Current Action
The purpose of the consultation was to seek views on the proposals for a Scottish Climate Change Bill.
The Scottish Government will continue to gather vital scientific and economic information to ensure that the Bill proposals are robust and credible. This information will complement the responses received to the consultation.
The analysis on the consultation has been made independently of Government by Reid Howie Associates. The report presents the themes and messages which came through in the consultation but does not make any further comment about the Bill or climate change policies.
Timescales
The consultation was launched on January 29 2008 and closed on April 23 2008.
An analysis of the consultation was published on August 20 2008.
The Scottish Government intend to publish a response to the consultation analysis in the autumn.
The Scottish Government hopes to introduce a draft Scottish Climate Change Bill to Parliament before the end of 2008.
Relationship with the UK Climate Change Bill
The Scottish Government is working in partnership with the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland on the UK Climate Change Bill which will set a UK 60% reduction target for carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
The Bill, which was introduced into the UK Parliament in November 2007, includes setting targets in statute and setting a limit on the total amount that can be emitted by the UK over a five year period (carbon budgeting). It also seeks to establish an independent committee to advise on the level of those carbon budgets, create enabling powers and reporting requirements. Following the Scottish Parliament's agreement in December 2007 to a Legislative Consent Motion, many of the provisions of the UK Bill, on enactment, will extend to Scotland.
The 60% target applies to the UK as a whole but in Scotland we intend to go further by setting a higher target. Scotland's emissions, and the potential to reduce emissions in Scotland, are different from the rest of the UK. We have massive potential in renewable energy, particularly in marine and wind energy.
The Scottish Bill will be the driver for devolved climate change policies.
Further information is available from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Further information on the Scottish Climate Change Bill Consultation
Please contact the Scottish Climate Change Bill Team at scottishclimatechangebill@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or 0131 244 0733.