Getting the best from our land: land use strategy for Scotland

Annex B: List of Proposals

The Scottish Government will

1. Publish an action plan following publication of the Strategy.

2. Provide an annual progress statement on the Land Use Strategy.

3. Align land-use regulations and incentives with Land Use Strategy Objectives.

4. Further encourage land-based businesses to take actions that reduce land-based greenhouse gas emissions and that enable adaptation to climate change threats and opportunities.

5. Use the Land Use Strategy Objectives to influence negotiations on CAP reform.

6. Use demonstration projects to determine the best means by which land use and land management practice can contribute to climate change objectives.

7. Identify more closely which types of land are best for tree planting in the context of other land-based objectives, and promote good practice and local processes in relation to tree planting so as to secure multiple benefits.

8. Demonstrate how the ecosystem approach could be taken into account in relevant decisions made by public bodies to deliver wider benefits, and provide practical guidance.

9. Develop a methodology to take account of changes in soil carbon for carbon accounting purposes; improve understanding of potential benefits from conservation and management of carbon-rich soils; and deliver measures to help secure long-term management of all land-based carbon stores.

10. Investigate the relationship between land management changes and ecosystem processes to identify adaptation priorities.

11. Develop the land-use aspects of our Climate Change Adaptation Framework to support communities as they adapt to change.

12. Identify and publicise effective ways for communities to contribute to land-use debates and decision-making.

13. Provide a Land Use Information Hub on the Scottish Government website.