The role of public sector bodies in tackling climate change: consultation

Part 1: Information and collaboration  

Despite challenging fiscal circumstances, Scotland has already almost halved greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, while simultaneously growing the economy and increasing employment and productivity. We now need to increase our efforts and the pace of change, while maintaining the focus on reducing emissions in a way that supports inclusive economic growth.

For Public Sector Bodies to play their full role in securing a just transition to a net-zero Scotland, leaders of Public Sector Bodies need to have the knowledge and information to make the right decisions, and the right structures need to be in place to support collaboration across the public sector and beyond.  

Information and training for Public Sector Bodies 

The Scottish Government is funding the Royal Scottish Geographical Society to develop a “Climate Solutions” qualification. We expect this to launch early in 2020, helping organisations embed climate change action at the level where it can achieve the most significant impact. It will be a short training course for middle and senior managers, designed to impart a strong background knowledge of climate issues and an opportunity to explore solutions. The focus will be on identifying and delivering on specific actions and commitments, both organisational and personal, to reduce carbon emissions. 

In terms of adapting to climate change, the following guidance was published recently to support organisations at different stages of developing adaptation strategies and action plans: Scotland Adapts: A Capability Framework For a Climate Ready Public Sector

In addition, in 2011 the Scottish Government produced Public Bodies Climate Change Duties: putting them into practice. The aim of this guidance was to assist Public Sector Bodies in addressing climate change action as a key strategic issue and in mainstreaming it alongside other corporate priorities. A number of aspects of this document now need to be updated and we welcome your views on what would be most helpful. 

Q1. What additional training, information or guidance do you think Public Sector Bodies need to help them increase their action on climate change?

Collaboration across Public Sector Bodies

Our Public Sector Bodies are connected at a strategic level through the Scottish Leaders Forum, which provides a space for collective leadership and action across a range of priorities.  At a delivery level, Chief Executives from Scotland’s executive agencies are connected through the Public Bodies Delivery Group. 

At an officer level, there is both the Scottish Energy Officer Network and the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN). The Scottish Energy Officer Network is for officers working in, or who have an interest in, public sector energy management. Its goal is to share best practice and disseminate information.  The Sustainable Scotland Network is for public sector professionals working on sustainable development and climate change.  

The Global Climate Emergency means that we need to look afresh at how we work, to ensure our spending decisions and procedures support the required step-change in activity. As part of these considerations, Scottish Government financial support for the SSN Secretariat will cease when the current contract ends on March 31 2020. Instead, we will put two structures in place:

Firstly, we will ensure there is support for Public Sector Bodies to complete their mandatory reporting duties. We will procure a contract for the support to be provided in time for the 2020 reporting round.  

Secondly, we will establish a High Ambition Climate Network of Chief Executives and Elected Members in those Public Sector Bodies who are committed to leading the way to a net-zero Scotland. 

The network will be focussed on making strategic connections across the most ambitious Public Sector Bodies, maximising the economic and social opportunities of reducing emissions, and tackling the challenges of emissions reduction in a way that makes action easier for all public bodies, communities and businesses. 

We propose that the core of the Network should be comprised of up to 15 of the most ambitious Public Sector Bodies and meet twice a year. The meetings will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, and supported by a Senior Officials Group from across the bodies involved.

It is important that all Public Sector Bodies benefit from the network, so in addition to a core membership that meets regularly, we will support an electronic network of Chief Executives and Elected Members from all Public Sector Bodies. The electronic forum will be a place where lessons learned, opportunities and ideas can be shared and developed collaboratively.  

Q2. What are your views on the proposed structure for the High Ambition Climate Network of Chief Executives and Elected Members? 

National Forum on Climate Change

Our independent statutory advisors, The UK Committee on Climate Change, have advised that achieving net-zero emissions will require “extensive changes across the economy” and “a fundamental change from the current piecemeal approach that focuses on specific actions in some sectors to an explicitly economy wide approach”^[4].

We recognise that the progress made to halve emissions from Scotland since 1990 has been achieved with little impact on most people. The next phase will require much more noticeable changes, tougher decisions and greater  opportunities. Constructive dialogue must be the central pillar of our approach.

We will create a National Forum on Climate Change that brings together government, Public Sector Bodies, the private sector, third sector organisations and the wider public. We will be working with stakeholders to explore how the National Forum can best encourage collective, informed deliberation on ideas for systemic and wide-ranging climate action.