Transcript Scotland`s Climate Change Adaptation Framework

Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Nick James
Land Use Consultants
8 October 2009
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
Climate change in Scotland
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
SEA challenges
SEA approach
Findings and recommendations
Next steps
www.landuse.co.uk
Overview
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Context
Climate change in Scotland
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
SEA challenges
SEA approach
Findings and recommendations
Reflections and conclusions
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
www.landuse.co.uk
Context
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Context
•
•
Very recent SEA – Scottish Government yet to respond
formally to the Environmental Report
SEA was carried out for the draft SCCAF which was
issued for public consultation – finalised document will
reflect this and the SEA
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Climate change in Scotland
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
The changing climate
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wetter milder winters, drier, warmer summers, rising
sea levels
Flood risk – fluvial, pluvial, estuarine and coastal
Land instability
Implications for settlement and infrastructure –
particularly in coastal areas and key river catchments
Comparative advantage for agriculture – intensification,
expansion
Recreation and tourism – increased seasonality
Impacts on natural and semi-natural habitats
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
The changing climate
Adaptive responses to these impacts
•
Planned – e.g. flood defences, managed realignment,
rewilding of river catchments
•
Unplanned – e.g. changes in recreational activity
•
Semi-planned – e.g. changes in agricultural production
•
SCCAF designed to increase adaptation through
understanding, anticipation, planning and co-ordination
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Scotland’s Climate Change
www.landuse.co.uk Adaptation Framework
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Vulnerability
Exposure
Adaptive Capacity
Sensitivity
Adaptation
Framework Actions
Reduce emissions*
Understand
Equip decision
consequences of a makers with skills
changing climate
& tools
Integrate adaptation
into public policy &
regulation
Localised decision making by individuals and organisations
Outcome: Increased resilience to a changing climate
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Three themes
Twelve headline actions
Thirty six detailed actions
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Exposure
Understanding and limiting exposure to climate change:
•
Supporting development of climate models
•
Detailed assessments of risks and opportunities
•
Cost the risks and opportunities
•
Work with Scottish sectors to cost risks
•
Support the coordination of climate change research
•
Investigate the benefits of central evidence base
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Adaptive capacity
Equip Scotland’s decision-makers with skills and tools to
adapt:
•
Raise awareness of unavoidable impacts of a changing
climate
•
Provide decision makers with tools and training
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Sensitivity
Integrate climate change adaptation in public policy and
regulation
•
Integrate climate change adaptation in Scottish
Government corporate planning
• Integrate climate change adaptation in Scottish
Government social policy
• Integrate climate change adaptation in Scottish
Government economic policy
• Integrate climate change adaptation in Scottish
Government environmental policy
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
SEA challenges and approach
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
•
•
•
•
•
High level framework
Process based
Implemented via other strategies, programmes or
organisations
Inter-relationship with the environmental baseline and
definition of environmental problems
Reasonable alternatives
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
Environmental baseline – a critical and dynamic element
•
•
•
Influenced by climate change
Influenced by other forces for change
The scale and nature of climate related change will
reflect the influence of existing adaptation (and
mitigation) policies, strategies and actions
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
The challenges were recognised by Scottish Government
SCCAF team at an early stage
Discussions with Consultation Authorities (SEPA, SNH and
HS) identified an alternative approach, reflecting the
impacts of climate change on the environmental baseline
and the potential of SCCAF to make a positive effect
An early task for the LUC team was to make this alternative
approach work…
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
So, slightly different emphasis within the SEA process…
Rather than concentrating on the question ‘what impact will
the PPS have on the environmental baseline?’ we placed
equal weight on the questions:
Focusing principally, but not exclusively on the influence
of climate change, how will the environmental baseline
change in the absence of SCCAF (the do nothing
option) and what are the implications of this?
To what extent will SCCAF help avoid or reduce the
impacts of these changes?
Is SCCAF likely to result in any additional environmental
impacts?
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Climate change
Challenges
Existing adaptive
policy and activity
SCCAF
Other forces
for change
Environmental
baseline
Existing mitigation
policy and activity
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Climate change
Challenges
Existing adaptive
policy and activity
SCCAF
Other forces
for change
Environmental
baseline
Existing mitigation
policy and activity
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
Analysis of the environmental baseline:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SEA topic areas
Identification of potential impacts of climate change
Identification of competing pressures
Analysis of exposure to the effects of climate change
Analysis of current adaptive capacity and policy framework
Analysis of net effects of climate change on the topic area in
question
Assessment of vulnerability
This helped identify key areas of impact where SCCAF could
(should) be making the greatest difference.
The SEA could then focus on the extent to which SCCAF will help
reduce environmental effects of climate change, as well as
identifying any potential environmental impacts.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
Assessment of the
effects of SCCAF
Vulnerability to
climate change
Net effects of
climate change
SEA objective
SEA topic area
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Challenges
Score
Timeframe
Duration
Scope for
alleviation
(mitigation) or
enhancement
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Findings and recommendations
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Findings and recommendations
•
•
•
•
The strategic nature of the Framework means that was
not possible to draw robust conclusions on its
environmental effects.
Many impacts will be indirect and will result from the
implementation of subsequent actions.
The Framework will have an overall positive effect
across most SEA topic areas.
A key recommendation was that the framework should
ensure that implementation of actions under one topic
area do not result in environmental impacts under
another.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Biodiversity, flora and fauna
•
•
•
•
•
The Framework could have a positive effect on biodiversity by
increasing knowledge and reducing uncertainty of the impacts
of climate change.
The adaptation actions proposed to reduce competing
pressures may result in some mixed effects. There is a risk
that adaptation in other policy sectors will result in adverse
impacts on biodiversity.
The Framework should encourage an improved knowledge
and evidence base to inform adaptation policy priorities for the
biodiversity sector.
Actions to raise awareness about the impacts of climate
change should highlight impacts on biodiversity, flora and
fauna.
The Framework should ensure that representatives from the
natural heritage sector are included in actions to equip
decision makers with the skills and tools to adapt to climate
change.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Population and human health
•
•
•
•
•
The Framework will have a positive effect on population
and human health.
Greater research and data sharing will improve
understanding of the differing impacts of climate change
on different sectors of society, facilitating the targeting of
adaptation measures to those communities with
greatest vulnerability.
Greater adaptation, in combination with improved
research, understanding and awareness will have a
positive cumulative effect by ensuring the targeting of
adaptation responses.
The Framework should encourage integration within
Scottish Government social policy
The Framework should ensure focus on those groups
most at risk from climate change
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Water
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Framework will have an overall positive effect on the water
environment.
Equipping decision makers with the skills and tools to adapt will
improve the quality of adaptation responses.
Improved integration of adaptation activities across all sectors is likely
to enhance the water environment.
The Framework should do more to ensure consideration of
opportunities to increase understanding of the competing demands on
the water environment and how this can be incorporated through
adaptation responses.
The Framework should support research into climate change impacts
in all SEA topic areas including water, and raise awareness of climate
change impacts on the water environment.
Adaptation measures need to address the climate change impacts on
the water environment (water quality and pollution).
The Framework should also support the development of procedure
and guidance to avoid conflict between adaptation measures for
different topic areas.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Soil
•
•
•
•
The Framework will have a positive effect on soil as a
result of research and data sharing, increased
knowledge and awareness and greater integration of
adaptation measures across all policy sectors
The Framework should ensure that there is support for
research into climate change impacts on soil, and raise
awareness about the impacts of climate change on soil.
Adaptation measures, including those resulting from
building adaptive capacity, need to address impacts on
soil.
The Framework should also support the development of
procedure and guidance to avoid conflict between
adaptation measures for different topic areas.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Air
•
•
The Framework is likely to have a minor positive effect
on air quality and climate. This is a result of indirect
effects of greater knowledge and awareness of the
impacts of climate change, and adaptation measures
across other sectors.
These will contribute to improvements in air quality and
measures to address climate change, including
enhancing green networks and increased woodland
planting.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Material assets
•
•
•
•
The Framework could result in both positive and
negative impacts on material assets.
The Framework should support the identification of the
costs and risks of climate change associated with
material assets such as waste, energy, agriculture,
transport.
Again, there is a need for the Framework to help
reconcile conflicts between adaptation measures and
competition for resources across different topic areas.
Actions to raise awareness of climate change impacts
should highlight the impacts of climate change on
material assets
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Cultural heritage
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Framework is likely to have mixed implications for cultural
heritage. This will result from adaptation actions to protect cultural
heritage on the one hand, but also the negative impacts of adaptation
actions in other sectors.
Better knowledge and awareness should result in more informed and
proactive responses to adaptation.
There is a lack of explicit reference to cultural heritage in relation to
research and data sharing.
The Framework should support research into climate change impacts
on all SEA topic areas including cultural heritage.
The Framework should also support the development of procedure
and guidance to help reconcile impacts which could result from
different kinds of adaptation measures.
Action to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change should
highlight the potential implications for cultural heritage.
Adaptation actions should consider the impacts on cultural heritage
and provide protection for the historic environment from other
adaptation measures.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Landscape
•
•
•
•
•
The Framework is likely to have a minor negative impact on
the objective of protecting the landscape.
The Framework supports adaptation that will result in
adaptation actions which may have landscape implications,
such as coastal flood defences.
Landscape is not recognised explicitly under any of the three
objectives, and any increase in climate change adaptation
may increase the risk of uncoordinated adaptation activity
occurring, resulting in landscape impacts.
The Framework should support research into climate change
impacts on all SEA topic areas including landscape.
The Framework should also support the development of
procedure and guidance to help reconcile impacts which could
result from different kinds of adaptation measure, and raise
awareness of the cumulative impacts of adaptation on the
landscape.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Reflections and conclusions
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Reflections and conclusions
•
•
•
•
The Scottish Government SCCAF team and
their approach to SEA were pivotal in shaping
how the process has panned out
The team identified early on that carrying out
the SEA would be a challenge due to the
nature of the document
SG chose to engage with the Consultation
Authorities at an early stage to identify the
best way to address this challenge.
The SG has taken a very proactive approach
to the SEA and taken it seriously as part of the
drafting process, and not as an add on.
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Land Use Consultants
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Environmental Planning
Landscape Design
Ecology
Landscape Planning and Management
Urban Design and Regeneration
Digital Design
Environmental Impact Assessment
Strategic Environmental Assessment
www.landuse.co.uk
Strategic Environmental Assessment of
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework