Offshore wind - strategic compensation policy: consultation

7. Annex A. Acronym List

AA – Appropriate Assessment

AEOSI - Adverse effect on the site integrity of protected sites in the National Site Network, under the Habitats Regulations.

AM – Adaptive Management, of compensatory measures is an approach to the delivery of compensatory measures where, if a measure is not functioning as expected or delivering what it is intended to, an adjustment is made to the measure, or the measure is replaced with a different measure.

BRIA - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment

CP2030 – Clean Power 2030 Action Plan

Defra - UK Government Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs

EAR – Environmental Assessment Reform

eNGO - Environmental Non-Governmental Organisation

GW - Gigawatt

HRA - Habitats Regulations Appraisal

IROPI - Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest, as covered in Regulation 49 of The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994.

INTOG – The Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas leasing Round for offshore wind development in Scotland

LoSCM – The UK Government’s Library of Strategic Compensatory Measures

LSE - Likely Significant Effect

MEEB - Measures of Equivalent Environmental Benefit

MIHs - Marine Irreplaceable Habitats

MRF – Marine Recovery Fund

MW - Megawatt

nm - nautical miles

NMP – Scotland’s National Marine Plan. The first National Marine Plan was adopted in Scotland in 2015. The National Marine Plan 2 is an updated plan, to better reflect how Scottish waters are currently being used, and to plan for its continued and sustainable future use.

OWEIP – Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package

SEA - Strategic Environmental Assessment

SI - Statutory Instrument, this is a form of delegated legislation that allows the UK Government to create regulations under an existing Act. In the case of this policy, it is under the Energy Act 2023.

SMP-OWE – The draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP-OWE) sets the strategic planning framework for the projects from the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds and an additional 1GW capacity for potential future Test and Demonstration projects. The draft updated SMP-OWE is currently out for consultation until 22 August 2025.

SNCBs - Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies. The Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies in Scotland are NatureScot and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Other SNCBs could be involved where the effects of an offshore wind development will be to sites outside Scotland.

SSI - Scottish Statutory Instrument, this is a form of subordinate legislation created by Scottish Ministers to exercise powers delegated by an existing Act.