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REVIEW OF THE SCOTTISH CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMME: A CONSULTATION
INTRODUCTION
1. In the four years since the Executive published its Scottish Climate Change Programme the profile of climate change in the political, media and public arenas has grown steadily. The main catalyst for this growth in concern would appear to be the fact that the impacts of global climate change are becoming ever more evident: rainfall patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, glaciers are retreating, Arctic sea-ice is thinning and the incidence of extreme weather is increasing in many parts of the world
2. Globally, 2003 was the third warmest year since records began in 1861. In Europe, widespread flooding devastated several central European cities in 2002, while an unprecedented heat wave led to over 20,000 additional deaths in 2003. And in 2004, parts of the UK and Scotland suffered the crippling effects of flash floods and landslips as a result of several heavy rainfall events. Whilst we cannot say that any one weather event is due to climate change, the frequency of extreme weather events, like those above, will increase because of it.
3. Climate change is a global problem which will require global solutions, but developed countries like Scotland must be the first to reduce their emissions. Scotland has an important role to play in contributing to wider efforts to slow the pace of climate change
4. The Scottish Executive is committed to making an equitable contribution to efforts aimed at meeting the UK's Kyoto Protocol target and moving towards the UK's domestic climate change goals. In A Partnership for a Better Scotland7 Scottish Ministers pledged to "work with the UK Government, where appropriate, to meet our commitments to tackle climate change and promote renewable energy and other aspects of sustainability.
5. The Executive's climate change programme, published in November 2000 to complement the UK Climate Change Programme8, set out a range of regulatory, voluntary and educational measures aimed at delivering emissions reductions in areas devolved to the Executive.
6. In accordance with the commitment made in the Scottish Programme, the Executive is now undertaking a formal review to coincide with the review of the UK Programme. This review, to which responses to this consultation will contribute, will consider whether there is a need to strengthen existing measures or introduce new ones to ensure that the Executive continues to meet its climate change obligations and commitments. Revised UK and Scottish Programmes will be published in the first half of 2005.
The devolved context
7. Responsibility for environment policy in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Executive. The UK Programme covers a range of sectors and policy responsibilities, which span both reserved and devolved matters. All of its measures have affected or will affect Scotland in one way or another. Therefore, the review of the UK Programme and the publication of a revised version will be of significant interest to Scottish stakeholders and UK stakeholders with interests in Scotland. The partnership approach that exists between the Executive and the UK Government will provide for a coordinated review process and deliver complementary programmes of action for the future.
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