Circular economy and waste route map to 2030: strategic environmental assessment - post adoption statement

1. Introduction

1.1 Overview of the Route Map

The Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030 is part of the Scottish Government's wider response to the climate and nature crises, sitting alongside a range of other strategies and plans.

The Route Map has been designed to drive progress on three key fronts:

1. Setting the strategic direction and laying foundations for how to deliver a system-wide, comprehensive vision for Scotland's circular economy from now to 2030 – based on Responsible Production, Responsible Consumption, and Maximising Value from Waste and Energy.

2. Setting out priority actions from now to 2030 to accelerate more sustainable use of our resources across the waste hierarchy; acknowledging the progress made against our existing 2025 waste reduction and recycling targets, the areas we have fallen short, and the lessons we can learn as we set out the framework for what comes next.

3. Reducing emissions associated with resources and waste. The Route Map sets out opportunities to decarbonise the waste sector ahead of the draft Climate Change Plan, to be published in 2025, and an approach to tackling the whole-life climate impact of Scotland's resource management and waste.

The Route Map outlines which actions will be prioritised to 2030, by when, and how the Scottish Government will work with others to drive sustainable use and management of Scotland's resources. This will lay the groundwork for delivery of Scotland's circular economy up to 2030.

The direction and actions set out in the Route Map are complemented by the new powers in the landmark Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024^[1], and in some places are dependent on these powers. The circular economy strategy will build on this Route Map looking beyond 2030 and will identify priority sectors and systems taking a strategic longer term view up to 2045. It will consider economic drivers, behaviour change and international impact as well as setting out the broader vision, indicators, outcomes, and objectives that will be used to monitor progress.

The final Route Map takes into account the feedback from two consultations that were held in 2022 and in early 2024. Analysis of responses to the most recent consultation showed that there were consistently high levels of support for the actions.

Measures in the Route Map are grouped under four strategic aims, which reflect the span of the waste hierarchy:

1. Reduce and reuse

2. Modernise recycling

3. Decarbonise disposal

4. Strengthen the circular economy

For each strategic aim the Route Map sets out priority actions to focus on and identifies further actions to progress between now and 2030.

1.2 SEA Process

In Scotland, the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 requires plans, programmes and strategies that are likely to have a significant impact on the environment to be assessed and for measures to avoid, prevent or reduce adverse effects to be sought, where possible, prior to implementation. This process is known as Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

SEA helps to better protect the environment, aims to ensure that any development is sustainable, and increases opportunities for public participation in decision-making.

The SEA was undertaken to both inform the decision-making process in the development of the Route Map, and to engage with the statutory consultees,^[2] other stakeholders, and interested parties via the statutory public consultation process set out in the 2005 Act.

In 2022, the Scottish Government set out a range of proposals across the resources and waste system through its first Route Map consultation. The consultation sought views on the feasibility and ambition of these proposals in order to drive progress against 2025 circular economy, waste and recycling goals, look beyond to 2030, and to achieve the long-term goal of net zero by 2045.

After the drafting of a combined SEA screening and scoping report, a consultation was undertaken with the statutory consultees for a 5-week period. Each statutory consultee was provided with the SEA Screening and Scoping Report issued by the Scottish Government and comments invited. Consultation responses were received from all three statutory consultees and used to determine the final scope of the Environmental Report and assessments.

Building on the first consultation, the Scottish Government published a draft version of the Route Map in January 2024, which sought to prioritise and focus on the key actions that will unlock progress across the waste hierarchy to 2030. The Scottish Government sought feedback on the revised document and associated impact assessments through a second consultation. The consultation documentation included the SEA Environmental Report, with views invited on the methodology and conclusions of the environmental assessment.

The Scottish Government adopted and published Scotland's Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030 on 18 December 2024.

1.3 Purpose of this Post Adoption Statement

In accordance with Section 17 of the 2005 Act, the Scottish Government has reviewed the findings of the Environmental Report and the consultation responses to the report in coming to its decision on the preferred approach for the implementation of the Route Map.

Section 18 of the 2005 Act requires that when a plan or programme is adopted, the consultation bodies and the public are informed, and the following specific information is made available:

• l the plan as adopted.
• l a statement summarising:

(i) how environmental considerations have been integrated into the design of the plan (Section 18(3)a of the 2005 Act).

(ii) how the Environmental Report has been taken into account (Section 18(3)b).

(iii) how consultees' opinions have been taken into account (Section 18(3)c and d).

(iv) the reasons for choosing the proposed plan or programme;

(v) the measures to be used to monitor the significant environmental effects of the implementation of the plan or programme(Section 18(3)f).

The purpose of this Post Adoption Statement is to provide the specific information outlined under each of the points listed (i) to (v) above and which is presented in the following sections of this statement.