Cleaner Air for Scotland 2: progress report 2022-2023

Annex A: completed actions

Since CAFS2 was published in July 2021,16 actions have been fully delivered. Each action in CAFS2 has been assigned a short (to 2022), medium (to 2024) or longer term (to 2026) timeframe for delivery within the Delivery Plan. The majority of the completed actions are those identified as short term priority actions in the Delivery Plan, however three medium term and one longer term action have also been completed.

Topic and timeframe

Integrated policy (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Scottish Government with support from SEPA will ensure that the national nitrogen balance sheet for Scotland reflects the contributions to relevant air quality pollutants from all sectors of the economy. Also, ensure that the new evidence base from the balance sheet is used to inform future policy making around air quality and its alignment with other strategic frameworks. Once established the Balance Sheet will be reviewed on a regular basis.

Update

In December 2021 the secondary legislation for the Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet was successfully laid in Parliament, and the accompanying report and dataset published online

https://www.gov.scot/publications/establishing-scottish-nitrogen-balance-sheet/

Topic and timeframe

Placemaking (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Scottish Government will ensure that National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) has regard to CAFS2 in its preparation, in accordance with the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

Update

NPF4 was adopted by the Scottish Ministers on 13 February 2023, following approval by the Scottish Parliament in January. NPF4 forms part of the statutory development plan and has an enhanced position and influence on planning decisions as planning applications are determined in accordance with the development plan and relevant material considerations. The NPF4 vision for sustainable, liveable and productive places is clear that our high quality environment and natural capital provides the essentials we need to survive, including clean air. Lifelong health and wellbeing is a cross-cutting outcome of NPF4, which includes the taking into account of air pollution. The NPF4 spatial strategy identifies five broad ‘regions’ covering all of Scotland where priorities for change are identified. Improving local liveability is identified as a means to reduce urban car use and improve air quality in the Central area, with expansion of woodlands in urban areas also supporting air quality.

Policy 23(d) states: “Development proposals that are likely to have significant adverse effects on air quality will not be supported. Development proposals will consider opportunities to improve air quality and reduce exposure to poor air quality. An air quality assessment will be required where the nature of the proposal or the air quality in the location suggest significant effects are likely”.

Co-benefits for air quality will also be delivered through NPF4 policies on: tackling the climate and nature crises; forestry, woodland and trees; energy; zero waste; sustainable transport; design, quality and place; local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods; blue green infrastructure; and minerals.

Topic and timeframe

Behaviour change (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Scottish Government will commission a baseline survey of current awareness amongst the Scottish public of air pollution health effects and source contributors.

Update

A survey was undertaken between 1 and 13 September 2022. A total of 1,520 respondents completed the survey with initial findings presented to the CAFS2 Delivery and Working Groups in December 2022. The report was published 26 June 2023.

Topic and timeframe

Industrial emissions regulation (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Scottish Government will ensure that EU standards and principles relating to emissions of air pollutants continue to apply in Scotland following the UK’s exit from the EU, in line with the duties introduced by the Continuity Act 2021.

Update

There has been no change to the status of EU legislation relating to industrial emissions and air pollution and all relevant legislation is transposed and compliance is still expected.

Topic and timeframe

Industrial emissions regulation (long term action)

CAFS2 Action

The Scottish Government will review the role of incineration in Scotland’s waste hierarchy.

Update

Dr Church was commissioned by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity to lead an independent review on the role of incineration in Scotland’s waste hierarchy in November 2021, fulfilling Scottish Government’s commitment to do so in Programme for Government and the Bute House Agreement. Dr Church’s independent review, Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury? Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy in Scotland (the Review), was published 10 May 2022. The Review had 12 full recommendations and two provisional recommendations. Scottish Government published its response to the Review, accepting Dr Church’s recommendations, on 16 June 2022.

Topic and timeframe

Tackling non transport emissions

(short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Scottish Government will use available data and other information to set a Scottish contribution for overall UK ammonia emissions reduction targets required under the National Emission Ceilings Directive.

Update

The National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) was published 9 February 2023. The NAPCP sets out how the UK can meet the legally binding 2020 and 2030 emission reduction commitments.

Topic and timeframe

Transport (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Transport Scotland will work with local authorities and SEPA to introduce LEZs into Scotland’s four largest cities.

Update

Following the introduction of Scotland’s first LEZ in Glasgow in 2018 for buses, further LEZs in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh, were established at the end of May 2022, together with an expansion of the Glasgow LEZ to cover other vehicle classes.

LEZ enforcement for all vehicles commenced in Glasgow city centre from 1 June (with a further 12 months grace period for residents within the zone), and starts in the city centres of Dundee on 30 May 2024, Aberdeen and Edinburgh from 1 June 2024.

Topic and timeframe

Transport (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Transport Scotland will work with local authorities and delivery partners to make temporary active travel infrastructure, delivered under the Space for People (SfP) fund during the COVID-19 outbreak, permanent in the medium to longer term. Where appropriate and with due process, for example, in taking account of the implications for disabled people.

Update

All schemes in SfP fund have been delivered, and evaluation published in September 2022 found that all objectives were met, including that to protect public health through the provision of temporary infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling. We have seen a 17% rise in people walking, and a 15% rise in cycling at SfP sites compared to reductions elsewhere, and local authorities plan to keep more than 61% of interventions delivered through the SfP programme.

Topic and timeframe

Transport (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Transport Scotland will ensure that taxi operations are incorporated into the drafting of ‘LEZ Guidance’, with cross reference to the ‘Taxi and Private Hire Car Licensing’ guidance.

Update

LEZ guidance was published in October 2021 and includes the cross reference.

Topic and timeframe

Transport (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Transport Scotland will explore the merits of a national taxi and private hire licencing database in terms of supporting the LEZ enforcement regime.

Update

Taxis are treated as cars for the purpose of LEZ enforcement and therefore a national database is no longer required.

Topic and timeframe

Transport (medium term action)

CAFS2 Action

Scottish Government will take forward a policy consultation in advance of drafting Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) regulations, and thereafter, take forward the regulations required to support the WPL provisions in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 which require commencement and supporting regulations.

Update

WPL regulations and guidance implemented in 2022.

Topic and timeframe

Transport (medium term action)

CAFS2 Action

Transport Scotland will encourage all Scottish employers to apply the Acas homeworking principles (where possible) within their Carbon Management Plans.

Update

Since the period of widespread homeworking throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many organisations have now adopted some form of hybrid working approach and have well developed processes and principles for working from home for their employees. It is for Scottish employers to set the scope of their Carbon Management Plans, if they exist, and they will consider the impact of homeworking if this falls within their emissions boundary. It is therefore considered not necessary or relevant that this action is taken forward given the wider understanding of homeworking and the consideration of associated emissions.

Topic and timeframe

Governance, accountability and delivery

(medium term action)

CAFS2 Action

The Scottish Government with support from SEPA will develop a more systematic approach to Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) production and implementation, including a standardised format and a methodology for agreeing and setting defined timescales for completing individual measures, revoking Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and reporting progress.

Update

In March 2023 we published revised LAQM guidance. The guidance has been updated to include a more systemic approach to AQAP production and implementation following recommendations made by ESS.

AQAP and AQMA amendment and revocation templates have also been produced and are available on request from SEPA.

Topic and timeframe

Governance, accountability and delivery (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Scottish Government will establish a Ministerial Group to provide high level leadership and direction for CAFS2.

Update

A Ministerial Group has been established as part of the governance structure to drive delivery for the CAFS2 strategy. The Ministerial Group oversees at a strategic level implementation of the actions set out in CAFS2 and the accompanying Delivery Plan.

Topic and timeframe

Governance, accountability and delivery (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

Scottish Government with support from SEPA will establish a Delivery Group with a clear remit and well defined responsibilities for ensuring that the actions in CAFS2 are delivered.

Update

A Delivery Group has been established as part of the governance structure for CAFS2. The Delivery Group manages the implementation of CAFS2, in particular ensuring that specific milestones and overall timelines for each action are on track and, where necessary, deciding on appropriate mitigation to maintain momentum. The Delivery Group is supported by a series of Working Groups covering key policy areas.

Topic and timeframe

Governance, accountability and delivery (short term action)

CAFS2 Action

The CAFS Delivery Group with support from Scottish Government and SEPA will establish a series of specialist groups to provide advice to and support the work of the Delivery Group.

Update

Five specialist Working Groups have been established to support the Delivery Group. The Working Groups meet on an ‘as required’ basis to discuss key areas of work and priority actions.