Scottish Government launch draft of new Climate Change Plan

23rd January 2017

The Scottish Government launched the draft of the new Climate Change Plan on 19th January 2017. This report on proposals and policies  (RPP3) outlines how Scottish greenhouse gas emission reduction targets are to met while also addressing the need for more ambitious targets to be set for the next 15 years.

Following the news in 2016 that the Scottish target of 42% carbon reduction by 2020 had been met 6 years early in 2014, an interim target of 50% reduction was put in place. The draft Climate Change Plan now suggests an ambitious mid-term target of 66% reduction by 2032.

Other key 2032 targets from the report include:
 

• fully decarbonised electricity sector
• 80% domestic heating from low-carbon technologies
• 40% of new vehicles being registered as ultra-low in emissions
• annual woodland creation of 150 000 hectares per year

This report now sits with parliament for 60 days for comment.
The draft Climate Change Report can be downloaded from the right hand side bar and more information can be found here. 


Responding to the draft Climate Change Plan

EAUC-Scotland has been collecting and collating comments for a sector response on this report as part of our continuing role as an advocate for the Further and Higher Education sector.

As way of public feedback on this report four parliamentary committees have made a call for evidence in order to assess the effectiveness of the plan to meet the emission reduction targets. The two committees most applicable to the FHE sector are the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee (ECCLR) and the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee (EJFW) whose remits are outline below.

The following themes were to be considered when submitting comments: 
 

1. Progress to date in cutting emissions within the sector/sectors of interest and implementing the proposals and policies set out in the RPP2
2. The scale of reductions proposed within their sector/s and appropriateness and effectiveness of the proposals and policies within the draft RPP3 for meeting the annual emissions targets and contributing towards the 2020 and 2050 targets
3. The appropriateness of the timescales over which the proposals and policies within the draft RPP3 are expected to take effect
4. The extent to which the proposals and policies reflect considerations about behaviour change and opportunities to secure wider benefits (e.g. environmental, financial and health) from specific interventions in particular sectors.

Remit of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee:

• Overview, development of RPP3
• Climate change governance (incl. monitoring and evaluation)
• Water
• Resource use
• Land use (incl. peatlands and land use by the public sector)
• Behaviour change

Remit of the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee:

• Electricity generation
• Reducing energy demand
• Renewable energy (renewable electricity and renewable heat)
• Interconnection
• Grid issues
• Fuel poverty

The EAUC-Scotland has submitted a sector response to the draft of the new Climate Change Plan and it can be found here.

If you have any questions please get in touch with the Scotland Team.