Biodiversity strategy and delivery plan: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment (CRWIA)

Conclusion

7. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all UNCRC requirements, what is the potential overall impact of this proposal on children’s rights?

Positive

8. If you have identified a positive impact on children’s rights, please describe below how the proposal will protect, respect, and fulfil children’s rights in Scotland.

The positive impacts on children’s rights which the delivery of the Objectives and Priority Actions contained with the SBS and Delivery Plan will protect, respect and fulfil children’s rights in Scotland by:

• Improving the environment in which they live, including mitigating and adapting to the negative effects of climate change.
• Providing more access to green and blue spaces to benefit physical and mental health.
• Providing opportunities to get involved in nature restoration and management, increasing skills and potentially employment options.
• Increasing the understanding of and respect for nature.
• Providing opportunities for engaging leisure and play activity and reenforcing local culture, thereby protecting their right to preservation of identity.

9. If a negative impact has been identified please describe it below. Is there a risk this could potentially amount to an incompatibility?

No negative impacts were identified.

Mitigation Record

What options have been considered to modify the proposal in order to mitigate a negative impact or potential incompatibility?

Although no mitigation is required in delivery of the Objectives and Priority Actions of the SBS and Delivery Plan, there may be options on a project by project basis as to how the Actions are delivered, which may have implications for children’s rights. These projects will consider children's rights as they are being worked up through the CRWIA process as required.

10. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all wellbeing indicators, will the proposal contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland? (Guidance Section 2.3.2, pages 20-22).

Safe: Not Applicable

Healthy: Yes

Achieving: Yes

Nurtured: Not Applicable

Active: Yes

Respected: Yes

Responsible: Yes

Included: Yes

If yes, please provide an explanation below:

The delivery of the Objectives and Priority Actions in the SBS and Delivery Plan will contribute to the wellbeing of children in the following ways:

• Healthy – by improving access to restored or created natural areas will encourage outdoor play and learning, to the benefit of physical and mental health. Active participation in management for nature should also promote physical health.
• Achieving – key to effective delivery of the SBS and Delivery Plan, and one of the Priority Actions will be increased effort to support learning and experience of nature, both in formal setting and informally. Children should also have the opportunity to build the skills which will be needed to restore and manage nature at the scales required to avert the biodiversity crisis, whether through vocational training or volunteering through their community or environmental group.
• Active – having natural areas closer to home school and community should allow children more opportunity to explore nature through play, for natural areas to be used as part of the school curriculum and for communities to actively manage areas for the benefit of nature.
• Respected, Responsible and Included - through active engagement with actions to create and restore natural areas, whether through school or community group activities, the views of children should be taken in to account and implemented on the ground.

11. How will you communicate to children and young people the impact that the proposal will have on their rights?

In line the wider communication strategy which has been developed to raise awareness and encourage participation in achieving the Objectives of the SBS and participating in delivering some of the Priority Actions in the Delivery Plan, the appropriate channels will be used to reach children. This will include through formal educational means and informal media such as social media.

Through their ongoing participation in the Stakeholder Group, the Scottish Youth Parliament and YoungScot representatives will have the opportunity to review progress, advise how children can be better engaged and help shape the next Delivery Plan.

This CRWIA will also be published, and in the public domain for anyone wishing to access it and refer to the evaluation. It has been written, where possible in a language which is accessible so that its contents potential effects on their rights and wellbeing can be understood.