Environment strategy: behaviour changes needed to achieve Scotland's goals for circular economy
This independent research report by SRUC explores opportunities for the Scottish Government to support the public behaviour changes needed to achieve Scotland's goals for transitioning to a circular economy. It was commissioned to support the delivery of the Environment Strategy for Scotland.
2. Introduction
The rationale for this research relates to the need for addressing key knowledge and evidence gaps in drivers of and barriers to behavioural change towards circular economy. This will support the development of a pathway for achieving societal transformations in Scotland needed to help adapt to and mitigate climate and nature emergencies.
The research will assist with the development of the Environment Strategy to create an overarching framework for Scotland’s environment and climate policies and promote a whole-of-government approach to support Scotland’s role in tackling the climate and nature emergencies (Scottish Government, 2020a). Moreover, it supports the Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland in the context of wider policy development and delivery on circular economy and waste, building on previous work on behaviours to inform the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map (Scottish Government, 2024).
This research is also aligned with the Scottish Government’s (SG) vision, outlined in the Update to the Climate Change Plan (Scottish Government, 2020b), that by 2045 Scottish households and the public will be engaged in responsible consumption, where people demand products and services in ways which respect the limits of our natural resources. In that plan, Scottish Government states that:
“We need to move to a circular economy where we reduce the demand for raw material in products; encourage reuse and repairs through responsible production; and recycle waste and energy to maximise the value of any waste that is generated” (Scottish Government 2020b, p156).
The research had two main aims:
- To identify and prioritise the types of behaviours by households and the public that would have the biggest impact in moving towards a circular economy.
- To provide recommendations on how the Scottish Government can best use its policy levers to support and encourage these behaviours.
The rationale for the choice of sectors is based on the focus on material-related behaviours, excluding those centred primarily on energy use or broader interpretations of circularity. This ensured that selected behaviours were clearly aligned with Scottish circular economy objectives related to waste prevention, while remaining distinct from energy-focused Net Zero strategies.