Breaking the silo in environmental community challenges

Diversity of communities: In addressing environmental questions related specifically to Scotland there are a range of communities who see the challenge for the point of view of their own interest group. Do we discuss environmental issues within siloes?

Climate change is the greatest threat to the Scottish environment, leading on to challenges for food security, the energy transition, the biodiversity crisis and concern for the quality of the Scottish landscape. The rural environment must be a particular focus as there are unique problems here many of which also have an effect on the challenges facing the urban environment. While recognising that it is a global phenomenon, there are issues that have significant impact on the Scottish rural environment and the people who live and work there and for whom the rural lifestyle is a strong cultural element. In addressing the key issues, there are a variety of communities each of whom have opinions based on their own personal interests. Four such issues, all of which track back to climate change are as follows:

1. How we feed ourselves – food security
2. How we keep warm – energy security
3. How we protect our biodiversity
4. How we maintain (or enhance) the quality of our landscapes.

In response to each of these issues there are communities of interest with widely diverse views on how to address the problems. Addressing one of these issues has knock on effects on each of the others. Resolution of these views must lie in dialogue with the communities involved. What are the issues?

Food security

Agriculture in Scotland is not only a major industry but, culturally it is a way of life. This industry has changed radically in the last thirty years. Sheep farming remains an important aspect of the use of the upland areas of Scotland both in the Highlands and Islands and the Southern Uplands but with reduced number of animals, declining markets for lamb and very low returns. Arable farming and breeding cattle to produce meat are also an important aspect of the economy but they are a small proportion of gross value added (GVA) and of the overall economy. A radical change in how food is produced at home using “vertical farming” methods has been proposed in an effort to move away from animal protein and moving towards producing appropriate nutrition in other ways. There may be perceived benefits to human health, to biodiversity and to the quality of landscapes but the impact on the lives of those currently working in the agricultural industry will be enormous. There is an unresolved issue about what we want from Scotland’s agricultural land.

Demand has fuelled an increasing reliance on foodstuffs imported from abroad and the consumer has grown used to having a wide range of foodstuffs available at all times of the year. The challenge to change the desire of the consumer is highly significant alongside the obvious advantage in consuming less energy by focusing on home-grown foods.

The key issues for debate are:

• Can traditional farming practice be sustained against the challenges of climate change?
• What are the “unintended consequences” of a change in agricultural practice on the landscape and biodiversity?
• Will the consumer adapt to restriction towards home-grown food only available in season?
• Can food prices rise to maintain sustainable farming and be acceptable to the consumer?
• What would be the economic effects of such policy on international trade and on the viability of agriculture in Scotland?

Energy security

The demand to reduce or cease extraction of oil and gas in recognition of the climate crisis is being heard by decision-makers. However, hydrocarbons are the feedstock for an extensive chemical industry producing a wide range of products including many domestic products, and the fertilisers demanded by the agricultural community. Some hydrocarbons will still be required into the future. However, alternatives to oil and gas need to be found as a source of energy, as well as for consumer products.

Renewable energy is a rich resource in Scotland, but it is being generated a long way from where it is needed with consequential costs on infrastructure provision. Wind farms in remote areas are located to exploit the higher energy intensity of the resource but have an impact on the landscape. The pylons taking electricity, whether produced offshore or onshore, to where it is needed cause even greater impact on the landscape with a loss of energy enroute. Tidal power has potential in Scotland but has never attracted the investment to make it commercially viable. Solar power has potential especially to augment base load or where it can be associated with an industrial purpose such as vertical farming. It remains however at the whim of the weather. Nuclear power and hydroelectricity provide base load but nuclear in particular has important environmental implications.

Resolving the intertwining impacts on the landscape, environmental concerns and the strong feeling that these issues can engender, requires dialogue which, by definition, requires listening as well as speaking.

Key issues for debate are:

• Can technology resolve the challenge of taking renewable energy from where it can be produced to where it is needed at affordable costs?
• Can this be done while minimising the impact on landscape and biodiversity?
• Is there a role for local energy production whether by solar, nuclear or wind?
• What are the rewards or trade-offs to local communities to offset nimbyism?

Protection of biodiversity

Landscapes and the biodiversity they support have changed through time in response to changing climate and a changing ecosystem, often driven by the impact of human activities. In recent years there have been trends towards re-introduction of species that became extinct in Scotland, most notably the beaver, the sea eagle, osprey and the red kite. Other even more controversial re-introductions have been mooted, particularly wolf and lynx.

Policy changes have driven the agricultural community to look to its role in protecting biodiversity with changing to nature-based solutions and to providing “space” for nature. This has been driven in part by financial reward through grants. However, this is only true at the margin. For example, the new structure in the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 has a 4-tier system with no obvious environmental cross compliance or environmental funding in tiers 1 and 2.

Key issues for debate are:

• To what extent is it appropriate to re-imagine Scottish biodiversity of the past in the context of what is now known about how climate and soils modify through time and how do we come to terms with the changes in lifestyle of native faunas themselves, such as the urban fox?
• How may incentives be defined to encourage nature-based solutions in the rural environment?
• What is required to change from the policies and funding that have a perverse effect on biodiversity such as incentive regimes for forestry and agriculture?

The quality of our landscapes

Scotland can boast to have the most diverse landscapes in relation to its size than any place on Earth. As a result, tourism is one of the major Scottish industries. There is little of the Scottish landscape today that could be described as “natural”. While forests may have represented a greater proportion of the landscape in Scotland’s past, today commercial monoculture forestry still represents 15% coverage. Yet the naturally wooded areas are rich in biodiversity providing the habitat for many indigenous species, but there are significant differences in biodiversity benefit between native woodlands and commercial forests. The commercial value of a forest can be calculated but its worth in terms of other factors is more difficult to quantify.

The intrinsic quality of a moorland is similarly difficult to evaluate. The “purple of the heather” must be recognised as a key part of the perception of a quality Scottish landscape. The management of moorland has, and still is, maintained through the large estates through grouse shooting and deer stalking which themselves impact on wider biodiversity, although the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 will have a significant impact as it comes into force.

There is also concern about affordable housing in the rural environment with the “second homes” issue driving up prices for those living and working in the area throughout the year.

Key issues for debate are:

• How should the quality of a landscape be quantified?
• Can comparisons be accurately made between the value of an agrarian, a moorland, a mountain, a coastal or a forest landscape or do we just value each of them?
• Should we regard landscapes as being “dynamic” and therefore ever-changing?
• How can the need for affordable housing reside alongside a drive to increase tourism?

Community engagement with these topics

It is obvious from the points highlighted above that the Scottish environment and how it might be treated or indeed “managed” in the future will come up against a variety of arguments both for and against depending on specific interests of any group. Engagement across the rural community together with the urban community who value all aspects of the rural environment is needed  to resolve issues with the essence of that engagement being dialogue and discussion. For success the following may be necessary:

1. Information to inform debate.
2. Active participation of all interest groups.
3. When resolution is achieved, this is quickly turned into action.
4. Mediation requires that something is in it for all parties.

There is a role for the RSE in both providing a “safe space” for debate and discussion alongside the ability to provide background and context to the issues

• This article is part of a series from the RSE’s Environment Community of Interest. The aim is to stimulate informed public debate on the many aspects and elements of this complex and vexed subject. We’d love to hear your thoughts about this piece, email us on publicpolicy@therse.org.uk.
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• The RSE’s blog series offers personal views on a variety of issues. These views are not those of the RSE and are intended to offer different perspectives on a range of current issues.