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STRATEGIC ISSUES – SCOTLAND – HENDRY : (2008) 20 ELM 147
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Summary findings: Adapt and survive
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/
This is the first part of a two-stage consultation on
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developing a climate change adaptation strategy for
Scotland. This paper proposes a series of strategic
principles and priority actions. In 2009, the second part
Climate change
will consider the roles of various authorities and other
decision makers.
There have been a series of consultations and other
The paper is broad-based. It identifies relevant sectors
documents related to climate change, of which this section
– agriculture and forestry of course, nature conservation,
will review the most significant.
water and flood management, and land use planning –
and sets out principles which are unobjectionable, if
The Climate Change Bill perhaps a little bland. There is a useful annex on recent
and future trends in weather, sea levels etc, and another
The government has published individual responses, but
on steps already being taken. There is some useful
no analysis as yet, to the consultation on the Climate
discussion on links with UK processes, the Scottish
Change Bill. A high number of responses (318 in all)
<climate change?>bill and UK Act, and various reporting
included some where the name of the respondent was
mechanisms. There are plenty of indications that key
published, but not the content, and several individuals
stakeholders are already taking action in this area, and as
whose responses were included but whose name was
with the recent consultations on a flooding bill, the
withheld. As ever, it is the individuals (not necessarily the
government is stressing individual responsibility as well
anonymous ones) who are most critical of the proposals,
as the role of authorities. That will undoubtedly be
and in some cases of the entire climate change debate.
necessary, but as with flooding, and climate change at
However, an unscientific selection suggests the majority
global level, it is those least able to help themselves who
of respondents are supportive both of the headline figure
will be most likely to suffer in the shorter and longer
of a reduction of 80 per cent (see (2008) 20 ELM 1 at
term.The consultation is open until 31 October.
45), but also of year on year emissions targets. Many also
wish to include emissions from the maritime and aviation
sectors, but that may be outwith the competence of the Scottish Government 2008 Adapting Our Ways: Managing
Scottish administration. Scotland’s Climate Risk: Consultation to inform Scotland’s
Climate Change Adaptation Framework available at http://
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/07/
www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/23113244/0
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Carbon savings from wind farms Climate change annual report
Renewables should save carbon, but if wind farms are put The government has presented its second annual report
up on peat soils then there is a risk of high carbon losses on climate change, which assesses actions taken over the
through soil disturbance. This technical paper offers a past year, in an international, European and national policy
methodology for calculating the savings and losses that context. It focuses on key sectors, including energy,
can be expected. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and transport, land use and waste as well as individuals and
the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, with a wide the public sector and current adaptation measures, and
range of other stakeholders, including power generation, provides a useful record of activities.
forestry and environmental interests, have been involved
in this project. The report includes an extensive Scottish Government 2008 Scotland’s Climate Change
assessment of the current SNH guidance, from 2003. The Programme: Second Annual Report, April 2007-March 2008
methodology includes direct and indirect losses of carbon available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/
– the former from the excavated peat and the latter from 05/20102350/0
drainage and site disturbance. In future, the whole life
cycle carbon costs of the turbines themselves and the
backup source should be included in the calculations, as Energy efficiency and microgeneration
should site restoration. The authors estimate that land
The Halcrow Group was commissioned to carry out a major
management practices can keep losses from carbon
piece of research into energy efficiency and
savings as low as 7 per cent, or as high as 40 per cent, so
microgeneration in Scotland, and the results have now
there is a lot of scope.
been published. It includes surveys of householders and
organisations and some international case studies for
D Nyak et al (University of Aberdeen / Macauley Institute)
comparison, as well as a strategic policy analysis.
2008 Calculating Carbon Savings from Wind Farms on Scottish
Unsurprisingly, the report finds that UK schemes have
Peat Lands - A New Approach (Scottish Government
greater economies of scale, and probably also unsurprising
publication) available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
is the fact that even where consumers have information,
Publications/2008/06/25114657/0
they do not necessarily choose to make the appropriate
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