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THE CONTEXT

PUBLIC BODIES CLIMATE CHANGE DUTIES: AN OVERVIEW: UNDERSTANDING AND ASSESSING PROGRESS Barry Greig: Public Bodies Team Energy & Climate Change Directorate. THE CONTEXT. From 1 January 2011 the Climate Change (Scotland) Act placed duties on public bodies relating to act:

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THE CONTEXT

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  1. PUBLIC BODIES CLIMATE CHANGE DUTIES:AN OVERVIEW:UNDERSTANDING AND ASSESSING PROGRESSBarry Greig: Public Bodies TeamEnergy & Climate Change Directorate

  2. THE CONTEXT • From 1 January 2011 the Climate Change (Scotland) Act placed duties on public bodies relating to act: • in the way best calculated to contribute to delivery of the Act's emissions reduction targets; • in the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaptation programme; and • in a way that it considers most sustainable • Compliance is a matter for individual bodies, including determining the details of how (and what) they report – we strongly encourage reporting

  3. THE CONTEXT In 2011, Scottish public sector emissions "by source" (emissions allocated to source sector at point of release) - predominantly boilers for heating - were estimated to be around 39% lower than in 1990. Emissions decreased by 15% between 2010 and 2011, due to better weather conditions. 2011 was, on average, 1.5°C warmer than 2010 (annual mean temperature in 2011 was 8.06°C compared to 6.54°C in 2010). In 2011, public sector emissions accounted for roughly 1.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland. Scottish emissions data for 2012 are expected in Summer 2014.

  4. SSN AND THE DUTIES • We believe SSN will be of great help in supporting public bodies in relation to meeting their obligations under the Public Bodies Duties set out in Section 44 of CCA • We see the Network and its support team as a key part of the Scottish Government’s action to support the delivery of this aspect of the Act, complementing the guidance published to assist public bodies, and also the wider governance arrangements to oversee progress across the public sector to lead by example in relation to climate change.

  5. Guidance: Step by step model • Guidance promotes a five-step process to assist public bodies to integrate climate change into their business processes and procedures so that • climate change action is mainstreamed into the corporate governance of public bodies to whom the duties apply; and • The public sector provides a leadership function to the rest of Scotland in its approach to climate change • Step 1: understanding the duties • Step 2: understanding the impacts of climate change • Step 3: taking action • Step 4: using practical support and tools • Step 5: reporting – demonstrating compliance with the duties

  6. Climate Change Duties for Public Bodies • The duties require all of us to factor climate change into decision-making processes, and think about the climate change impacts of allpolicies • Bodies need to think about evidence that they are taking steps to meet their obligations under the Act – e.g. by working through the suggested actions in the guidance to spot gaps • Good evidence that bodies are working through the steps even if not in a process that directly reflects the guidance • SG has done work through SSN to understand value / use of the overarching Guidance – will contribute to RPP2 review

  7. Climate Change Duties for Public Bodies – RPP2 review • RPP2 – tba later this week will include a proposal to develop an Action Plan ‘to ramp up emissions reductions in the public sector’. • To support the proposal the RPP commits SG to consider, review and conclude the following by October 2013: • Our governance and leadership arrangements • Whether to set a target, or set of targets for Scottish public bodies linked to mandatory reporting of emissions in the context of the Public Bodies Duties set out in the Climate Change Act • What more might be done through procurement activities • Funding / financing options, working with the Scottish Future’s Trust; • The skills and expertise within our public bodies for both accelerating emission reductions and carbon accounting

  8. SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING – THE CONTEXT Critical to demonstrating evidence is REPORTING Guidance published last year on public sector sustainability reports is intended to support the duties and offer clarity on best-practice sustainability reporting that helps the sector improve its performance Guidance is currently advisory - targeted at non local authority public bodies - but Ministers have clear expectations that public bodies show how they are meeting their obligations by reporting on their actions – now revising that guidance for 2012-13 FY

  9. WHY REPORT? • Helps demonstrate compliance with climate change duties • Increases accountability and transparency • Helps identify trends in performance • Helps identify opportunities for operational & financial efficiencies - cut costs as well as emissions • Standardised approach helps start tackling with proliferation of environmental /sustainability reporting requirements & should assist the rationalisation and simplification of reporting in longer term

  10. SCOPE • Scope - in terms of Ministers’ expectations on who should prepare reports - is broadly consistent with that for the government Financial Manual (FReM) on preparation of Annual Reports and Accounts: core Scottish Government, Executive Agencies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Non-Ministerial Departments, Crown Office, Health Boards (including Special Health Boards), but not Public Corporations or local authorities

  11. SCOPE Minimum reporting – emissions and costs: • Greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) – Scope 1 direct + Scope 2 energy indirect + part of Scope 3, emissions from official business travel • Waste minimisation and management – report absolute values for waste • Use of finite resources (water consumption) • Narrative covering action on biodiversity and sustainable procurement

  12. SCOPE

  13. SCOPE Going further – not required but encouraged incl: • Non-travel scope 3 • Supply-chain emissions • Embedded carbon emissions • Further waste reporting – use of new carbon metric… • Indirect water • Material economic, social and environmental impacts

  14. WHAT’S CHANGING IN GUIDANCE REVISION? • No substantive changes but includes additional • guidance on voluntary use of The Scottish Carbon • Metric developed by Zero Waste Scotland • provides a more accurate estimate of the carbon • impact of Waste for a public sector organisation • highlights in more detail what organisations doing to • reduce environmental damage • no additional actions are required

  15. TIMETABLE FOR REPORTING • No strict timetable but expectation that reports should be published ‘alongside’ Annual Reports and Accounts and, as far as possible, produced to similar timescale • Driven by link to FReM, but also with regard to transparency and openness – publishing sustainability reports at the same time as annual reports and accounts presents a more complete picture of organisations performance • SG view remains pragmatic - on timing and reporting generally - key this year to get on track as much as possible – timing needs to work for you

  16. What Next?

  17. What Next? • Climate Change Act includes provision Powers to introduce further duties or to impose mandatory reporting • No current plans, but there is a proposal in RPP2 to review by October, whether to set a target or targets for Scottish public bodies linked to mandatory reporting of emissions in the context of the Public bodies duties. • Context is the contribution to additional abatement of targets and mandatory reporting • Bodies responses on sustainability reporting will be of interest to Ministers in considering the desirability or need for mandatory reporting in due course

  18. What Next? • By Autumn 2013 hope many more public bodies - incl Scottish Government - published sustainability reports • 2012/13 can be seen as second unofficial ‘pilot year’ • No formal assessment of reports planned but working with Sustainable Scotland Network • Working collectively across public sector through the sustainability Reporting Advisory Group (SRAG) to learn lessons to develop and improve guidance and reports in future and support the development of skills to reach next level – working with SSN

  19. What Next? • Encourage mutual support and networks and happy to offer such help as we can – and very much welcome suggestions - my contact details follow • Sustainability Reporting Advisory subgroup • KSB – Sustainable Scotland Network team • Revised guidance in July.

  20. Contact: Barry Greig Public Bodies Duties Team Energy & Climate Change Directorate Scottish Government Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ Tel: 0131 244 5093 Email: barry.greig@scotland.gsi.gov.uk http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/climatechange/scotlands-action/climatechangeact/publicsector

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