Climate Change Plan: third report on proposals and policies - written statement

Wider Benefits

Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

1. Whilst the Committee considers the use of the TIMES Model to be a potential advance in climate change policy making, it raised concerns regarding the limitations of the framework in considering wider benefits and believes these could be mitigated by the creation of a more formal structure supplementing the use of the Model. It noted that there is still work to do on the bottom up approach to ensure considerations such as behaviour change and wider benefits have equal status with the outputs of TIMES. The Committee recommended a formalised approach is adopted to consider wider benefits. (194)

• The Committee on Climate Change states that there is increasing clarity about the wider benefits of action to tackle climate change. However, it also notes that some of these benefits are difficult to quantify in monetary terms.
• The Scottish Government commissioned three evidence reviews of the potential wider impacts of climate change mitigation options, focusing on: agriculture, forestry, waste and related land use; the built environment; and transport. The findings of these reviews were used to inform the development of policies in the Plan.
• The Plan includes examples of wider benefits, which are quantified where possible. For example:
  • Transport: The combined value of air quality improvements as a result of reduced transport emissions may be in excess of £500 million per year. Further benefits will come from reduced noise pollution, which has a positive impact on health and wellbeing.
  • Buildings and Energy Efficiency: The SEEP programme will help create multiple benefits, including supporting jobs and businesses within the local and national economy. Every £100 million spent on energy efficiency improvements in 2018 is estimated to support approximately 1,200 full-time equivalent jobs across the Scottish economy. It will also support health and early years improvements through people living in warmer homes.
• The Scottish Government agrees with the Committee that understanding and enabling climate friendly behaviours is an important component in meeting our emission reduction targets. For example, active travel policies in transport include improvements to infrastructure and a range of behaviour change initiatives to increase people's awareness, skills and confidence around cycling and walking.