Draft Environment Strategy

Annex A: Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes to National Outcomes in the National Performance Framework and UN Sustainable Development Goals

Explanation of contribution to National Outcomes

National Outcome: Environment

We value, enjoy, protect and enhance our environment

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

The Environment Strategy is designed to support Scotland’s role in tackling the global crises of nature loss, climate change and pollution. This will help to protect, restore and enhance our natural environment in Scotland and improve our overseas environmental impact.

The approach set out in the Strategy will also help to ensure that we value and enjoy our environment by:

• Strengthening people’s connectedness with nature - for example, by supporting nature-rich towns and cities and nature-based education and health.
• Promoting greater recognition of the importance of a healthy natural environment in underpinning our economy.

National Outcome: Economy

We have a globally competitive, entrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

The Environment Strategy’s goal of a just transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy will help to ensure that our economy is globally competitive and entrepreneurial by:

• Supporting the just transition to the green industries of the future, as set out in our Green Industrial Strategy, which identifies areas of strength and opportunity for Scotland to grow globally competitive green industries.
• Attracting high quality inward investment, including in key clean energy sectors, creating high value jobs as well as strengthening Scotland’s supply chain in these sectors.
• Supporting thriving, innovative businesses, as outlined below (see Fair Work and Business).
• Restoring the natural capital that directly underpins the long-term productivity of many sectors.
• Boosting Scotland’s green brand, which in turn supports the competitiveness of our exports and tourist industry, and attracts people and businesses to choose Scotland as a place to live, work and invest.
• Avoiding costs to our economy and supporting economic resilience. Evidence shows that the costs of inaction in tackling climate change and nature loss are far greater than the costs of action. Many of the actions in the Environment Strategy also support a preventative approach to health, helping to reduce costs for the National Health Service.

It will also support:

• A more inclusive economy by ensuring our approach is based on a just transition that is designed to create high-value jobs, tackle inequalities and ensure everyone shares in the benefits.
• A sustainable economy by ensuring Scotland’s economy is designed to thrive within the planet’s sustainable limits.

National Outcome: Fair Work & Business

We have thriving and innovative businesses, with quality jobs and fair work for everyone

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

The Environment Strategy’s approach to supporting the just transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy will support thriving, innovative businesses by:

• Creating new market opportunities.
• Reducing costs through energy and resource efficiency and cutting waste.
• Boosting competitiveness and innovation by responding to increasing demands from customers, investors and export markets for ethical and sustainable business practices.
• Strengthening resilience to disruptions in international supply chains and fluctuations in energy and commodity prices.
• Reducing exposure to climate and nature-related risks.

It will also support quality jobs and fair work by:

• Creating significant new opportunities for high-value jobs in green industries. Our approach to a just transition is also committed to providing job security for those in industries that will play the biggest part in the transition.
• Equipping people with the green skills needed to secure these jobs.

National Outcome: Poverty

We tackle poverty by sharing opportunities, wealth and power more equally

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

The Environment Strategy focuses on approaches that will help to tackle poverty and inequalities. For example:

• Our just transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy will create new high-value jobs in green industries, and our support for green skills will help to equip people with the skills needed to access these jobs.
• Promoting clean heat and sustainable transport will help to tackle fuel and transport poverty.
• Empowering and enabling people to shift towards sustainable lifestyles creates opportunities to save money and reduce bills, for example through home energy efficiency, avoiding food waste, buying second hand and using active travel and public transport.

National Outcome: Communities

We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

The Environment Strategy sets out our approach to:

• Supporting more inclusive communities by ensuring everyone can experience the health and wellbeing benefits from access to a healthy environment, overcoming existing inequalities linked to factors such as wealth, ethnicity, age and gender.
• Empowering people and communities to experience the benefits of shifting towards sustainable lifestyles and to participate in community-led action.
• Ensuring communities are resilient to the impacts of climate change and wider global risks, for example relating to food and energy security and zoonotic diseases.
• Supporting safer streets and communities by promoting a shift towards sustainable transport and nature-rich towns and cities.

National Outcome: Health

We are healthy and active

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

Many of the next steps set out in the Environment Strategy will support people’s health and wellbeing, as part of a preventative approach to health. For example:

• Climate change and pollution pose significant health risks which disproportionately affect vulnerable and at-risk groups. Action to mitigate and adapt to climate change and tackle pollution will help to address these health risks.
• Spending time in the outdoors, for physical activity and contact with nature, can play an important role in supporting mental and physical health. Improving people’s access to nature, for example by integrating nature in towns and cities, supporting nature-based education and strengthening connections between nature and health services, will help to ensure everyone can access these benefits.
• Enabling people to shift towards sustainable lifestyles can benefit people’s health, for example through active travel and healthy, sustainable diets.
• The Environment Strategy recognises the importance of tackling inequalities in how people experience these positive and negative health impacts, linked to factors such as wealth, ethnicity, age and gender.
• It also highlights the importance of holistic approaches, such as One Health, that recognise the links between human, environmental and animal health.

National Outcome: Children & Young People

We grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

Achieving the Environment Strategy’s vision will play an fundamental role in improving outcomes for children and young people. For example:

• Younger generations will be most affected by the impacts of climate change, nature loss and pollution - we have a responsibility to safeguard the planet for current and future generations and to ensure the voices of children and young people are heard and respected as part of this.
• Tackling air pollution and improving our resilience to climate change is particularly important for safeguarding the health of children, who are disproportionately affected.
• Outdoor, nature-based play and education can play an important role in improving children and young people’s health, wellbeing and educational attainment.

National Outcome: Education

We are well educated, skilled and able to contribute to society

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

The Environment Strategy is designed to support our national goals for education and skills. For example:

• It sets out next steps for strengthening outdoor, nature-based education. There is strong evidence of the benefits this creates for the health, wellbeing and educational attainment of children and young people, and the importance of tackling inequalities in access to these benefits.
• It highlights the role of the Scotland’s cross-curriculum ‘Learning for Sustainability’ initiative in enabling learners, educators and their wider community to contribute to a socially-just, sustainable and equitable society.
• It sets out our approach to supporting green skills, in order to equip people to secure high-value jobs in green industries, as part of our just transition.

National Outcome: Human Rights

We respect, protect and fulfil human rights and live free from discrimination

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

The Environment Strategy recognises the importance of rights-based approaches in reflecting the connections between people and nature. For example, this includes supporting:

• The Human Right to a Healthy Environment.
• Rights to environmental information, consultation on environmental decisions and access to justice on environmental matters under the Aarhus Convention.
• Climate and environmental justice in Scotland and overseas.

National Outcome: Culture

We are creative and our vibrant and diverse cultures are expressed and enjoyed widely

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

Achieving the Environment Strategy’s goals for restoring nature and supporting societal change also links with our goals for expressing and enjoying Scotland’s diverse cultures. For example:

• Scotland’s nature and landscapes are an integral and vibrant part of our culture, national identity and way of life.
• They play an important role in inspiring the arts, creative industries and our cultural heritage in Scotland, and our international reputation.
• In turn, culture and the arts can play a powerful role in mobilising the shifts in social norms and values needed to tackle climate change, nature loss and pollution.

National Outcome: International

We are open, connected and make a positive contribution internationally

Contribution of Environment Strategy vision and outcomes:

The Environment Strategy includes a strong focus on improving Scotland’s international contribution and connectedness. For example:

• It supports Scotland’s role in tackling the global crises of climate change, nature loss and pollution.
• One of its outcomes focuses on ensuring that Scotland’s global environmental impact is sustainable, including through reducing overseas impacts of our consumption in production in Scotland and through our approach to international development, engagement and cooperation.
• It sets out our approach to supporting international climate justice.