The Environment Strategy for Scotland

3 Pathways for achieving the outcomes

High-level pathways for achieving each of the Strategy’s outcomes are described in Annex A. While the outcomes set out our ambitions, in the pathways we explain the approach we will take across government to help achieve them. In particular, the pathways identify a range of priorities for delivery (Table 1) and next steps across government for achieving these.

Pathways for the outcomes on nature, climate and pollution largely signpost to Scotland’s existing policies in these areas. This is because these policies have their own established processes for monitoring and reviewing progress, and for using this to inform improvements to future policy design. Section 4.1 describes how we will help to manage synergies and tensions between these outcomes. When developing the pathways, we have focused efforts, in particular, on the outcomes on Scotland’s society, economy and global environmental impact, because this is where there is greatest opportunity to strengthen our policy response. For example, this allows us to focus on novel approaches to address some of the underlying causes of the nature, climate and pollution crises.^[17] To support the evidence base for these pathways, we commissioned a series of research projects to identify recommendations for action, based on systems thinking approaches – these projects are summarised in Annex B. The pathways are designed to deliver multiple environmental, social and economic benefits. Coupled with the steps outlined in Section 4, this will support an integrated approach to achieving our vision, supporting all four of the First Minister’s priorities for government, outlined on page 1.

3.1 Summary of the pathways

Key themes in the pathways are summarised below:

Scotland’s nature is protected and restored

The pathway signposts to policies for reversing biodiversity loss in Scotland and supporting clean and healthy air, water, seas and soils. It highlights that nature is our life support system and we all rely on it for the essentials we need to live and thrive. We need to restore Scotland’s nature, for its own sake, and to safeguard the foundations of our current and future wellbeing and prosperity. This is also fundamental to meeting Scotland’s net zero target and is our best insurance against the impacts of climate change.

We have ended Scotland’s contribution to climate change

The pathway signposts to the Climate Change Plan and accompanying policies, including Just Transition Plans. We are committed to playing Scotland’s full role in tackling the climate emergency. This means reaching net zero by 2045 at the latest. It also means reducing Scotland’s carbon footprint, including emissions generated in other countries to produce the goods and services we import. The Climate Change Plan sets out the ambitious actions we will deliver to achieve this.

We minimise pollution and waste in our environment

The pathway signposts to policies for reducing air, water, plastic and chemical pollution and managing radioactive substances. Tackling the environmental harms from pollution is vital for our goals for both nature and climate. It is also essential for protecting people’s health, and reducing the health inequalities that stem from people’s exposure to pollution. The impact of artificial light and noise pollution on biodiversity is a further emerging area of international concern. The pathway concludes by outlining steps for exploring potential options for addressing impacts of light and noise pollution on Scotland’s biodiversity.

Scotland’s global environmental impact is sustainable

The pathway sets out initial next steps for helping to ensure Scotland’s consumption and production has a sustainable impact on the natural environment overseas – including in countries that produce the goods and services we import. If everyone lived as we do in Scotland, we would need nearly three planets to sustain us. The pathway therefore explores how to support a shift towards more sustainable levels of consumption – including transitioning to a circular economy and addressing the impact of sectors with a large overseas footprint, including food and textiles. Alongside this overarching priority, the pathway identifies steps for helping to address specific overseas impacts, including from mining the minerals needed for our net zero transition. It also explores opportunities for trade and international policies to improve our overseas impact. Lastly, the pathway sets out our approach to reducing environmental damage from Scotland’s waste exports.

Scotland’s society is transformed for the better by living sustainably, in harmony with nature

The pathway explores opportunities for strengthening people’s connection with nature. Evidence shows this can be a deep lever for shifting social norms and values towards care for nature, while also improving people’s health and wellbeing. To support this, the pathway identifies steps for helping to create nature-rich places for communities; promoting green health and outdoor, nature-based education; enhancing animal welfare; and harnessing the transformative potential of the arts and rights-based approaches. The pathway then explores opportunities for empowering and enabling people to shift towards healthy, sustainable lifestyles. It recognises that government has a vital role in supporting the system changes needed to help ensure sustainable choices are more practical and affordable. The pathway aims to support these changes in ways that reduce inequalities and are centred around people and communities, including through community-led action and public participation.

Scotland’s net zero, nature positive and circular economy thrives within the planet’s sustainable limits

The pathway highlights that our economy is embedded in the natural world, i.e. it relies on nature for the resources and services it needs, and its ability to assimilate its wastes, including greenhouse gas emissions. We need to support positive changes in our economy to help ensure its demands on nature do not exceed nature’s capacity to supply these into the future. This means supporting the just transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy. This will create a wealth of new economic, job and investment opportunities and make our economy more competitive and resilient. The pathway sets out steps for supporting the role of Scotland’s industries, businesses and supply chains; and for investing in the transition through green finance, innovation, infrastructure and skills. It sets out our commitment to work in partnership with Scotland’s businesses and sectors to take this forward through a just transition. This will include engaging with businesses to explore how to maximise the benefits from this transition and avoid unintended impacts and risks, including for small businesses.

We build Scotland’s resilience to climate change and other global environmental risks

The pathway highlights that some of the greatest risks facing nations around the world over the next decade are environmental – including impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss.^[18] We need to build Scotland’s resilience to these risks. The pathway signposts to key policies for supporting climate resilience through adaptation measures. It also highlights the importance of strengthening our resilience to nature-related risks, and of supporting joined-up action, for example by investing in nature-based solutions as a climate adaptation tool. Lastly, the pathway outlines how the steps set out in this Strategy will help to make Scotland more resilient to wider risks around energy and food security and global supply chain disruptions.

These transformations are achieved through a just transition, supporting climate and environmental justice and intergenerational equity

The pathway emphasises our commitment to ensure the benefits of these transformations – for people’s health, wellbeing and prosperity – are shared widely. It outlines our pioneering approach to delivering a just transition in Scotland, including enabling and empowering community-led action and public participation. It highlights our commitment to support climate and environmental justice. This includes tackling significant health inequalities in Scotland, linked to people’s access to nature and their exposure to pollution and impacts of climate change. It also includes meeting our moral obligation to support international climate justice, recognising that people in the Global South are least responsible for causing the climate emergency but are impacted first and most severely by it. The pathway outlines our approach to supporting this through our Climate Justice Fund and by placing climate justice at the heart of our approach to international engagement. Finally, the pathway highlights our commitment to supporting intergenerational equity: recognising our collective responsibility to build a better world for today’s generations of young people and for those yet to come.

Table 1: Priorities for delivery

Outcome

Scotland’s nature is protected and restored

Priorities for delivery

• Implement the Strategic Framework for Biodiversity, including the Biodiversity Delivery Plan
• Implement key environmental quality policies, including for air quality, freshwater environment, marine environment and soils

Outcome

We have ended Scotland’s contribution to climate change

Priorities for delivery

Deliver the actions in the Climate Change Plan for achieving Scotland’s 2045 net zero target and reducing Scotland’s carbon footprint

Outcome

We minimise pollution and waste in our environment

Priorities for delivery

• Implement the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy and work with partners to set a long-term framework for air quality in Scotland
• Implement steps to improve Scotland’s water environment in the 3rd River Basin Management Plan and develop a 4th Plan (led by SEPA)
• Implement actions for tackling plastic pollution in the Circular Economy Strategy, Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and Marine Litter Strategy
• Implement the shared legislative chemicals framework with Welsh and UK Governments
• Ensure the management of radioactive substances is underpinned by radiological protection principles and a risk-based approach

Outcome

Scotland’s global environmental impact is sustainable

Priorities for delivery

• Drive Scotland’s transition to a more circular economy
• Address sectors with a large ecological footprint: food and textiles
• Ensure our net zero transition has a sustainable overseas footprint and contributes to global net zero transitions
• Use trade as a lever to improve our international environmental impact
• Collaborate internationally to support a sustainable future

Outcome

Scotland’s society is transformed for the better by living sustainably, in harmony with nature

Priorities for delivery

Strengthen our connection with nature

• Create nature-rich places for communities
• Ensure everyone’s health and wellbeing benefits from access to a healthy environment
• Strengthen nature-based education to inspire care for nature and improve outcomes for children
• Enhance animal welfare, as part of our strengthened relationship with nature
• Harness the transformational power of the arts
• Explore opportunities for rights-based approaches to reflect the connections between people and nature

Ensure everyone can experience the benefits from healthy, sustainable lifestyles

• Food: support a shift towards sustainable, healthy diets and reduce food waste
• Transport: support a shift towards sustainable transport (e.g. active travel and public transport) and reduce emissions from aviation
• Housing: support energy efficiency and clean heating systems, and improve the nature-value of homes and gardens
• Consumer choices: enable sustainable consumer behaviours, guided by the circular economy ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ hierarchy

Outcome

Scotland’s net zero, nature positive and circular economy thrives within the planet’s sustainable limits

Priorities for delivery

Drive the just transition to the green industries of the future

• Boost industrial sustainability
• Design Scotland’s net zero energy system to help restore nature and benefit communities
• Build regenerative and resilient land and marine-based industries

Empower Scottish businesses to prosper sustainably

• Strengthen environmental risk management
• Embrace net zero and circular economy business models
• Pioneer new green ways of doing business: green social enterprises

Embed sustainability throughout supply chains

Enable these transformations

• Ensure sustainability standards provide clear direction for business and secure access to market
• Consider future development of tax measures to ensure sustainable options are cost effective for businesses
• Strengthen coordination across regional and place-based initiatives
• Reflect environmental aspects of wellbeing in how we measure economic success

Invest in a better future

• Unlock an appropriate mix of high-integrity public and private finance
• Support international efforts to green the financial system
• Promote implementation of the sustainable procurement duty
• Invest in the infrastructure needed for Scotland’s green economy
• Catalyse these transformations by supporting innovation
• Support the green skills needed by Scotland’s workforce of the future

Outcome

We build Scotland’s resilience to climate change and other global environmental risks

Priorities for delivery

• Build Scotland’s resilience to climate change
• Build Scotland’s resilience to nature-related risks

Outcome

These transformations are achieved through a just transition and support climate and environmental justice and intergenerational equity

Priorities for delivery

• Deliver the just transition to a net zero, nature positive Scotland, including support for community-led action and public participation
• Support climate and environmental justice in Scotland and overseas
• Promote intergenerational equity