Scotland's Climate Assembly: the recommendations

30. December 2021

On 23 June 2021, the Scottish Climate Assembly and the country's Children's Parliament had submitted their recommendations on the country's future climate change policy to the Scottish Parliament. On 16 December 2021, the Scottish Government had published its response to the recommendations. Here is an overview of all the recommendations and the Scottish Government's basic response.

Resources

Reduce consumption and waste by embracing society wide resource management and reuse practices.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

Regulations to ban some of the most problematic single-use plastic items will come into force on 1 June 2022.
Based on new research from Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), we will explore how reducing both packaging and food waste can be achieved, taking account of the Assembly’s recommendation as we develop policy.
We will bring forward a Circular Economy Bill and consider the Assembly’s recommendations as part of this.
We will legislate for an EPR system for packaging in partnership with other UK administrations, and will consider the inclusion of lifetime product emissions as recommended by the Assembly.
We will help fund a new national network of community sharing libraries and repair cafes across Scotland.

1. Support Sustainable Manufacturing

Strategically support the development of new manufacturing businesses in Scotland that are innovating in low carbon, high quality, built to last, product design.

Children’s Parliament: Speak and listen to all the people who grow, make, produce and sell things in Scotland. This is to understand what help they need to make their businesses better for the environment.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the recommendation and call to action to support the development of new manufacturing businesses in Scotland that are innovating in low carbon, high quality, built to last, product design.

2. Ban Single Use Packaging

Reduce plastic and electronic waste by banning the use of single-use plastics (unless there is no viable alternative) and increasing regulation to prevent the supply of products in non-recyclable packaging and to stop retailers providing plastic bags to customers.

Children’s Parliament: Ban plastic packaging and single-use plastic (especially cutlery, bottles and plastic bags).

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation from the Assembly and Children’s Parliament to reduce plastic and electronic waste. We have laid Regulations before Parliament that ban some of the most problematic single-use plastic products.

3. Food Packaging

Reduce food waste by increasing public pressure and regulation on supermarkets (and other outlets) to change how fruit, vegetables and other perishable products are packaged, so that people can buy only the amount they need.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation to reduce food waste including by changing how products are packaged. We will explore how reducing both packaging and food waste can be achieved, taking account of the Assembly’s recommendation as we develop policy.

4. National Reuse Charter

Introduce a National Reuse Charter to establish; best practice standards and targets; timetables for implementation; and reporting mechanisms, in order for Local Authorities to transform recycling centres into reuse centres where items can be repurposed by skilled workers, and allocate funding equal to the National Recycling Charter (£70 million) to provide for implementation.

Children’s Parliament: Improve recycling in Scotland. This would include having more recycling points, even for things like clothes and toys, and having better, fun instructions for everyone to follow.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government support the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation for a National Reuse Charter.

5. Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation

Introduce Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation to regulate product design e.g. materials, production processes, so that the full costs of lifetime product emissions and disposal/repurposing are included in the price - including imported products.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and will legislate for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for packaging in partnership with other UK administrations. As the system develops, we will consider the inclusion of lifetime product emissions as recommended by the Assembly.

6. Resource Libraries

Provide government support to Local Authorities to establish a network of ‘Resource Libraries’ across the country, where people can ‘borrow’ high quality tools and equipment that are maintained and repaired by the library, rather than buying seldom used items themselves.

Children’s Parliament: Create sharing libraries in communities for toys, clothes, food, tools, books...and more!

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the recommendation from the Assembly and Children’s Parliament to establish a network of ‘Resource Libraries’ across the country.

Building Quality

Adopt and implement clear and future-proofed quality standards for assessing the carbon impacts of all buildings (public and private) using EnerPhit/Passivhaus standards (as a minimum) and integrating whole life carbon costs, environmental impact and operational carbon emissions.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

We will ensure the recommendations on standards made by the Assembly are included within the response to a consultation on proposed improvements to the energy standard within Scottish building regulations.
We will investigate the feasibility of legislation on the design of buildings for recycling and reuse and provide an update on this before the end of 2022.
We will investigate opportunities for whole life emission reporting and will provide an update on this before the end of 2022.

7. Passivhaus Standards for New Buildings

Update building standards to ensure that, within the next 5 years, all new housing is built to Passivhaus standards (or an agreed Scottish equivalent), to create healthy homes for people while also taking into account whole life carbon costs and environmental impact.

Children’s Parliament: Make sure new houses are built to be environmentally-friendly. This would involve making them energy efficient.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government agrees that review of regulation should continue to drive improvement in energy and environmental standards for new homes and is consulting on this for implementation in 2022.

8. Planning Decisions Consider Climate

Local authorities and planning departments need to ensure carbon sequestration, well-being, adaptation to manage extreme weather risk, and biodiversity are all considered in planning decisions for urban areas and buildings.

Children’s Parliament: Protect wildlife and native species. This would involve a ban on hunting animals and making sure no new homes are built in places where there are habitats.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and is clear that the planning system must embrace and deliver radical change so we can tackle and adapt to climate change, restore biodiversity loss, improve health and well-being, build a well-being economy and create great places.

9. Building Standards Non Residential

Within the next five years, update Building Standards Regulations to make it mandatory to apply EnerPhit/Passivhaus standards (or agreed Scottish equivalent), with an assessment of whole life/embodied carbon costs and the environmental impact of the materials used in construction, to all work on new and existing non-residential buildings.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government agrees with the ambition of the recommendation, and is developing its own comparable standards covering both energy efficiency and zero direct emissions heating to meet our objectives in Scotland.

10. Building Design for Recycling and Reuse

Introduce appropriate legislation that requires all new buildings to be designed from the outset using techniques that enable demountability, disassembly, material recycling and reuse at end of life.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government will investigate the feasibility of legislation on the design of buildings for recycling and reuse.

11. New Environmental Impact Assessments

Within the next five years, introduce a new environmental impact assessment for existing and new homes which adapts SAP/EPCs to measure all aspects of sustainability - combining energy efficiency measures; whole life/embodied carbon costs; and the environmental impact of the materials used in construction. This should also be used in the assessment of Council Tax bands.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government recognises the need for robust assessment of the energy efficiency of homes and is consulting on EPC reform. We are engaging with the UK government on its plans to revise SAP, and will investigate opportunities for whole life emission reporting. A citizens' assembly will consider the issue of a replacement to the present Council Tax system

Retrofit Homes

Retrofit the majority of existing homes in Scotland to be net zero by 2030, while establishing Scotland as a leader in retrofit technology, innovation and installation practice.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

We will co-produce a new ‘Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan’ by Summer 2022 which will set out further detail on support for workforce development and retraining, in line with the Assembly’s recommendations.
We will keep our fuel poverty targets under review, and in 2025 will identify whether it is possible to bring the target dates forward.

12. Workforce Development and Retraining

Invest in workforce development and retraining to deliver retrofitting and construction work to high standards and ensure we have the ability to implement an ambitious retrofit plan across Scotland.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation that investment in workforce development and retraining is required to ensure we have the ability to implement an ambitious retrofit plan across Scotland.

13. Implement Fuel Poverty Strategy by 2030

Ensure the Fuel Poverty Strategy, as required by the Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act (2019) but currently still in its 2018 draft form, is implemented immediately and is effective by 2030 not 2040.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation to ensure the Fuel Poverty Strategy is implemented immediately and for it to be effective as early as possible.

14. Retrofit All Existing Homes by 2030

Develop an ambitious plan across Scotland to enable the retrofitting of all existing homes by 2030 to be net zero.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation to ensure we have an ambitious plan to enable the retrofitting of all existing homes and to achieve this as soon as possible.

15. Robust Retrofit Quality Standards

Ensure immediate development of robust quality standards for assessing what needs to be done to retrofit existing homes to become net zero.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation to ensure development of robust quality standards for assessing what needs to be done to retrofit existing homes to become net zero.

16. Decarbonise Heating by 2030

Scotland should lead the way in reducing to net zero the carbon emissions caused by domestic and non-domestic heating systems, by investing in the exploration and early adoption of alternative fuel sources for buildings, aiming to decarbonise the gas grid and heating systems by 2030.

Children’s Parliament: Make sure new houses are built to be environmentally-friendly. This would involve making them energy efficient. Make using only smokeless fuel a law in Scotland.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government agrees that exploration of alternative fuel sources for buildings is an important component of the path to decarbonised heat, and that different approaches will be suited to different parts of Scotland.

Significant and urgent action must also be taken by the UK Government in reserved areas to decarbonise the gas network, reform electricity and gas markets, support deployment of zero emissions heat technologies and protect consumers.

17. Grants to Retrofit Homes

Make a grant available to ALL homeowners in Scotland by 2025 to bring their houses to zero emissions standards by 2030, starting by prioritising houses in fuel poverty.

Children’s Parliament: Give money and help to people who struggle to heat their homes.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of continuing to provide financial support to retrofit homes.

Standards and Regulation

Lead by example through government and the public sector implementing mandatory standards, regulations and business practices that meet the urgency and scale of the climate emergency

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

We will consult on measures to support businesses in transitioning to net zero including, for large businesses, annual public disclosure of how climate change will affect their business.
We will consult on requiring a published carbon management plan for achieving emissions reductions at a level consistent with Scotland’s 2045 net zero target for businesses receiving grant or loan / equity funding of over £500,000 and for major contracts.
We will review our public sector food procurement guidance document Catering for Change, alongside other work, considering how to integrate healthy, nutritious, plant-based and low carbon foods including sustainably produced fruit, vegetables, fish, seafood and meat, into public sector canteens

18. Building and Trading Standards

Strengthen building and trading standards to quality assure energy efficiency work carried out by private companies, to make sure it actually delivers emission reductions to homes.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and is taking action to strengthen standards.

19. Greenfield and Brownfield Development

Strengthen planning restrictions immediately so that development on greenfield sites should not be permitted until all other development options, such as brownfield and existing building repurposing, have been considered and legitimately rejected.

Children’s Parliament: Create more nature parks and stop green spaces from being built on. In towns and cities, create green, traffic free areas for children and adults to play.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this and is clear that the planning system can proactively support the re-use of vacant and derelict land and buildings.

20. Net Zero Public Sector by 2030

Require all public sector buildings, vehicles and supply chains to be net zero by 2030 with an interim target of 75% by 2027 and a target for absolute zero by 2035.

Children’s Parliament: Help schools to be environmentally-friendly. Schools can be places for planting trees.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government agrees with the Assembly on the importance of rapidly decarbonising public sector buildings, vehicles and supply chains.

21. Sustainable Public Sector Procurement

Introduce a public sector procurement requirement for companies to provide details of their sustainability performance (measured against agreed standards) in any tenders for work, and for this to be used alongside costs in making the final decision on whom to select.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports sustainable procurement and mechanisms are already in place to deliver on this recommendation.

22. Public Sector Vehicles

Make it mandatory for all public service vehicles (ambulances, police cars etc.) to have zero tailpipe emissions, extending to delivery vans and public transport where possible.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports all public sector vehicles reaching zero tailpipe emissions as soon as possible.

23. Benchmarked Standards

Establish strengthened benchmarked standards and set a requirement for public organisations and private companies to measure their annual progress on the path to net zero and publish this in a clear and transparent way.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation that there are strong benchmarked standards for public organisations and private companies to measure their annual progress on the path to net zero and for this information to be published.

24. Electricity Generation

Produce a green paper contrasting different methods of electricity generation focusing on capacity to meet baseload, £ per KWH, embodied carbon, safety and environmental impact and use this paper to plan Scotland electricity generation in the future.

Children’s Parliament: Create more wind farms and solar panels so all energy in Scotland is renewable.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the ambition to ensure that plans for Scotland’s future electricity generation capacity is evidence led, and based on a clear understanding of the value that each technology brings to a net zero energy system.

25. Climate Change Business Bill

Introduce a ‘Climate Change Business Bill’, to be enacted within the next five years, which sets climate impact standards and requires all businesses to assess the carbon emissions of their business practices on climate change (against variable criteria depending on the size of the business). Establish an independent climate change regulatory authority to inspect, audit and ensure compliance.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation to set out climate impact standards and require businesses to assess the carbon emissions of their business practices on climate change.

26. Plant-Based and Low Carbon Food

Immediately require government and public services to procure plant based and low carbon food for all public sector catering and canteens.

Children’s Parliament: Make more plant-based, animal-free options available in schools, nurseries and places where people work.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government partially supports this recommendation and will review its public sector food procurement guidance document Catering for Change, alongside other work to make Scotland a Good Food Nation.

This updated guidance will help public bodies make sustainable choices when procuring food and catering services, including how to provide more locally produced and locally sourced food. As part of this review, we will carefully consider the Assembly’s recommendation and identify how we can integrate healthy, nutritious, plant-based and low carbon foods, including sustainably produced fruit, vegetables, fish, seafood and meat, into public sector canteens.

Public Transport

Implement an integrated, accessible and affordable public transport system and improved local infrastructure throughout Scotland that reduces the need for private cars and supports active travel.

27. Public Transport Cheaper or Free

Make public transport cheaper, or free, by reviewing tender processes to focus government subsidies into nationalised public/private partnerships or not for profit public transport providers.

Children’s Parliament: Make public transport more environmentally friendly. This would involve making it easier and cheaper for children and adults and making buses and trains electric or hydrogen powered.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government partially supports this recommendation. We support making public transport more affordable and recognise the importance of not for profit and publically owned operators as well as commercial transport providers, local authorities and regional transport partnerships in achieving that. We are taking forward our Fair Fares Review to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares. This will look at the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available on all modes including bus, rail and ferry and will look at both cost and availability of services.

28. Oyster Card for Scotland

Introduce standardised smart ticketing for public transport across the whole country – an ‘Oyster card for Scotland’.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation in principle. Our vision is that all journeys on Scotland’s public transport networks can be made using some form of smart ticketing or payment, and progress is already being made towards this ambition.

29. Integrated Network Rail

Place rail travel at the core of an integrated transport system, by subsidising rail infrastructure to make it more affordable and resilient than air travel, particularly for mainland journeys in the UK.

Children’s Parliament: Create better railways to link up people in rural areas.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation, and places rail services at the heart of a greener, sustainable and integrated transport and active travel vision, as set out in our National Transport Strategy.

Travel Emissions

Lead the way in minimising the carbon emissions caused by necessary travel and transport by investing in the exploration and early adoption of alternative fuel sources across all travel modes.

30. Ferry and Vessel Emissions

Improve regulation about emissions from ferries (and other vessels used to transport goods around Scotland) so that high carbon emitting vessels are replaced with low carbon, modern alternatives, and ensure that the Scottish public sector fleet achieves a 50% cut in total carbon emissions by 2030.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation in part. We are committed to significantly reducing emissions from ferries, but at this time we do not believe that the technology exists that would allow the Scottish Government Ferry fleet to achieve a 50% reduction in fleet emissions by 2030.

31. Invest in Alternative Fuels and Green Incentives

Reduce the number of petrol and diesel vehicles in Scotland by investing in the development of alternative green fuels and increasing awareness of, and the level of, incentives available to support the transition to zero tailpipe emission vehicles.

Children’s Parliament: Ban diesel and petrol cars from being made and sold in
Scotland. Instead, we can help make electric cars in Scotland. Lower price of electric cars and have a renting scheme until people have saved up enough money to buy them.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and we have already made significant commitments to remove the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030.

32. Research & Development for Zero Carbon Air Travel

Help Scottish industry to become a leader in sustainable short-distance plane technology by increasing research and development into zero-carbon fuel for air travel.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and, in response, we are restating our commitment to support research and development into low emission technologies.

33. Electric Vehicle Charging

Create convenient electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure by 2025, focussed around community demand and lifestyle, in balance with other needs for use of space.

Children’s Parliament: Make lots of electric car, scooter and bike charging points available for people to use.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and is committed to continuing to invest in EV charging infrastructure and growing the existing network.

34. Decarbonise Internal Flights

Commit to working to decarbonise all internal flights within Scotland by 2025.

Scottish Government Response: We support the principle of this commitment to work to decarbonise scheduled passenger flights within Scotland – our target to do this is by 2040, including by supporting the trialling and introduction of low and zero emission aircraft.

Carbon Labelling

Provide clear and consistent, real and total carbon content labelling on produce, products and services (showing production; processing; transport; and usage emissions) to enable people to make informed choices.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

We will explore the feasibility of implementing food carbon labelling in Scotland.
We will undertake a feasibility study to explore implementation options for product carbon labelling in Scotland, and the benefits and challenges associated with each.

35. Food Carbon Labelling

Within 5 years, to have fully implemented food carbon labelling, similar to nutritional labelling, that shows real and total carbon content - not the offset carbon footprint.

Children’s Parliament: Label all food and everyday items with where they are
made and their impact on the environment. Make environmentally friendly things in shops cheaper and easier for people to choose. This would involve making sure shops promote and display environmentally friendly options instead of non-environmentally friendly
options.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of this recommendation and we commit to exploring the feasibility of implementing food carbon labelling in Scotland, both in terms of determining the most effective mechanism and related timescales.

36. Declare Travel Carbon Impact

Immediately make it easier for people to make informed choices about how they travel, taking carbon emissions into consideration, by requiring transport providers to declare the carbon impact of flights and train journeys in a clear and meaningful way at the time of booking.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation in part, but does not have the required powers to enact such a measure.

37. Product Carbon Labelling

Require businesses to label products to show the carbon footprint of the production process.

Children’s Parliament: Label all food and everyday items with where they are made and their impact on the environment. Make environmentally friendly things in shops cheaper and easier for people to choose. This would involve making sure shops promote and display environmentally friendly options instead of non-environmentally friendly options.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and welcomes moves to explore the feasibility of a carbon labelling standard for consumer products.

Education

Provide everyone with accurate information, comprehensive education, and lifelong learning across Scotland to support behavioural, vocational and societal change to tackle the climate emergency, and ensure everyone can understand the environmental impact of different actions and choices.

Children’s Parliament: Help people understand what they can do to tackle climate change. This would involve having adverts on TV and social media about creating less waste, buying less things, buying local products, travelling less to different countries, and saving energy.

Help children to play, learn and have hobbies outside. This is so when children grow up, they go outside more often and want to look after our nature.

Involve children in decisions being made about tackling the climate emergency. This could be in school, in communities or at a national level - like the Climate Assembly!

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

We have established a Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan Implementation Steering Group to drive activity and develop an Implementation Plan to set out a route map for skills provision in Scotland, supporting the retraining and upskilling needed for the transition to net zero.
We will publish a bespoke public engagement strategy for heat in buildings.
We are updating and strengthening our Learning for Sustainability Action Plan and will ensure the content of this takes full account of the Assembly’s recommendations.

38. Change Energy Efficiency Culture

Drive culture change to enable the public to understand that improving energy efficiency in homes is the responsible thing to do.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and will publish a bespoke public engagement strategy to raise the profile of energy efficiency and zero emissions heat.

39. Sustainable Diet Public Information Campaigns

Initiate public information campaigns, including education for children and families, that deliver accessible advice and information on transitioning to a sustainable diet.

Children’s Parliament: Teach children and adults about environmentally-friendly diets and reducing food waste.

Make community gardens and allotments for everyone. This would involve teaching children and adults about growing their own food, and using schools for giving out saplings, seeds and tools. Have a special day in Scotland where everyone works in their gardens to grow food.

Launch a national plant-based diet week to raise awareness.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and will continue to provide advice and information on the benefits of healthy, nutritious, plant-based and low carbon foods, including sustainably produced fruit, vegetables, fish, seafood and meat.

40. Education Programmes

Include carbon emissions and reduction topics in all relevant education programmes.

Children’s Parliament: Make sure children and young people have information about the climate emergency in Scotland. Make sure all children and adults learn about climate change. This would involve hearing from experts in climate change and helping children and adults learn green skills that will help tackle the climate emergency like: How to grow food and compost; How to recycle properly; How to repair and mend things; How to have a climate friendly diet; How to plant trees and protect wildlife.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation that carbon emissions and reduction topics should be included in all relevant education programmes.

41. Employment Training Campaigns

Run a public information campaign about training opportunities, in order to attract people into greener industries, including targeted information for people currently working in ‘brown’ sectors such as oil and gas and in sectors that are dependent on oil and gas.

Children’s Parliament: Make sure all children and adults learn about climate change. This would involve hearing from experts in climate change and helping children and adults learn green skills that will help tackle the climate emergency like: How to grow food and compost; How to recycle properly; How to repair and mend things; How to have a climate friendly diet; How to plant trees and protect wildlife.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s desire to increase the attraction for people to work in greener industries including those currently working in, or dependent on, oil and gas sectors.

42. Education on Sustainable Transport

Provide education for all to support the transition from car use to public and active transport so people recognise the climate impacts and change behaviours willingly.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation, recognising the importance of education to encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of transport.

43. Local Living and Four Day Week

Raise public awareness on the value that can be achieved for climate change by embracing localised living and a 4-day, or reduced, working week.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the recommendation to raise public awareness on localised living and a reduced working week.

Land Use

Balance the needs of the environment, landowners and communities across Scotland for sustainable land use that achieves emission reductions.

Children’s Parliament: Allow only sustainable ways of farming, fishing and crofting. This would include using natural fertilisers and reducing the numbers of animals being farmed or fished.

Protect wild spaces, coastlines and ancient woods. This would involve creating special sea defences to protect the coastline, cleaning up beaches and rivers, and stopping cutting down trees.

44. Marine Carbon Sequestration

Fulfil the carbon sink potential of the marine environment to establish an holistic enterprise that maximises carbon sequestration and supports sustainable marine food production.

Children’s Parliament: Protect wild spaces, coastlines and ancient woods. This would involve creating special sea defences to protect the coastline, cleaning up beaches and rivers, and stopping cutting down trees.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the recommendation to fulfil the carbon sink potential of the marine environment and is funding a programme of work through the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum to develop our understanding of Scotland’s blue carbon systems to enable policy action.

45. Peatland Restoration and Native Woodlands

Commit to higher levels than in current Scottish Government plans of restoring peatlands and native woodlands for carbon sequestration and improving biodiversity.

Children’s Parliament: Create more woodlands and peatlands. This would involve helping people who own land to use their land to do this. Create a national tree planting day in Scotland. Everyone would plant a tree, every year.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly recommendation, and commits to increased action on peatland restoration and native woodland creation.

46. Incentivise Land Use to Support Net Zero

Fulfil Scotland’s carbon sink potential by incentivising landowners to maximise the land available in order to meet net zero targets.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and commits to incentivising landowners to increase carbon sequestration and protect carbon stores in Scotland’s land.

47. Farming Subsidies to Support Transition

Given the exit from the EU (and the end of the Common Agricultural Policy funding model), the government should work with the farming community to develop a subsidy regime that encourages farmers to transition to more sustainable land management practices, to be fully implemented in the next 5 years.

Children’s Parliament: Allow only sustainable ways of farming, fishing and crofting. This would include using natural fertilisers and reducing the numbers of animals being farmed or fished.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation, and we are working with the farming community to develop a subsidy regime that supports sustainable land management practices.

Communities

Empower communities to be able develop localised solutions to tackle climate change

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

We will be working with the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) to explore and develop Green Participatory Budgeting initiatives.
We will consider the Assembly’s recommendations as we review the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement, and as part of the new Land Reform Bill.

48. Community Low Carbon Heating

Provide government incentives for local authorities and social housing providers to work with communities to develop low carbon heating systems in neighbourhoods.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports providing incentives for local authorities and social housing providers to work with communities on low carbon heating systems.

49. Community Engagement

Provide government support for community engagement, to empower local people to make decisions around their needs and conduct transparent consultations.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation to provide government support for community engagement, to empower local people to make decisions around their needs and conduct transparent consultations.

50. Community Land Ownership Reform

Empower local communities to manage underused, unproductive, and/or unoccupied land around them in ways that address the climate emergency through rapid and decisive movement on land ownership reform.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and is already delivering against it through enhanced action over the course of this Parliament.

51. Funding for Community Climate Action Projects

Introduce a pot of money for community projects (this could be ring-fenced money collected from Land Carbon taxes) to be used to invest in community-based climate action projects e.g. rewilding, peatland restoration, growing projects.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation that funding be available to be used to invest in community-based climate action projects.

52. Enhance Community Right to Buy

Enhance Community Right to Buy legislation to make it easier for communities to take ownership of unproductive land for climate action, alongside providing clear policy guidance on how community owned land should be managed.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s ambition for communities to take ownership of unproductive land for climate action.

Circular Economy

Strive to be as self-sufficient as possible, with a competitive Scots circular economy that meets everyone’s needs in a fair way.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

We will consider the Assembly’s recommendations as we develop plans for our Circular Economy Bill.
We will consider the Assembly’s recommendation to incentivise the use of Scottish grown and produced materials in house construction as we develop our construction sector Recovery Plan.
Our Retail Strategy will promote local production and a reduced carbon footprint in response to the Assembly’s recommendations.

53. Sustainable Business Loans

Introduce government backed sustainable business loans for companies and start-ups to invest in innovation in reuse and reprocessing in Scotland and creating commercial demand for repurposed/remanufactured materials.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation that government backed sustainable business loans should be available for companies and start-ups to invest in innovation in reuse and reprocessing in Scotland, and creating commercial demand for repurposed/remanufactured materials.

54. Reduce High Carbon Construction Materials

Incentivise the use of Scottish grown and produced materials in house construction by setting targets to reduce the use of high carbon construction materials and increase the use of carbon neutral materials.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation to reduce the use of high carbon construction materials and increase the use of Scottish grown and produced sustainable/carbon neutral materials in house construction.

55. Targets to Sell Local Produce

Set targets for supermarkets and other shops to buy and sell local produce at a fair price to farmers and consumers, and consider systems of grants for supporting more localised markets.

Children’s Parliament: Make and sell more food locally in Scotland. Support environmentally friendly small businesses, organic farmers and butchers. Choose to stock foods from Scotland over foods from abroad.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation to encourage and support local production and localised markets.

56. De-Incentivise Imports

Grow and adapt our local economies by de-incentivising imports and establishing more innovative businesses and low carbon manufacturing industries in Scotland.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports in principle the Assembly’s recommendation to grow and adapt our local economies by establishing more innovative businesses and low carbon manufacturing industries in Scotland.

Work and Volunteering

Develop work, training and volunteering opportunities to support net zero targets, connect people with nature, rebuild depleted natural resources and increase biodiversity.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

Drawing on Assembly recommendations, we launched the Green Jobs Workforce Academy in August 2021.
We will consider the Assembly’s recommendations as we develop a Volunteering Action Plan with stakeholders.

57. National Nature Service

Government and industry should work together to develop a career ladder, or an incentive, for people not in education, training, or work to contribute to rewilding, land restoration and adaptation projects. This could be driven by a National Nature Service, supplemented by a Conservation Volunteers Scheme.

Children’s Parliament: Create more jobs for looking after all our nature. This would involve helping people without jobs learn skills to have green jobs.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and commits to developing a career pathway and volunteering opportunities for economically inactive people to develop green, nature-based skills.

58. Green training and Apprenticeship Scheme

Scottish Government should support businesses and employers to transition and prioritise green skills by introducing a national training/retraining and apprenticeship scheme for new green jobs, accessible to all.

Children’s Parliament: Make sure all children and adults learn about climate change. This would involve hearing from experts in climate change and helping children and adults learn green skills that will help tackle the climate emergency like: How to grow food and compost; How to recycle properly; How to repair and mend things; How to have a climate friendly diet; How to plant trees and protect wildlife.

Teach children and young people about what green jobs and qualifications they could get when they’re older. In schools, introduce children to different green jobs, and degrees at university which are designed to tackle climate change.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation to support businesses and employers to transition and prioritise green skills, including through a national training and apprenticeship scheme.

59. Flexible Working Conditions

Government should publish clear guidelines about their expectations for flexible working conditions and ensure that businesses are meeting these for staff when making procurement decisions and issuing contracts.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and is integrating flexible working into our Fair Work First policy.

Business

Support long term, sustainable business models where people and the environment are considered before profit, and the carbon footprint of working practices are reduced.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following actions:

We have committed to develop: a set of wellbeing indicators to ensure that environmental, economic, human and social capitals are embedded; creation of a green industrial catalyst fund; and provision of tailored support for businesses with alternative ownership models.
We will continue to explore options to support award schemes and/or provide funding to support sustainable practices and innovation adaptation in businesses.

60. Eliminate Frequent Flyer and Air Mile Bonuses

Eliminate frequent flier and air-mile bonuses to reduce the number of flights taken for business, encouraging the use of alternatives like video conferencing for meetings.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the increased use of digital alternatives for meetings.

61. Incentivise Cooperative Models of Land Use

Incentivise cooperative models of land use / land management, and partnerships between farming and other uses, that drive sustainable agriculture and move away from intensive farming and reliance on pesticides.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and commits to encouraging the use and management of land in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

62. Incentivise Green Business Models

Provide government incentives for green business models, such as bronze/silver/gold awards or funding to reward sustainable practices and innovation for adaptation to climate change impacts.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation to provide incentives, including through awards schemes, for business models which showcase sustainable practices and innovation relating to adaptation to climate change impacts.

63. Well-being Before Profit

Prioritise funding and support for businesses that:

look after well-being before profit;
provide community benefits; and /or
are staff owned or cooperatives.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the principle of the Assembly’s recommendation to support organisations that look after wellbeing, provide community benefits and/or are staff owned or cooperatives.

64. Universal Basic Income

Explore introduction of a Universal Basic Income to help improve the fairness of reducing hours at work, combined with a practical pilot/feasibility study which includes measuring environmental impact.

Children’s Parliament: Make sure people are paid fairly to help with bills.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government recognises the benefits of a Universal Basic Income, but recognises it is not currently feasible to pilot due to a lack of devolved powers. We are exploring the potential of a Minimum Income Guarantee as an alternative.

65. Four Day Working Week

Introduce a 4-day (or 32 hour) working week as standard, based on research to explore where and in what sectors it would work best, and backed by incentives to compensate for the cost of employing more people.

Children’s Parliament: Shorten work and school hours. This is so people can have more time to do things like grow their own food, plant trees and repair things at home or in their area.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation in principle, although it cannot be legislated for by the Scottish Parliament given that employment law is a reserved matter.

20 Minute Communities

Realise the principles of a '20-minute community' in flexible ways across Scotland by reducing the need to travel for work, shopping, services and recreation in ways that support localised living.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following action:

We have commissioned a programme of work with Scottish Futures Trust to help facilitate a wider roll-out of work hubs across Scotland.

66. Broadband Connectivity

Improve broadband connectivity across Scotland by investing in a fit for purpose infrastructure to provide reliable, high-speed broadband access in all areas.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this recommendation and will continue to invest in improving broadband connectivity across Scotland.

67. Public Spaces for Walking and Cycling

Invest in improving public spaces in neighbourhoods and cities to make them safer and more appealing to walk and cycle in.

Children’s Parliament: Encourage cycling by making more, safer cycle paths and lanes, and making public bikes available in villages, towns and cities. Make travelling to school in environmentally friendly ways easier and cheaper. This would involve S’Cool buses, cycle/walking busses, and more, safer cycle routes across Scotland.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the recommendation to make our towns, cities and neighbourhoods safer and more appealing to walk and cycle in.

68. Convert Existing Buildings

Create thriving town centres by focusing on the conversion of existing properties into high quality housing and community spaces rather than building more edge of town developments.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports this and is clear that the planning system can reshape future city and town centres.

69. Reform Planning Laws

Reform planning laws to enable governments to require developers to include community infrastructure and local facilities that can be reached by ‘active travel’ in new developments, preventing collections of houses being built with no amenities, and instead building thriving communities.

Children’s Parliament: Create more nature parks and stop green spaces from being built on. In towns and cities, create green, traffic-free areas for children and adults to play.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the development of neighbourhoods where community infrastructure and local facilities can be easily reached by active travel, and is promoting the creation of networks of 20 minute neighbourhoods, as well as integrating an infrastructure first approach to the planning system.

70. Rural Localised Living

Ensure that all communities are able to benefit from the principles of localised living, inspired by the 20-minute community, by guaranteeing access to services through remote, digital and mobile provision.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation to enable all communities to benefit from the principles of localised living.

71. Create New, and Support Existing, Work Hubs

Create new, and supporting existing, work hubs / shared work facilities where someone can go to work, whether they are self-employed or an employee.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government will support the creation of new work hubs, and support existing work hubs.

72. Free Wi-Fi and Support Access to Smart Devices

Work towards ensuring the availability of free Wi-Fi for all, and support access to smart devices for all, to close the digital divide.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government partially supports this recommendation, and will commit to enhancing digital accessibility for those currently excluded, although it cannot be legislated for, as telecommunications is a reserved matter.

Taxation

Develop and implement a fair, equitable and transparent tax system that drives carbon emission reductions, while recognising different abilities to pay, and generates revenue to enable energy transition.

Following analysis of the Assembly’s recommendations, the Scottish Government will take the following action:

We have committed to work with our agencies and stakeholders to design and implement a skills guarantee for workers in carbon-intense sectors

73. Incentives for Green Jobs Training

Introduce tax incentives for training / retraining for green jobs, aimed at those industries which are set to grow rapidly, to support the replacement of existing high-carbon jobs in the transition to net zero.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the ambition to provide opportunities and incentives for the skills and training laid out in this recommendation. Whilst the vast majority of tax powers are reserved to the UK Parliament, we will utilise different methods to achieve this.

74. High Tax Carbon Resources

Introduce a tax on producers that use high carbon resources in their manufacturing processes.

Children’s Parliament: Make businesses pay for their waste and impact on the environment.

Scottish Government Response: It is beyond the current powers of the Scottish Parliament to introduce a new national devolved tax on carbon resource producers. However, carbon pricing mechanisms already exist that share similar aims

75. Carbon Land Tax

Introduce a carbon land tax which taxes emissions created through land use and penalise land currently emitting more carbon than it captures.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government recognises the ambition behind this recommendation but is unable to implement a new national devolved tax within current powers.

76. Frequent Flyer Tax or Levy

Discourage air travel by introducing a frequent flyer tax or levy.

Children’s Parliament: Make prices for flying higher.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government recognises the need to reduce the environmental impact of flying.

77. Food Carbon Tax and Subsidy

Introduce a carbon tax on food, based on the carbon intensity of food production, and use the revenue to subsidise sustainable foods.

Children’s Parliament: Make fresh, organic food cheaper. Make junk, processed and imported food more expensive. Make items that are not good for the environment a higher price.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government recognises the principle behind this recommendation, but is unable to implement a new national devolved tax within current powers.

78. Carbon Tax and Dividend

Introduce a carbon tax and dividend scheme - based on the polluter pays principle - so that for every tonne of CO2 emitted you pay a tax.

Children’s Parliament: Make items that are not good for the environment a higher price.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government is unable to implement a new national devolved tax within current powers.

79. Tax High Carbon Aviation Fuels

Reduce the incentives to fly by introducing tax on high carbon aviation fuels and making it mandatory that this cost is passed on to the customer in their ticket price.

Children’s Parliament: Make prices for flying higher.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government recognises the need to reduce the environmental impact of flying, however air transport is currently taxed through APD rather than a fuel duty. Members of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (including the United Kingdom) are prevented from taxing international aviation fuel under the Chicago Convention.

80. Increase Road Tax to Subsidise Public Transport

Phase in increased road taxes for private car use and use the revenue to subsidise public transport.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the ambition to reduce the emissions generated in the production and use of cars and to encourage active and public transport as alternatives.

Measuring Success

Reframe the national focus and vision for Scotland’s future away from economic growth and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in order to reflect climate change goals towards the prioritisation of a more person and community centred vision of thriving people, thriving communities and thriving climate.

81. Measurement Framework

Business and government to adopt a measurement framework for success that incorporates sustainability, well-being and happiness alongside profit.

Scottish Government Response: The Scottish Government supports the Assembly’s recommendation to consider sustainability, well-being and happiness in our measurement framework.

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