Scotland's Climate Change Plan 2026-2040: strategic environmental assessment

2. The Strategic Environmental Assessment Process

2.1.1 In line with The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”)^[6], Scottish Ministers have applied the SEA process as part of the development of the Climate Change Plan (2026-2040). SEA is a systematic method for considering the likely environmental effects of certain Plans, Programmes or Strategies. It identifies potential significant environmental effects and, where relevant, describes how negative effects can be avoided or reduced or where positive effects could be enhanced. It ensures that environmental considerations are taken into account. SEA also aims to build in mitigation measures, to avoid or minimise any potentially significant adverse effects on the environment and identify opportunities to enhance the environmental performance of Plans, Programmes, or Strategies.

2.1.2 This SEA process for the Climate Change Plan (CCP) began with the production of a Scoping Report which was submitted to the SEA Gateway in September 2025, setting out the proposed approach to the SEA, including the proposed scope and level of detail. Comments received from the SEA Consultation Authorities^[7] at the scoping stage helped to inform the following stages of the SEA process. Comments from the SEA consultation authorities indicated that they were broadly content with the proposed approach set out in the Scoping Report. Where suggestions have been made for additional references to relevant legislation, plans, programmes and strategies these were added into the Environmental Report. Where more detailed comments on the baseline have been received, these were taken into account and utilised in developing an updated baseline section.

2.1.3 Following the scoping stage, the assessment stage of the SEA was progressed, and the production of the SEA Environmental Report was published for consultation on 24 November 2025.^[8] The following impact assessments were also published alongside the draft CCP:

• Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA);
• Initial Children’s Rights Consideration Document;
• Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA);
• Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment (FSDA); and
• Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA).

2.1.4 These impact assessments were updated during the draft CCP consultation and scrutiny period and published alongside the finalised CCP.^{[9], [10], [11], [12]} The Initial Children’s Rights Consideration Document was updated and published as a full Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA).^[13]

2.1.5 Feedback on the Environmental Report was sought from the Consultation Authorities following the publication of the CCP Environmental Report. This feedback was received on 29 January 2026 and has been considered in the finalisation of the CCP and in the development of this Post Adoption Statement.

2.1.6 Following the completion of the draft CCP public consultation, responses with permission to be publicly published were published on Citizen Space.^[14] An independent analysis of all consultation responses received was also published.^[15] The Scottish Government’s response to the consultation as detailed in Annex 4 of the CCP outlines how the views expressed in the consultation helped to inform the final Plan.

2.1.7 This Post Adoption Statement concludes the CCP SEA process and outlines how the findings of the draft CCP SEA Environmental Report and how the views expressed by consultees have been taken into account.

2.1.8 Section 18(3) of the 2005 Act includes the information that should be included in a SEA Post Adoption Statement. This can be summarised as:

• How the environmental considerations have been integrated into the plan, programme, or strategy (Section 3),
• How the Environmental Report has been taken into account (Section 4),
• How the opinions of consultees have been taken into account (Section 5),
• The reasons for choosing the plan, programme or strategy as adopted, in light of the other reasonable alternatives considered (Section 6), and
• The measures to be taken to monitor the significant environmental effects of the implementation of the plan, programme or strategy (Section 7).