Low Carbon Scotland: behaviours framework

We are heading for a Low Carbon Scotland…

A Scotland where…

…we have reduced the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production

…our electricity, heating and the way we travel are largely decarbonised

…the food we eat is healthy and locally produced

…we have access to improved employment opportunities through our new low carbon economy

This Framework outlines what the Scottish Government will do to drive and support the move to low carbon living in the lead-up to the first key climate change target in 2020. It specifies the key behaviours we are seeking to influence, outlines the Scottish Government's evidence-based approach to behaviour change and the actions we will take, and explains how we will measure progress in this area. The Framework is aimed at policymakers and other key influencers and intermediaries who are helping in the move towards a low carbon Scotland, and proposes the role these partners can take in influencing low carbon behaviours. It is intended as the next step on from the Low Carbon Scotland: Public Engagement Strategy which was published in 2010. ^[1]

…but how do we get there?

Over the coming decades, we will all have to adapt to a reduced reliance on carbon – from the level of government, local authorities and the public sector, through to business, communities, households and individuals; this is the basis of an unprecedented economic and environmental opportunity for Scotland. Huge infrastructural and technological advances are being made to help drive this transformational change.

The Second Report on Proposals and Policies for the period 2013 to 2027 was published, in draft, on 29 January 2013 for a 60-day consultation period. ^[2] This document outlines the measures that will be taken to ensure we meet our statutory targets under Scotland’s Climate Change Act. Publication of the final report is expected by summer 2013.

" Huge infrastructural and technological advances are being made to help drive this transformational change."

Some of the key low carbon measures supported by government that we will see over the coming years include:

• Development of more sustainable systems for heating and insulating our homes, and access to these supported through the Green Deal ^[3] and the National Retrofit Programme ^[4] ( NRP).
• Development of new electric car technologies, and an associated increased take-up of electric cars on our roads.
• Technologies which will ultimately allow for the complete decarbonisation of heating and cooling processes in industry, business and the public sector.
• Dramatic reduction of waste to landfill, to – eventually – completely remove waste as we know it from our economy and instead see it as a material resource for use in a variety of ways.

So, how does this involve us as individuals?

Although these infrastructural and technological measures are crucial in moving us towards a low carbon Scotland, the impact of many of them depends heavily on the extent to which people adopt and use them. It is therefore vital that the people of Scotland fully understand these measures, and how to incorporate them into their everyday lives, to ensure everyone is both willing and able to make the move to low carbon living.

The transition to a low carbon Scotland will require significant lifestyle changes for most people, impacting on the ways we get around, how we heat our homes, buy our food, and the goods we consume. This will mean a whole cultural shift over the coming years.

This will be challenging, but the initiatives being implemented and supported by the Scottish Government aim to make the transition as seamless and straightforward as possible. Government and its partners need to engage fully with the public on the impacts of climate change and the actions we can all take, together, to make the move to a low carbon Scotland.

" It is vital that the people of Scotland fully understand these measures, and how to incorporate them into their everyday lives."

A successful transition depends upon Scotland’s public learning to adapt to a changing environment – both built and natural. It is vital that we all work together to plan and prepare for change now, so that Scottish communities and businesses are better placed to build resilience and to take advantage of the opportunities that will come with low carbon living.

The engagement and support proposed in this Framework are crucial to helping individuals, households, communities and businesses be ready to take a new low carbon approach – for our lives now and in the future.