A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland – Children Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA)

Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment Template

1. Brief Summary

Type of proposal :

Decision of a strategic nature relating to the rights and wellbeing of children

A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland

Circular Economy Strategy Vision

“By 2045 Scotland will be a net zero and nature positive nation helped directly by the significant progress in transitioning towards a circular economy with sustainable levels of material use.

Scotland will have a thriving economy that meets societal needs and is based on circular economy principles, and we will have reduced the negative global impact of our production and consumption.

People, businesses and the public sector will have the skills and knowledge to benefit from opportunities arising from a circular economy and these will be fairly distributed across society”

What is a circular economy?

Scotland currently has a mainly linear economy which means we extract materials which are turned into products and then they are discarded (binned/ taken to a dump site). In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting – minimising waste and maximising the potential of resource use for commercial and competitive advantages.

Principles of a circular economy are to keep materials and products in use for as long as possible, thereby reducing demand for new resources, minimising waste, and maximising the value retained within the economy.

A circular economy will be fundamental to tackling the current climate change, nature crises and other global challenges, like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources. To do this we need to take a different approach to our economy, one where we move from a "take, make and dispose" model to one where we value materials and keep them in use for as long as possible.

Utilising these circular economy principles will provide opportunities to strengthen our communities by providing local and sustainable employment opportunities and access to lower cost goods. For example, increasing opportunities for reuse and repair can shorten and strengthen supply chains, potentially provide lower cost options for householders through mechanisms such as sharing libraries, and teach skills to people of all ages through repair cafes. It can also address some of the environmental blights on communities through reduced littering.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024^[1] places a statutory duty on Scottish Ministers to prepare and publish a Circular Economy Strategy by August 2027, and then revise and republish the Circular Economy Strategy every five years. The Strategy provides a high-level framework for Scotland’s transition to a circular economy, setting out a broad vision and outcomes as well as priorities across policy mechanisms, priority sectors, and product stewardship. It also sets out plans for monitoring and evaluating the impact of the Strategy via the Circular Economy Monitoring and Indicator Framework.

The strategy aims to improve the wellbeing of everyone in Scotland, including children and young people by ensuring that everyone, can enjoy the life-supporting benefits the environment provides. This includes improving people’s health and wellbeing, tackling poverty and inequalities, and supporting green jobs and businesses in the transition to net zero by 2045.

The priorities set out in the Strategy aim to support the achievement of our net-zero ambitions, the restoration of nature and a thriving economy that meets societal needs. It aims to help reduce the negative global impact of our production and consumption and help people and businesses gain the skills and knowledge to benefit from opportunities arising from a circular economy and these will be fairly distributed across society. The Circular Economy Strategy builds on Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030 which sets out clear actions we need to take to deliver sustainable use of our resources and progress a circular economy in Scotland by 2030. ^[2]

While the Route Map focuses on more immediate actions linked to sustainable resource use and reducing the carbon impact of our waste, the Strategy sets out the strategic direction to 2045, which is about embedding circularity across the economy - by looking at sectors, systems and products. Future interventions that relate to the Strategy may include policy proposals, potential legislative measures, and supporting activity to drive systemic change across production, consumption and disposal of materials and products in Scotland.

Start date of proposal’s development: August 2024

Start date of CRWIA process: April 2025

2. With reference given to the requirements of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which aspects of the proposal are relevant to/impact upon children’s rights?

The strategy sets out how Scotland will move towards a circular economy and provides a coherent framework for the Scottish Government to outline its approach to achieving Scottish Minister’s wider circular economy ambitions.

The specific proposals relating to the relevant Articles of the UNCRC are listed below. Overall, it is our assessment at this stage that these impacts are likely to be positive on the wellbeing indicators for “achieving” and “responsible”. However, given the detail of specific priorities/measures have not been implemented yet, further CRWIAs will be required for the measures listed are implemented.

Relevant Strategy Priorities

• Empower consumers, businesses and organisations to adopt circular behaviours.
• Improve management of post-consumer textiles
• Support sustainable alternatives to fast-fashion

These priorities influence accessibility to affordable goods/services, and accessibility to high quality goods/services. For example, measures to promote, reduce and reuse post-consumer textiles rather than these goods going to landfill. The development and introduction of these priorities could increase access to affordable goods via secondary markets. This may have the benefit of normalising second-hand and reused goods, including promoting the use of second-hand clothes as alternatives to fast-fashion.

• Increase uptake of circular practices through improved skills and education opportunities.

Skills and education are vital to increasing the uptake of circular practices. Across education and skills policy, the Scottish Government are delivering an extensive programme of reform.

We will work with relevant stakeholders to ensure circular skills are embedded within the programme of reform for our education and skills system which will help to ensure we support the green and circular skills needed by our current and future workforce. We will continue to work across government to ensure circular skills are embedded within this programme of reform including delivery of the refreshed Learning for Sustainability Action Plan.

Zero Waste Scotland has worked with City of Glasgow College to develop a Circular Skills Certificate for interns, apprentices, further and higher education students, and participants of employability programmes^[3]. The Circular Jobs Tracker^[4] gives greater insight into the opportunities available and being realised.

3. Please provide a summary of the evidence gathered which will be used to inform your decision-making and the content of the proposal

Evidence from Existing Policy:

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024

The Circular Economy Bill was unanimously passed in its final parliamentary vote in June 2024 and received Royal Assent on 8 August 2024, officially becoming an Act.

The Act establishes the legislative framework to support Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy, significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services. It gives Ministers and local authorities tools they need to achieve the Scottish Government’s ambitions for a circular economy.

Relevant CRWIA - Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment - gov.scot

Circular Economy and Waste Route Map

The Circular Economy and Waste Route Map (CEWRM), published on 18 December 2024, sets out clear actions needed to deliver sustainable use of Scotland’s resources and progress a circular economy by 2030. The CEWRMs actions are complemented by provisions in the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 – together they will help achieve our sustainable resource and climate goals.

The priorities set out in the Strategy are complemented by the actions set out in the CEWRM. A child rights and wellbeing impact assessment (CRWIA) examining the possible impacts of the CEWRM was published in January 2025.

Draft Circular Economy Strategy Consultation

The Scottish Government held a 12-week consultation period for individuals/organisations to comment on the draft Circular Economy Strategy and associated impact assessments.

4. Further to the evidence described at ‘3’ have you identified any 'gaps' in evidence which may prevent determination of impact? If yes, please provide an explanation of how they will be addressed

The publication of the Strategy will not in itself result in impacts on children’s rights and wellbeing and no gaps in evidence have yet been identified.

The individual priorities and measures implemented following the publication of the Strategy will be assessed for their impact on children and young people, and further CRWIAs (and other relevant impact assessments) will be carried out where appropriate.

5. Analysis of Evidence

Evidence from the draft Strategy consultation feedback:

Consultation responses to the question directly related to the initial CRWIA assessment were limited with the analysis report confirming 23 responses in total with only 5 from individuals.

The responses received from individuals and organisations provided general commentary regarding further information or evidence to consider following the implementation of the Strategy including: -

• A circular economy should secure a healthier, more sustainable future for young people, but that the strategy lacked tangible education or engagement mechanisms to address this;
• Circular economy measures can reduce household costs, which in turn would benefit families with children, especially those in low-income brackets, but that understanding the impact of digital access/exclusion would be important;
• Reducing food waste and improving food redistribution would support children's rights to adequate nutrition, while school meal programs should model circular practices and educate children about food waste;
• The damaging effects of fossil fuel emissions on children should be considered in the strategy; and
• Wellbeing targets should be established.

Consultation/feedback directly from children and young people

• Due to high level nature of the Strategy, no direct engagement was held with children and young people.
• The respondent information form and the analysis of the consultation responses do not allow for us to determine the age of the respondents.

6. What changes (if any) have been made to the proposal as a result of this assessment?

No changes have been made as this policy transition is in the early stages and will be progressed through the implementation of the priorities in the Strategy. The Scottish Government reiterates its commitment to work in partnership with stakeholders to assess the full impacts of specific actions as they are further defined.

If required, further relevant impact assessments will be carried out, as appropriate, as specific priorities are being considered, developed and implemented. This will allow for more detailed consideration of any issues specific to that priority, and for recommendations to be made about any amendments or mitigating measures needed.