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

6. Monitoring

6.1.1 The 2005 Act requires the responsible authority to monitor the significant environmental effects of the implementation of the plan which has been assessed in the SEA. The 2005 Act requires this to be done in a manner which allows for early identification and remediation of any unforeseen adverse effects.

6.1.2 A monitoring framework has been developed for the CCP which sets out indicators for each policy outcome and progress towards key milestones and targets. Delivery of every milestone in the CCP will contribute to reduction of emissions and many of the milestones relate to delivery of strategies, plans or policies which will have wider significant positive effects on the environment. Monitoring of progress towards key milestones and targets will therefore enable early identification of issues with delivery of positive environmental benefits and any unforeseen adverse effects.

6.1.3 Delivery of sector-based strategies, plans or policies outlined in the CCP will also be subject to SEA or EIA where relevant and these assessments of individual strategies, plans or policies will provide a basis to assess significant environmental effects in advance of implementation. This will also enable identification of any unforeseen adverse effects.

6.1.4 The draft CCP is also the first of its kind to be underpinned by statutory just transition principles. Monitoring and evaluation of the plan should, therefore, not only assess the emissions reductions and other positive environmental effects delivered across each sector, but also the extent to which it helps in delivering a just transition for Scotland.

6.1.5 There are a number of statutory reports required under climate change legislation. Section 35B of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 legislates that Scottish Ministers must produce an annual report on each substantive chapter of the CCP. Each annual progress report must contain an assessment of progress towards implementing the proposals and policies set out in that chapter, including proposals and policies for supporting the workforce, employers and communities. Section 33 of the Act states that Scottish Ministers must produce a report in relation to each Carbon Budget period, detailing emissions reductions during the carbon budget period, and whether the Scottish carbon budget target arising from that budget has been met. Section 34A of the Act requires that an annual emissions reduction report is produced.

Structure of the draft CCP monitoring framework

6.1.6 The proposed CCP monitoring framework is comprised of 3 elements:

• National, sectoral, and sub-sectoral emissions monitoring, based on annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Emissions Statistics.
• To supplement the comprehensive but time-lagged emissions monitoring, a set of emissions-reduction early-warning indicators will be developed and monitored for each sector.
• For the first time, the CCP monitoring framework also includes a set of just transition indicators, to be reported on annually alongside progress on emissions reduction.

6.1.7 A two-track process has been proposed to deliver the emissions-focused monitoring framework described above: monitor annual emissions output relative to the total envelope required to achieve the five-year carbon budget, reporting at the sub sectoral level for every major source of emissions; and early warning indicators to track recent delivery of the key actions required to achieve the carbon budget emissions envelope.

6.1.8 The CCP will also monitor specific environmental impacts where these impacts are mostly likely. For example, in the Agriculture sector the Scottish Government will increase engagement with Farm Advisory Services on environmental issues and climate change. Similarly, one of the four themes on which the 13 proposed just transition indicators are centred focuses on Environment, Biodiversity and Adaptation. The monitoring under the framework will be complemented by the other assessments mentioned previously.

6.1.9 It is suggested that the monitoring of the environmental effects identified in this SEA combines the monitoring framework for the CCP as outlined above with other key environmental indicators in order to identify potential correlation between progress towards outcomes and other unforeseen environmental changes, and to trigger further investigation of potential causation.