Circular economy and waste route map to 2030: equality impact assessment

Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) Results Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030.


Background

22. The Scottish Government is committed to moving towards a circular economy and playing its part to tackle the climate emergency.

23. A circular economy, based on sustainable consumption and production, is essential to power Scotland’s transition to a fair, green and sustainable economy, and critical to meeting our obligations to tackle the twin climate and nature emergencies.

24. Material consumption and waste are primary drivers of nearly every environmental problem Scotland currently faces, from water scarcity to habitat and species loss.

25. Around four-fifths[8] of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the products and services we manufacture, use and throw away and 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress[9] is caused by extraction and processing of these products.

26. The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a different approach to our economy, one where we move from a "take, make and dispose" model to one where we value materials and keep them in use.

27. We recognise this will be a challenging task and to achieve this Scotland needs to fundamentally change how it produces, consumes and manages our resources. The update to the Climate Change Plan [10] set out our circular economy vision that by 2045 Scotland’s cultural, social and business norms will be driven by a focus on:

  • Responsible Production, where a circular economy is embraced by the businesses and organisations that supply products, ensuring the maximum life and value from the natural resources used to make them.
  • Responsible Consumption, where people and businesses demand products and services in ways which respect the limits of our natural resources. Unnecessary waste, in particular food waste, will be unacceptable in Scotland.
  • Maximising Value from Waste and Energy, where the environmental and economic value of wasted resources and energy is harnessed efficiently.

28. To drive progress towards these circular economy goals, Scotland has had a set of waste and recycling targets in place for over the past decade, spanning the waste hierarchy. The Scottish Government has also set climate change ambitions to become a net zero greenhouse gas emitting nation by 2045. [11]

29. Although the waste management sector now only directly accounts for around 4% of total Scottish greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable resource use is key to tackling climate change and will be vital for our efforts to reduce Scotland’s global carbon footprint, and for other sectors[12] to deliver their own net zero goals.

30. As the 2022 and 2024 consultations set out, Scotland has made good long-term progress towards reaching these ambitions.

31. The total amount of waste going to landfill in Scotland has halved over the past decade (2.3 million tonnes or around 23% of all waste managed was sent to landfill in 2022), and over 62% of all waste was recycled in 2022[13]. In the same year, we met our 2025 target to reduce all waste by 15% (for the second consecutive year), and emissions from the waste management sector in 2022 were 75% lower than they were in 1990.

32. However, the sustainable choices are still not the easy or routine choices for households, businesses or those in the resources and waste sector. Fundamental and rapid system change is required to drive progress and ensure a more rapid transition to net zero and a fully circular economy in Scotland.

33. Much has changed since most of our current targets were set in 2010. The climate emergency has intensified our focus on emissions reduction, and how we view and treat our resources. We can see day-to-day the impacts that climate change and the nature crises are having on our communities, our society, our economic wellbeing, and our environment – both here in Scotland and globally.

34. Founded on evidence and collaboration, the CEWRM is part of the Scottish Government’s wider response to these challenges, sitting alongside a range of other strategies and plans. It is designed to drive progress on three key fronts:

  • Setting the strategic direction and laying foundations for how we will deliver our system-wide, comprehensive vision for Scotland’s circular economy from now to 2030 – based on Responsible Production, Responsible Consumption, and Maximising Value from Waste and Energy.
  • Setting out priority actions from now to 2030 to accelerate more sustainable use of our resources across the waste hierarchy. We acknowledge the progress we have made against our existing 2025 waste reduction and recycling targets, the areas we have fallen short, and the lessons we can learn as we set out the framework for what comes next.
  • Reducing emissions associated with resources and waste. The Route Map sets out the opportunities we will take to decarbonise the waste sector ahead of the draft Climate Change Plan, to be published in 2025, and our approach to tackling the whole-life climate impact of Scotland's resource management and waste.

35. It outlines what the Scottish Government intends to do, by when, and how they will work with others, to drive sustainable use and management of our resources up to 2030. It is aimed at everyone who has a role to play: the people and communities of Scotland, businesses, the third sector and the public sector, including local government. The direction and actions set out in this CEWRM are complemented by the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 and its provisions.

36. A wide range of evidence was gathered and scrutinised to identify and develop the CEWRM interventions. It is recognised that achieving our resources, waste and recycling ambitions, as well as wider emissions reduction, is a shared endeavour. Collaboration and partnership have been critical to our progress so far, and we can only be successful if everyone plays their part – government, households, and businesses.

37. Planning for 2030 and beyond, it is recognised that not all policy measures are fully ready to be implemented in Scotland and are at different stages of development. This is reflected in the final CEWRM.

38. While the second consultation set out further detail on the measures, further specific policy detail for each intervention will be fully defined as the measures are developed. It is intended that the CEWRM will enable the Scottish Government to continue to articulate a strategic approach which will contribute towards sustainable resource use and circular economy ambitions.

39. The second consultation feedback showed widespread support for the majority of the proposals laid out in the second CEWRM consultation. However, it is acknowledged that due to the high-level nature of the document, there is limited detail available at this time for each individual action. This included a limited ability to fully identify and assess potential impacts for the protected characteristic groups that may result from the introduction of each intervention.

40. Feedback to the specific EQIA question – ‘Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Equalities Impact Assessment’ – received 30 responses.

41. The most common feedback, and similar to responses from the first consultation, was the need for ongoing consideration of impacts on protected groups as and when interventions are developed. In particular, people with disabilities, older individuals and those who face language barriers were mentioned through the feedback. These groups align with those previously identified through the initial framing workshop and the first consultation.

42. Additionally, it was highlighted by some respondents that interventions which include potential enforcement activity should be designed to be able to take into account individual needs for those with protected characteristics. Scottish Government also recognise possible cross-interactions with Fairer Scotland findings in connection to enforcement activity interventions.

Contact

Email: CERouteMap@gov.scot

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