Climate Change Targets Bill
The RSE welcomes this opportunity to contribute to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy, and Transport Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny of Scotland’s climate targets.
The RSE supports the recommendations from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) for the Scottish Government to shift toward five-year carbon budgets and emission reduction targets and align with the periods used for UK carbon budgets. However, the RSE suggests yearly interim targets be established to provide government with sufficient information to be flexible and responsive.
RSE policy advice, Climate Change Targets Billl (223KB, PDF)
Executive summary
It is vital that the Scottish Government continues to receive a separate statement from the CCC to allow it to be held to account for its actions independent from the rest of the UK.
The RSE warns against the shift toward five-year budgets being used as an opportunity to disguise failure to meet previous climate targets. This shift should bring increased scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s climate policy and lead to a better understanding of how its decisions across interconnected policy areas affect emissions and, consequently, budgets.
The magnitude and importance of carbon budgets should be given the same level of parliamentary coverage and scrutiny as the financial budget and other longstanding parliamentary priorities.
There must also be a scientifically driven approach to scrutinising and monitoring progress based on expertise from existing bodies such as the Scottish Science Advisory Council. The RSE, as Scotland’s National Academy, is well placed to convene expertise and advise parliamentarians during the process.
The RSE recommends that future Climate Change Plans (CCP) be made more accessible to broader society and include the most up-to-date evidence, whilst maintaining scientific rigour. The CCP should provide clear, evidence-based justifications for the proposed targets.
The RSE recommends that the collective impact of policy across government departments should be better understood and that policies align to avoid operating in silos within government.
The RSE recommends that a short report, such as a ‘report card’, be produced on an annual basis that clearly states how well the Scottish Government is doing in terms of curbing emissions. This annual report should summarise the key achievements and shortfalls, and most immediate actions that need to be taken consequently.
The RSE also acknowledges the importance of having a Climate Change Assessment of the Scottish Budget but would suggest greater specificity and a better quantification of the carbon impacts in the report.
Furthermore, the RSE recommends the appropriate framing of the costs associated with the green transition. The narrative must be framed in a way that highlights the tremendous benefits to Scotland, for example, in research and job opportunities in low carbon sectors. The benefits of the transition must be equitable across Scotland and align with the just transition.
Finally, the RSE encourages the Scottish Government to work more closely with local authorities on emission reduction efforts.
General comments
However, this consultation is missing the connection between the targets that are being set and the policies that affect the carbon outcomes, whether they be transport, energy, or agriculture. This missing connection must be addressed to ensure that missed climate targets can be directly attributed.
A fundamental criticism from the CCC is that Scottish Government policy does not reflect the urgency of meeting the ambitious targets set. The CCC argues that policies lacked detail on how each element will impact climate and how these policies will affect one another. Given that these targets are being set and looked at in a context of 25 – 40 years from now (and only four five-year cycles until the 2045 net zero goal, limiting target and Climate Change Plan refinement opportunities), there must be an integrated understanding of how all the different policies and different parts of society and government are impacting targets and recognition that these influences will also change in the future.
The RSE recommends greater collective understanding across government departments of how the carbon resulting from individual policies contributes to the total. The RSE argues for improved policy coherence and an acknowledgment that policy areas are interconnected when it comes to carbon budgeting. This is essential when it comes to understanding the carbon budget and producing effective Climate Change Plans.
The RSE would also welcome greater inclusion of young people in the monitoring and reporting framework. Given the recent incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law, the Scottish Government has a responsibility to meaningfully include young people in decisions that impact them— the climate crisis is arguably one of the most important policy areas to consider their views.
Download this policy advice paper
RSE policy advice, Climate Change Targets Billl (223KB, PDF)
