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STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT - NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY
Outline of the Renewables Action Plan
(i) The Scottish Government has developed a Renewables Action Plan ( RAP) for Scotland. The RAP sets out priorities and actions for the development of the Scottish renewable energy sector, to ensure that the broader target of producing 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020 is met. As the RAP is likely to generate significant environmental effects, under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, a Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA) is required. This environmental report sets out the findings from the SEA process.
(ii) The RAP focuses primarily on 'how' renewable energy targets should be delivered, as opposed to defining 'what' these targets are, or setting substantive entirely new policy objectives. Many of its proposed procedural and implementation measures are unlikely to directly lead to significant environmental effects, and have not therefore been assessed in detail within the SEA. Importantly though, the draft RAP does propose a new target for renewable heat in Scotland and this has the potential to generate significant environmental challenges and benefits. This key aspect of the RAP has therefore formed the focus for the SEA.
Environmental Context
(iii) Many plans and strategies set out strategic aims for Scotland's environment, thereby providing a framework within which the SEA should be undertaken. This includes:
- International and national targets for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation focuses on reducing harmful emissions of greenhouse gases, whilst adaptation aims to ensure that long term decision making takes into account the impacts of climate change.
- International commitments to the protection of valued habitats and species, and a growing recognition of value of wider natural heritage resources including strategic ecological networks, as reflected within the National Planning Framework and Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.
- Ongoing aims of reducing health problems arising from environmental pollution, and promoting higher levels of physical activity, including active transport options.
- International and national commitments to safeguarding soil resources and addressing natural and man made pressures on soil quality.
- Commitments to safeguarding the water environment, sustaining adequate water supplies and improving water quality. This includes two River Basin Management Plans prepared under the Water Framework Directive, and new legislation on Flood Risk Management.
- Targets for reducing specific air pollutants, particularly those arising from the transport and energy sectors.
- Longstanding policies relating to the protection and enhancement (where appropriate) of the historic environment, including known and unknown archaeology, historic buildings, townscapes and cultural landscapes. This relates to sites and their wider settings.
- Commitments to landscape protection. These traditionally focused on the protection of designated landscapes, but have more recently broadened to reflect the value of wider landscapes, partly as a result of the European Landscape Convention.
(iv) Nationally important environmental baseline characteristics have been taken into account within the SEA. There are several key existing environmental problems that could be directly or indirectly influenced by the proposed renewable heat target. Many of these relate directly to the environmental objectives described above. In particular, the RAP as whole has the potential to make a major contribution to reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions and resource use within the energy sector. In addition, whilst Scotland's natural heritage is highly valued, there are ongoing challenges including: the decline and poor condition of some habitats; continuing problems with poor health that are partly attributable to environmental pollution; issues with soil, air and water quality; continuing landscape change resulting in loss of diversity, and pressure on some aspects of the historic environment.
(v) In the absence of the RAP, it is expected that many of these environmental problems will continue. It is important to note that, without the positive policy emphasis and practical implementation measures provided in the RAP, the energy sector's significant contribution to the climate change agenda is unlikely to be fully realised. At the same time, however, some of the identified environmental pressures arising from a large scale increase in bioenergy production, could also be avoided without the need for additional mitigation.
Likely significant effects of key elements of the RAP on the environment and proposed mitigation measures
(vi) These environmental issues were used to develop a series of questions, against which the emerging content of the RAP was assessed.
(vii) Initial analysis of the RAP suggested that there was potential for some significant negative effects on the environment. However, following further consideration of available mitigation measures, these effects were not predicted to be significant overall. The assessment showed that the RAP is likely to play a significant role in addressing climate change. However, the assessment also suggested that substantial growth of the bioenergy sector could generate an increase in air pollution, and that these could be significant in areas where pollution is already concentrated. Monitoring was therefore proposed to identify whether stated targets are being exceeded, particularly within existing and future Air Quality Management Areas ( AQMAs). The assessment also noted that, should thresholds for relevant pollants be breached, mitigation measures will be required to address these effects. The RAP already includes a commitment to this within its proposed text. The measures will also ensure that any associated adverse effects on health are avoided.
(viii) Further environmental effects from the production of biomass materials were predicted. This included effects on biodiversity, soils, water, the historic environment and landscapes. These proved difficult to predict with any certainty at this stage, as they will be dependent on the siting and choice of planting of source materials, harvesting operations and the sustainability of land management techniques. As a result, the SEA recommended that the Scottish Government gives further consideration to developing more detailed guidance on the siting, choice and management of biomass planting that takes into account the range of environmental effects which it could generate.
(ix) Issues around waste management and transport infrastructure were also explored within the SEA. The RAP was expected to make a positive contribution to wider aspirations for sustainable waste management. Effects on transport infrastructure will be minimised, partly as a result of the emphasis within the RAP on sourcing materials close to where they will be consumed.
Monitoring
(x) As already noted above, the SEA identified a number of broad monitoring measures that can be used to track the progress of the RAP and its environmental effects. This includes regular evaluation of the contribution made by renewable heat production in Scotland to wider energy targets and further tracking of its environmental effects. This can largely be achieved within existing data collection undertaken by the Scottish Government, and monitoring of air quality by SEPA and local authorities. However, in the longer term a more comprehensive review of land use change arising from increased levels of biomass production would be useful. It is unlikely that the latter will be delivered from simply reviewing of any single existing dataset and may therefore require additional data collection or analysis. Consultee views on the need for this are now being sought.
Next steps
(xi) Views on the RAP, in light of the environmental information provided by the SEA, are now being sought. In particular, consultees are invited to consider the following key questions:
1. Do you have any views on the proposed content of the RAP, and specifically the target for renewable heat, based on the environmental effects identified in the report?
2. Do you agree with the environmental effects set out in the report?
3. Do you have any further sources of information on the environmental effects of the proposed RAP, which should be taken into account as the RAP is finalised?
4. Do you agree with the proposed mitigation and monitoring measures.
(xii) Broader comments are also welcome. Responses should be returned to the Scottish Government by 7 August 2009.
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