CLIMATE
CHANGE
SCOTLAND

Welcome to the first edition of our new style newsletter, Climate Change Scotland, which we hope to issue regularly to keep you informed of some of the information available on the subject of climate change and it’s effect on the UK and Scotland.

It is expected that the format of the letter will evolve over time and any comments you may have about the content and layout would be welcome. In the meantime we hope you find it informative. A copy of this newsletter, along with other climate change information, is also available in the Environment and Nature section of the Scottish Executive web-site at /whatwedo.asp?topic=environment.

The Scottish Executive Climate Change Team are:

Guy Winter: Team Leader
John Holmes: Senior Policy Officer
Alistair Montgomery: Policy Officer
Fiona O’Brien: Admin Support

Should you have any matters you want to discuss with the Climate Change Team please telephone Alistair Montgomery (0131 244 7384), or e-mail him at alistair.montgomery@scotland.gov.uk, in the first instance.

As of 1 July this year The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department became the Scottish Executive, Rural Affairs Department. The Climate

Change Team is part of the Environment Group of that Department. The Scottish Minister responsible for climate change issues is the Minister for Transport and the Environment, Sarah Boyack MSP.

The Scottish Executive web-site can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk and there is also a Scottish Parliament web-site available at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/¨

2. UK CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMME

A report of the responses to the UK climate change programme consultation exercise, which closed for comments on 12 February, was published on 16 August (a copy accompanies this newsletter but further copies can be obtained by phoning 0870 1226 236 quoting product code 99EP0406). The press release announcing publication is available on the Scottish Executive web-site.

This document is simply a factual summary of the responses. You may wish to pay particular attention to the Scottish perspective on pages 26-28. A copy of the summary can also be accessed through a link on our web-site or directly at http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/consult/climatechange/response/index.htm.

The analysis of the responses is now being fed into the development of a draft UK climate change programme which will be published for further consultation towards the end of the year. It is hoped that the programme will be in place in good time for UK ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

3. GUIDELINES FOR COMPANY REPORTING ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

You may be interested to note the recent publication of a document entitled ‘Environmental Reporting – Guidelines For Company Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions’ which has been produced in order to make it easier for organisations to respond to national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (a copy accompanies this newsletter).

The UK guidelines are part of an international move to improve measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions following the Kyoto agreement. They provide a voluntary standard for measuring and reporting emissions across a full range of activities including energy use in buildings, freight transport and business travel, as well as specialist process emissions. They enable organisations to take commonly available management information, such as energy and fuel bills, and convert these on an authoritative basis into estimated emissions of greenhouse gases.

Further copies of the guidelines are available through a link in the Scottish Executive web-site or directly at http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/envrp/gas/index.htm. Free paper copies can be obtained by ringing 0171 890 6564.

4. RESEARCH

The findings of the scoping studies to highlight the implications of climate change in Scotland and to disaggregate the UK emissions of greenhouse gases for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland should be available shortly. We will keep you informed of developments.

5. CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRE

Development of a new Climate Change Centre, with the aim of helping find sustainable solutions to the challenges posed by climate change, was announced recently. It is hoped that it will be operational in the year 2000. Further information can be obtained from the internet at http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/climatecentre.html. For those without access to the internet, information about the Centre can be obtained from the following contacts:

Ian Dwyer, Natural Environment Research Council (Tel: 01793 411511, i.dwyer@nerc.ac.uk);

Catherine Coates, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Tel: 01793 444176, c.coates@epsrc.ac.uk);

Christine McCulloch, Economic and Social Research Council (Tel: 01793 413061, c.mcculloch@esrc.ac.uk).

6. PREPARING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

The European Commission has published a document outlining the action required by European Union countries to prepare for implementation of the obligations of the Kyoto Protocol. A copy of the document is on the internet at http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg11/docum/99230_en.htm.

7. INDICATORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE UK

A report, published in June, compiled by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology and the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia entitled ‘Indicators of Climate Change in the UK’ shows evidence that climate change is affecting the UK. Copies of the report, which is open for comment and discussion, can be accessed through a link in the Scottish Executive web-site or directly at http://www.nbu.ac.uk/iccuk. Paper copies (product code 99DPL001) are available free of charge from DETR free literature, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7NB (Tel: 0870 1226 236, Fax: 0870 1226 237).

8. NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY: CONSULTATION

Those who received our April letter on climate change developments will be aware of the Government consultation on new and renewable energy, which closed for comment on 28 May. The Government have now published an analysis of the responses entitled ‘New and Renewable Energy – Prospects for the 21^st Century: Analysis of Responses to the Consultation Paper’ (URN 99/1034). Copies are available free of charge from the DTI Publications Orderline, ADMAIL 528, London SW1W 8YT. The Government intend to publish a further Energy Paper (actual date of publication not yet known) setting out their policy and strategy on renewable energy.