Publication - FOI/EIR release

Cost to produce Net Zero consultations: FOI release

Published: 5 November 2024
Directorate: Energy and Climate Change Directorate
Topic: Environment and climate change, Public sector
FOI reference: FOI/202400434519
Date received: 2 October 2024
Date responded: 30 October 2024

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Information requested

The total cost to produce and analysis the following consultations

Charging for single-use disposable beverage cups

Flood Resilience Strategy: consultation

Developing a natural capital market framework: survey

The Scottish Road Worker Consultation 2024

A consultation on time limits for enforcement action for unauthorised Environmental Impact Assessment development

Draft Bioenergy Policy Statement: Consultation

Climate change - draft Scottish National Adaptation Plan 3: consultation

Social Housing Net Zero Standard in Scotland

Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill: Consultation

Water, wastewater and drainage policy consultation

Energy Performance Certificate reform consultation

Strategic environmental assessment of draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan

Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan consultation

2035 target for the amount of heat to be supplied by heat networks

Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation

New build heat standard consultation: part II

What we have done so far

What are Scotland’s Just Transition Outcomes

How can you get involved

What are we doing

How we'll do it

Devolved aspects of the review of the Scheme that provides relief to energy-intensive industries for a proportion of the

costs of funding renewable energy generation, that includes the Renewables Obligation (Scotland)

Dialogue challenge: Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill

Environmental Standards Scotland - draft strategic plan

Onshore conventional oil and gas - call for evidence

Coal extraction - call for evidence

Call for evidence: Single-use food containers and other single-use items

Proposed changes to fees charged for applications under the Electricity Act 1989

Introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking

20% car kilometre reduction route map

National litter and flytipping strategy consultation

Consumer Scotland draft workplan for energy, post and water 2022-23: Consultation

Regulation of energy efficiency in existing non-domestic buildings: call for evidence

Incineration in the waste hierarchy review: call for evidence

National Public Energy Agency: call for evidence

Guiding principles on the environment: draft statutory guidance

Onshore Wind Policy Statement

Draft Hydrogen Action Plan

Changes to the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) scheme

Draft Heat Networks Delivery Plan

Response

We determined your request could be answered more efficiently by dividing it into two separate requests. This response covers consultations 1 - 3 and 5 – 42 in the table below, reference number: 202400434519. The request for The Scottish Road Worker Consultation 2024 will be answered separately, reference number: 202400434516.

Environmental Standards Scotland - draft strategic plan (26) & Introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking (31)

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested in relation to the “Environmental Standards Scotland - draft strategic plan” and “Introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking”. The consultation on the Draft Strategic Plan was conducted by Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) and any information relating to this consultation will be held by ESS. The consultation on the Introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking was conducted by the UK Government and any information relating to this consultation will be held by the UK Government. As such, I hereby provide you with formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. You may wish to contact ESS and the UK Government as they may be able to provide the information you are seeking.

Consultations 1-3, 5-25, 37-30 & 32-42

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under Section 17(1) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained below. Scottish Government officials operate flexibly across a range of policies and programmes according to the specific requirements of their work at any given time. They do not, as a matter of course, record the proportion of their time spent working on matters. Scottish Government officials would be involved throughout the production and analysis stages of the consultation process (in terms of both internal work by officials and engagement with external third parties) which would constitute part of the overall total cost incurred.

It is not possible to determine the internal Scottish Government costs attributed to staff time spent on the consultations specified in your request which would form a part of the total overall cost. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a “total cost” figure incurred by the Scottish Government for each of the consultations as specified in your request.

However, I have provided a partial cost figure for each consultation below for your convenience. These figures represent costs associated with the publication, promotion and analysis (if conducted externally). For some consultations, this activity is completed solely by Scottish Government officials and will therefore have low or zero costs in the table below. In some cases, only publication costs are applicable.

No	Consultation	Costs
1	Charging for single-use disposable beverage cups	£4,848.73 (This consultation is still open)
2	Flood Resilience Strategy: consultation	£116,108.75
3	Developing a natural capital market framework: survey	£651.14
5	A consultation on time limits for enforcement action for unauthorised Environmental Impact Assessment development	£602.25
6	Draft Bioenergy Policy Statement: Consultation	£876.95
7	Climate change - draft Scottish National Adaptation Plan 3: consultation	£44,865.85
8	Social Housing Net Zero Standard in Scotland	£14,111.34
9	Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill: Consultation	£107,904.73
10	Water, wastewater and drainage policy consultation	£1,164.02
11	Energy Performance Certificate reform consultation	£19,247.69
12	Strategic environmental assessment of draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan	This was part of the consultation on the draft Energy Strategy Transition and Just Transition Plan (see line below on draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan consultation(13)).
13	Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan consultation	£62,758.00
14	2035 target for the amount of heat to be supplied by heat networks	£480.36
15	Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation	£48,205.81
16	New build heat standard consultation: part II	£12,123.99
17	What we have done so far	These are not consultations but part of Just Transition engagement. This is a part of the Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan. Cost included in line for 'Dialogue Challenge: Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan' (23) figure below
18	What are Scotland’s Just Transition Outcomes	These are not consultations but part of Just Transition engagement. This is a part of the Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan. Cost included in line for 'Dialogue Challenge: Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan' (23) figure below
19	How can you get involved	These are not consultations but part of Just Transition engagement. This is a part of the Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan. Cost included in line for 'Dialogue Challenge: Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan' (23) figure below
20	What are we doing	These are not consultations but part of Just Transition engagement. This is a part of the Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan. Cost included in line for 'Dialogue Challenge: Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan' (23) figure below
21	How we'll do it	These are not consultations but part of Just Transition engagement. This is a part of the Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan. Cost included in line for 'Dialogue Challenge: Energy Transition and Just Transition Plan' (23) figure below
22	Devolved aspects of the review of the Scheme that provides relief to energy-intensive industries for a proportion of the costs of funding renewable energy generation, that includes the Renewables Obligation (Scotland)	£324.72
23	Dialogue challenge: Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan	£116,923.25 The Dialogue Challenge comprised an extensive engagement programme with communities, businesses and public bodies across Scotland on the development of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
24	Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond	£39,326.11
25	Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill	£24,988.76
26	Environmental Standards Scotland - draft strategic plan	N/A EES Consultation
27 & 28	Onshore conventional oil and gas - call for evidence; and Coal extraction - call for evidence Note: Consultations ran in tandem	£7,812.50
29	Call for evidence: Single-use food containers and other single-use items	£2,129.09
30	Proposed changes to fees charged for applications under the Electricity Act 1989	£1,394.09
31	Introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking	N/A UK Government Consultation
32	20% car kilometre reduction route map	£19,037.10
33	National litter and flytipping strategy consultation	£52,406.39
34	Consumer Scotland draft workplan for energy, post and water 2022-23: Consultation	£462.50
35	Regulation of energy efficiency in existing non-domestic buildings: call for evidence	£232.66
36	Incineration in the waste hierarchy review: call for evidence	£517.32
37	National Public Energy Agency: call for evidence	£14,746.57
38	Guiding principles on the environment: draft statutory guidance	£1,604.44
39	Onshore Wind Policy Statement	£18,802.80
40	Draft Hydrogen Action Plan	£23,381.44
41	Changes to the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) scheme	£253.09
42	Draft Heat Networks Delivery Plan	£21,038.24

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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