee . (2020). Pre-Budget scrutiny 2021-22: report. Retrieved from https://bprcdn.parliament.scot/published/ECCLR/2020/11/8/Pre-Budget-scrutiny-2021-22--report/ECCLRS0520R13.pdf

Scottish Government. (2020, December 16). Securing a Green Recovery on a Path to Net Zero: Climate Change Plan 2018–2032 - update. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/securing-green-recovery-path-net-zero-update-climate-change-plan-20182032/ [accessed 16 December 2020]

First Minister’s Advisory Group on Human Rights Leadership. (2018). Recommendations for a new human rights framework to improve people’s lives Report to the First Minister. Retrieved from https://humanrightsleadership.scot/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/First-Ministers-Advisory-Group-on-Human-Rights-Leadership-Final-report-for-publication.pdf

National Taskforce for Human Rights. (2021). National Taskforce for Human Rights: leadership report. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-taskforce-human-rights-leadership-report/documents/

UNEP. (2021). Sustainable consumption and production policies. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/sustainable-consumption-and-production-policies [accessed 3 August 2021]

Scottish Government. (2012). Duty of Care – A Code of Practice. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/advice-and-guidance/2012/10/duty-care-code-practice/documents/00404095-pdf/00404095-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/00404095.pdf

Zero Waste Scotland. (2016). How much food is wasted in Scotland?. Retrieved from https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/how-much-food-waste-there-scotland

Scottish Government. (2021). Climate Change Plan: monitoring reports - 2021 compendium. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/climate-change-plan-monitoring-reports-2021-compendium/ [accessed 4 May 2021]

SEPA. (2020). Waste From All Sources Generated and Managed - 2018. Retrieved from https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/waste/waste-data/waste-data-reporting/waste-data-for-scotland/

SEPA. (2020). Waste landfilled in Scotland - 2019. Retrieved from https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/527114/2019-waste-landfilled-commentary.pdf

National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory . (2021). Report: Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland: 1990-2019 . Retrieved from https://naei.beis.gov.uk/reports/reports?report_id=1019

Zero Waste Scotland. (2015). The Carbon Impacts of the Circular Economy Summary Report. Retrieved from https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/sites/default/files/CIoCE Summary Report - FINAL - 15.06.15.pdf

Scottish Government. (2021). Scotland’s Carbon Footprint: 1998-2017. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/news/scotlands-carbon-footprint-1998-2017/

Climate Change Committee. (2020). Reducing emissions in Scotland – 2020 Progress Report to Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/reducing-emissions-in-scotland-2020-progress-report-to-parliament/

SEPA. (2019). Waste incinerated in Scotland - 2019. Retrieved from https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/527062/2019-waste-incinerated-commentary.docx

Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. (2020). Legislative Consent Memorandum - UK Environment Bill, 7th Report, 2020 (Session 5). Retrieved from https://bprcdn.parliament.scot/published/ECCLR/2020/6/19/Legislative-Consent-Memorandum---UK-Environment-Bill/ECCLR-S5-20-7R.pdf

Environmment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. (2021). ECCLR Committee response to the draft updated climate change plan (CCPu). Retrieved from https://archive2021.parliament.scot/S5_Environment/Reports/ECCLR_2021.03.04_OUT_CS_CCPu_Report.pdf

Convention on Biological Diversity. (2006). The Convention on Biological Diversity. Article 2. Use of Terms. Retrieved from https://www.cbd.int/convention/articles/?a=cbd-02 [accessed 28 April 2021]

NatureScot. (2020). What is biodiversity?. Retrieved from https://www.nature.scot/scotlands-biodiversity [accessed 3 May 2021]

Nicholls, C.I., & Altieri, M.A. (2013). Plant biodiversity enhances bees and other insect pollinators in agroecosystems. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development.

IPBES. (2019). Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Bonn, Germany: IPBES secretariat.

Reed, D.H., & Frankham, R. (2003). Correlation between Fitness and Genetic Diversity. Conservation Biology.

Mace, G.M., Norris, K., & Fitter, A.H. (2012). Biodiversity and ecosystem services: a multilayered relationship. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 27(1), 19-26.

Hughes, A.R., Inouye, B.D., Johnson, M.T., Underwood, N., & Vellend, M. (2008). Ecological consequences of genetic diversity. Ecology Letters.

Dasgupta, P. (2021). The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review. London: HM Treasury.

Costanza, R., Groot, R., Sutton, P., van der Ploeg, S., Anderson, S.J., Kubiszewski, I., … Turner, R.K. (2014). Changes in the global value of ecosystem services. Global Environmental Change, 26, 152-158.

Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P.R., Barnosky, A.D., García, A., Pringle, R.M., & Palmer, T.M. (2015). Accelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction. Science Advances, 1(5), 1400253. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1400253

Walton, P., Eaton, M., Stanbury, A., Hayhow, D., Brand, A., Brooks, S., … Wormald, K. (2019). The State of Nature Scotland 2019. The State of Nature partnership.

NatureScot. (2021). Scotland's Biodiversity Progress to 2020 Aichi Targets - Final Report. Retrieved from https://www.nature.scot/scotlands-biodiversity-progress-2020-aichi-targets-final-report

Scottish Government. (n.d.) Marine Environment. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/policies/marine-environment/marine-protected-areas/ [accessed 16 June 2021]

Harrison, J. (2019, August). Saving our Seas through Law Briefing No. 4 - Legal Tools for the Management of Marine Protected Areas in Scotland. Retrieved from https://www.law.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2020-09/Marine%20Briefing%204%20(final)_ACC.pdf [accessed 1 June 2021]

Climate Change Committee. (2020). Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK. Retrieved from https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/land-use-policies-for-a-net-zero-uk/ [accessed January 2020]

NatureScot. (2017). NatureScot Commissioned Report 982 - Analyses of the fates of satellite tracked golden eagles in Scotland. Retrieved from https://www.nature.scot/naturescot-commissioned-report-982-analyses-fates-satellite-tracked-golden-eagles-scotland

Grouse Moor Management Group. (2019). Grouse Moor Management Review Group - Report to the Scottish Government. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/grouse-moor-management-group-report-scottish-government/

Scottish Government. (2019). Climate Ready Scotland: climate change adaptation programme 2019-2024. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/climate-ready-scotland-second-scottish-climate-change-adaptation-programme-2019-2024/

SEPA. (2019). Scotland’s water environment 2019: A summary and progress report . Retrieved from https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/490771/191219_scotlands-water-environment-final.pdf

Scottish Water. (2019). Sustainability report 2019. Retrieved from https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Help-and-Resources/Document-Hub/Key-Publications/Energy-and-Sustainability

House of Commons Library. (2021). End of Brexit transition: chemicals regulation (REACH). Retrieved from https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8403/CBP-8403.pdf

Scottish Government. (2019). Pesticide usage in Scotland. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/news/pesticide-usage-in-scotland-5/

Client Earth. (2021). Environmental Law & Governance Post-Brexit An analysis for ClientEarth. Retrieved from https://www.clientearth.org/media/1z5lucs3/report-environmental-law-and-governance-post-brexit-11-february-2020-003.pdf

Last Updated: 27/7 1:16pm

An error occured while loading, please try again in a few minutes.