Public sector leadership on the global climate emergency: guidance

11. Interpretation of Legislation

In line with the Committee on Climate Change advice, we need to establish zero direct emissions from the estate and operations of the public sector as the norm.

Direct emissions are from sources owned or controlled by the public body and for which the public body is responsible, principally the combustion of fuel on the public body’s premises and in its owned vehicles. Direct emissions are defined in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol as scope 1. Some areas of direct emissions cannot be reduced to absolute zero: these should be identified by the public bodies in their net zero planning, and reduced as much as possible.

In the light of responses to the 2019 consultation and soundings taken by the Scottish Government, the wording of the 2020 Order – “or such other targets” – offers some flexibility for example to permit where:

(a) a public body wishes to use a science-based methodology to set targets in line with Scotland’s national targets and the Paris Agreement, or to produce a “beyond zero” or “beyond net zero” plan;

(b) a public body may have unavoidable operational emissions from specialist activities or processes so a “net zero” target involving some form of counterbalancing for direct emissions is the best that can be achieved;

(c) a public body may not be able to provide a target date for zero direct emissions and may set a target date for achieving as close to zero direct emissions as possible;

(d) exceptionally, the most effective use of limited resources by a public body might at times be in wider influencing of reduced emissions rather than achieving small-scale reductions in its own direct emissions.