Climate Change
Overview
"Climate change is one of the most serious threats we face. Urgent action is needed to cut emissions which cause climate change." - Alex Salmond, First Minister, September 2008
Local authorities in Scotland are important agents in cutting carbon emissions and taking action to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of changing climate. Local planning, transport, estate management and procurement all have implications for Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions. And the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on local authorities' infrastructure and service delivery, as well as the health of local ecosystems and communities, are of real concern.
Scotland's Climate Change Declaration
In 2006, SSN worked with local authorities and a number of key national organisations, including the Scottish Government, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) Scotland, to develop Scotland's Climate Change Declaration.
Signatories to the Declaration were asked to:
- acknowledge the reality and importance of climate change, and
- commit both to mitigate their impact on climate change through reducing greenhouse gas emissions and take steps to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of a changing climate
Between January and April 2007, in a significant demonstration of local authority leadership and commitment to action, all 32 Scottish local authorities became signatories of Scotland's Climate Change Declaration. For further information, and to read the full text of the Declaration, visit Scotland's Climate Change Declaration Website.
Signatories to Scotland's Climate Change Declaration are committed to produce an annual statement, detailing their progress in mitigating, and adapting to, climate change. 2008 was the first year that councils submitted Scotland's Climate Change Declaration annual reports. To view annual reports submitted for 2008 and 2009, visit Scotland's Climate Change Declaration Website.
SSN: Climate Change Events
In October 2009 SSN's Annual Conference, 'Sustainable Economic Growth and the Agenda for Scottish Local Authorities', focussed on the period of change from now to 2020, as we attempt to navigate a smooth and just transition to a lower-carbon, more sustainable economy. For information on the 2009 Conference, and for further resources, visit the SSN Conference 2009 website.
In November 2007 SSN's Annual Conference, 'Local Government & Climate Change: Your How to Guide', focused on the role of Scottish local authorities in delivering climate change mitigation and adaptation. For more information on the 2007 Conference, and to listen to audio recordings of the conference, visit the SSN Conference 2007 Website.
SSN continues to hold Quarterly Meetings for its members, which provide opportunities for learning, professional development and networking on key areas of sustainability practice. Several of SSN's Quarterlies have focused on climate change. For more information, and to download presentations, visit our Quarterly Meetings webpage.
SSN: Working With Key Partners
In early 2008, COSLA established a Councillor-led Climate Change Task Group to provide focused leadership on climate change. The Task Group focuses particularly on the progress of the Climate Change Declaration, the integration of climate change into local authority policies (notably the Single Outcome Agreements) and engaging with the Climate Change (Scotland) Act. Information on the Task Group can be found on the COSLA Regeneration & Sustainable Development Executive Group webpage
SSN works closely with COSLA to support the work of the Task Group. SSN has a representative who attends Task Group meetings, and SSN provides lead support to an Officer Support Group. The Officer Support Group brings together COSLA, SOLACE, the Improvement Service, representatives of many local authority officers' networks (waste, energy, planning, transport, etc.) as well as an official from the Scottish Government.
SSN in also actively participating in a number of national partnership initiatives. These include:
- Being a member of the Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership (SCCIP) Development Group, and helping engage four local authorities in the 2008 pilot project on Local Climate Impacts Profiles. For more information, visit the SCCIP website.
- Working with Eco Schools Scotland to provide a Local Footprints Project for Scottish local authorities and Scottish schools.
- SSN has joined the Climate Challenge Fund Supporting Alliance. The alliance is coordinated by the Sustainable Development Commission in Scotland, and it seeks to provide support to the community groups receiving funding from the Climate Challenge Fund.
Climate Change Policy Developments
- In March 2006 the Scottish Executive published Changing Our Ways: Scotland's Climate Change Programme.
- In June 2009 the Scottish Government published The Climate Change Delivery Plan, which sets out the high level measures required in each sector to meet Scotland's statutory climate change targets, to 2020 and in the long term.
- In August 2009 the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 received Royal Assent. This Act sets an interim 42% reduction target for greenhouse gases for 2020, and an 80% reduction target for 2050. The Act also places duties on public bodies relating to climate change, which will come into force on 1 January 2011.
- In December 2009 the Scottish Government published Scotland's Climate Change Adaptation Framework.
- The Scottish Government is developing an Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland, and plans to publish this in Spring 2010.
- Most Scottish local authorities are involved in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, a UK-wide emissions trading scheme that started on 1 April 2010.
- The 2020 Climate Group is a group of experts tasked with helping to ensure the full realisation of Scotland's Climate Change Delivery Plan and the 42% emission reduction target. The 2020 Climate Group website, launched in May 2010, details the working remit of the group as well as providing information on its members.
SSN: Climate Change Policy Responses
SSN provides a forum wherein local authority lead-officers on sustainable development can learn about, discuss and agree responses to policy initiatives. Recent work has included:
- Responding to the Scottish Government's consultation on a Scottish Climate Change Bill. Download SSN Response to Scottish Government's Climate Change (Scotland) Bill Consultation
- Responding to the Scottish Government's consultation on a Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Framework. Download SSN Response to Scottish Government's Climate Change Adaptation Framework Consultation
- Responding to the Scottish Government's consultation on a Scottish Energy Efficiency Action Plan. Download SSN Response to Scottish Government's Energy Efficiency Action Plan Consultation