Scotland's draft Climate Change Plan 2026-2040: island communities impact assessment

2. Approach to assessment of impacts

2.1 Introduction

The Scottish Government has a legal duty when creating new plans, strategies or policies to undertake an ICIA when those plans, strategies or policies are likely to significantly affect island communities differently from other communities (including other island communities). This report assesses potential impacts on island communities arising from policies for each of the different sectors covered within the CCP:

• Business and Industrial Process;
• Energy Supply;
• Residential and Public (in relation to buildings in those sectors)
• Agriculture;
• Land Use, Land Use Change and Reform (LULUCF);
• Transport; and
• Waste Management

2.2 Approach

2.2.1 Island Communities Impact Assessment process

1. Develop a clear understanding of your objectives

2. Gather your data and identify your stakeholders

3. Consultation

4. Assessment

2.2.2 Key issues and evidence

In addition to a review of packages of policies included within the draft CCP, the evidence review covered the following:

• A set of proformas completed by sector leads within the Scottish Government on the available evidence and impacts identified to date relating to the policies and proposals within the draft CCP;
• Compiling a document covering the key issues and evidence informing the ICIA which was reviewed by sector leads within SG; and
• A review of all relevant documentation related to the draft CCP, including strategies and statements detailing key targets for each sector and Scottish Government’s Research into Public Attitudes to climate change policy/green recovery and consultation with island communities.

2.2.3 Assessment of potential impacts

The assessment of impacts on island communities was undertaken with reference to the information outlined in the section above. A judgement was made as to how the policies and proposals within the draft plan would contribute to the realisation of effects for island communities as defined within the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018. The assessment identifies positive and negative impacts as well as instances where particular policies may have no (or a negligible) impact or that the nature of any impact is at this stage uncertain.

2.2.4 Conclusions and recommendations

The final section of this report sets out conclusions on the impacts on island communities with respect to each sector and recommendations for mitigation measures that could alleviate negative impacts as well as opportunities for improving policies and proposals to increase the potential for positive impacts on island communities.