Public bodies climate change duties - draft statutory guidance: consultation analysis - final report

10. Conclusions

A range of individuals and organisations with varied and detailed knowledge and experiences participated in the consultation, sharing their views on the draft Public Bodies Climate Change Duties statutory guidance. This report provides a high-level summary of the consultation responses. For more details, including some of the specific suggestions made by respondents, readers are encouraged to review individual responses, where permission was given for publication, via the Scottish Government’s consultation website.

Most respondents felt the draft guidance clearly outlined how public bodies should implement the climate change duties. Many positive opinions were expressed, such as the guidance being helpful and well-structured, and almost three quarters felt it fulfilled its stated objectives. The content of the guidance, such as its focus on whole system approaches or equalities, was often supported, and the templates provided were considered suitable for their intended use.

Mixed views were expressed about the draft guidance's length and complexity. While some felt it was thorough and comprehensive, others felt its length and density could reduce clarity. Respondents’ suggestions for improving the guidance included making greater use of Annexes or signposting and using clear language. Providing more practical resources, such as case studies, worked examples, and checklists, was also suggested.

More support for public bodies to implement the guidance was recommended, such as for the Scottish Government to clarify reporting timescales and expectations, streamline reporting requirements, improve workforce capacity and promote collaboration and partnerships. Calls for more funding were made to recognise that implementing the duties could be resource-intensive, particularly in areas such as introducing new targets or measuring emissions reductions. Alignment with other relevant policies or the broader context, for instance, to avoid reporting duplication, was recommended, along with the need to foster strong leadership and embed climate change action in organisational decision-making.

It was also suggested that the guidance could further recognise the challenges and context of different public bodies to ensure flexibility and proportionality, such as through publishing sectoral guidance or ensuring proportional reporting. In contrast, there were calls for using a consistent methodology to enable comparisons between public bodies and for firmer requirements to ensure adequate progress in addressing climate change.

The consultation responses provide valuable and informative evidence for the Scottish Government to draw on when finalising the guidance. Overall, the key message is that while there are broadly positive views of the guidance, respondents identified a range of areas where it could benefit from greater clarity and gave numerous suggestions on how the guidance could be strengthened further.