Social housing net zero standard consultation: interim equality impact assessment

1. Screening

References in this document are to the existing funding offers available and may change in future.

1.1.1 Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 requires the Scottish Government to:^[1]

• eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the 2010 Act;
• advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and
• foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

1.1.2 The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.^[2]

1.1.3 The duty under section 149 is known as the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Therefore, we have assessed the impact of our policy against the three needs of the duty:

• ensuring that the policy does not discriminate unlawfully;
• considering how the policy might better advance equality of opportunity; and
• considering whether the policy will foster good relations between different groups.