The Environment Strategy for Scotland: Business Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA)

Section 5: Next steps and implementation

Recommendations/ preferred options

Two options were considered in the development of the Environment Strategy. These options include:

• Option 1: The position taken in the Environment Strategy
• Option 2: ‘Doing more and sooner”, this option would be more ambitious and aims to meet the aims much sooner than those set out in the draft strategy.

A ‘do nothing’ scenario was not considered, as the Environment Strategy was placed on a statutory basis by the Continuity Act 2021, with Section 47 requiring Scottish Ministers to prepare and publish an environmental policy strategy.

We have decided to take the option of the position taken in the Environment Strategy following the responses that were submitted to the consultation and the available evidence.

Implementation considerations/plan

The final version of the Environment Strategy has been published alongside the analysis of the consultation and statement on the consultation. In addition, Scottish Ministers must have due regard to the strategy when making policies (including proposals for legislation).

Where policies are designed to respond to the priorities set out in the Strategy, it is important that there is full consideration with businesses to assess and review the potential impacts on them. This will be essential in mitigating any implications and costs to businesses through the consideration of potential cumulative impacts on business.

It is important that we understand the possible impacts of the policy priorities set out in Strategy, including cumulative impacts, looking ahead to implementation in individual policy areas. We will engage with business stakeholders, to understand the potential impact of the Strategy, and what mitigating measures might be needed such as in the guidance on the duty on Ministers to have due regard to the Strategy, once it is finalised and adopted.

Post implementation review

As referenced above, as we work to deliver our vision and outcomes, tracking and reporting progress will be vital for informing improvements in our approach. We published an Initial Monitoring Framework in 2021, to identify the set of high-level indicators we will use to monitor progress towards each outcome. These indicators were chosen to provide a strategic and accessible overview of progress – signposting, where relevant, to more detailed indicators set out in the individual strategies and plans that sit within the Environment Strategy framework. We launched a website to report on the status and trends of indicators and explain what this tells us about our progress towards each outcome.

The Initial Monitoring Framework highlights some areas where additional work is needed to identify robust measures of progress. We intend to review and further develop the Monitoring Framework in order to address these areas. As part of this, we will reflect updates to the Strategy’s outcomes since the initial Framework was published. We will also take account of ongoing and planned work to develop nature restoration targets and circular economy targets. We look forward to working with stakeholders and public bodies as we take this forward.

Individual policies, regulations and schemes will also be assessed and reviewed for their impacts on businesses where appropriate. We will work in partnership with businesses to understand the potential impacts.

Declaration

The Cabinet Secretary or Minister responsible for the policy (or the Chief Executive of non-departmental public bodies and other agencies if appropriate) is required to sign off all BRIAs prior to publication.

The Consumer Duty also requires that the Cabinet Secretary or Minister responsible for the policy (or the Chief Executive of non-departmental public bodies and other agencies if appropriate) to confirm that they are content that officials have considered the impact on consumers as required by the Consumer Scotland Act 2020 in completion of the Consumer Duty section of this BRIA.

I have read the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and I am satisfied that, given the available evidence, it represents a reasonable view of the likely costs, benefits and impact of the leading options. I am satisfied that business impact has been assessed with the support of businesses in Scotland.

I am also satisfied that officials have considered the impact on consumers as required by the Consumer Scotland Act 2020 in the completion of the Consumer Duty Impact Assessment. The Consumer Duty Impact Assessment can be accessed on Gov.Scot.

Signed: Gillian Martin

Date: 12/03/2026

Minister's name: Gillian Martin

Minister's title: Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action & Energy

Scottish Government Contact point: environment.strategy@gov.scot