Climate change: Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029

Annex B – Impact Assessments

Introduction

• Not a single area of Scotland will remain unimpacted by the effects of climate change.
• As a nation, we must adapt. However, we must ensure we do so in a way that considers the impact of the plan on all areas of our society. From our environment to our economy to our people, we must ensure everyone is considered and included in this journey to help shape climate-resilient places.
• As part of the preparation of SNAP3, a number of impact assessments have been carried out to identify potential impacts of the Adaptation Plan on a wide range of areas. These were also consulted on as part of the 12-week consultation on the Adaptation Plan which took place in January-April 2024. The assessments include a Strategic Environmental Assessment, Joint Equalities Impact and Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment, Island Communities Impact Assessment and Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment. The assessments consider positive, negative and neutral impacts the Adaptation Plan may have, intentionally or consequentially and how the Plan fits into the wider Scottish, UK and international landscape. The EQIA, FSDA, ICIA, CRWIA and BRIA provide revisions of the draft impact assessments based on pre-existing evidence to integrate the consultation findings into a comprehensive picture of the impacts of the Adaptation Plan. Where feasible, recommendations from the draft impact assessments and consultation responses relating to the impact assessments have been actioned. The links to each Impact Assessment can be found at the end of this Annex.
• As a first, and recognising the impacts of climate change on health and wellbeing, Public Health Scotland also conducted a Health Impact Assessment of SNAP3 which will be published on their website [link].
• Climate change has the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities, damage our natural environment and impact the viability of our businesses. By conducting these impact assessments and integrating that the responses are as far as possible into the final Plan, we ensure that our efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate are done so in a way which actively improves our natural environment and the places and people which make up Scotland.

What is Strategic Environmental Assessment?

• In Scotland, public bodies and private companies operating in a public character, such as utility companies, are required to assess, consult on, and monitor the likely impacts their plans, programmes and strategies will have on the environment. 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. It ensures that expert views are sought at various points in the preparation process from the public and the Consultation Authorities. The Consultation Authorities include the following bodies:
  • NatureScot
  • Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
  • Historic Environment Scotland

What is an Equalities Impact Assessment?

• The Equality Act 2010 harmonised existing equalities legislation and includes a public sector duty (‘the Duty’) which requires public authorities to pay due regard to the need to:
  • Eliminate discrimination, harassment, or any other prohibited conduct
  • Advance equality of opportunity
  • Foster good relations between different groups – by tackling prejudice and promoting understanding
• The Duty requires the Scottish Government to assess the impact of applying proposed new legislation. Equality legislation covers the characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex including pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, and sexual orientation.
• An Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) aims to consider how a policy may impact, either positively or negatively, on different sectors of the population in different ways. A policy can cover activities, functions, strategies, programmes, and services or processes.

What is the Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment?

• The Fairer Scotland Duty (FSD) is set out in legislation as Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010 and came into force in Scotland from April 2018. The aim of the FSD is to help the public sector to make better policy decisions and deliver fairer outcomes. The duty focuses on socio-economic inequality issues such as low income, low wealth, and area deprivation. The Fairer Scotland Duty applies to ‘decisions of a strategic nature’ – these are the key, high-level choices or plans that the public sector makes.

What is a Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment?

• The Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) is used to identify, research, analyse and record the impact of a proposed policy on children’s human rights and wellbeing. CRWIA helps the Scottish Government consider whether it is: advancing the rights of children in Scotland; and protecting and promoting the wellbeing of children and young people.
• CRWIA is a Ministerial duty under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill was first passed by the Scottish Parliament unanimously on 16 March 2021. An amended bill was then passed by the Scottish Parliament on 7 December 2023 which came into force on 16 July 2024. The UNCRC Act requires public authorities to protect children’s human rights in their decision-making when delivering functions conferred by Acts of the Scottish Parliament.

What is an Island Communities Impact Assessment?

• An Island Community Impact Assessment (ICIA) tests any new policy, strategy or service which is likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from the effect on other communities. This became a legal duty in December 2020 under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.

What is a Health Impact Assessment?

• Health impact assessment (HIA) is a practical way to systematically consider the potential, and sometimes unintended, effects a policy, strategy or service plan may have on the health of a population. It is particularly useful for considering effects on vulnerable or disadvantaged groups and was used to identify the potential health impacts, positive and negative, intended and unintended, of the proposals in SNAP3.
• In March 2024, Public Health Scotland (PHS) carried out a health impact assessment scoping exercise, facilitating a workshop on each of the SNAP 3 outcomes related to domestic adaptation policy (outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4). In total seventy stakeholders took part in one or more virtual workshops. A health impacts checklist was used in a facilitated discussion to consider the key populations and health determinants that could be impacted by the package of policies and actions to deliver each outcome.
• The HIA will be published by PHS later this year.

What is a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment?

• A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) looks at the likely costs, benefits, and risks of any proposed primary or secondary legislation. It also covers voluntary regulation, codes of practice, guidance or policy changes that may have an impact on the public, private or third sector.
• The BRIA explains:
  • the reason why the Scottish Government is proposing to intervene
  • options the Scottish Government is considering, and which one is preferred
  • how and to what extent new policies may impact on Scottish Government, business and on Scotland’s competitiveness internationally
  • the estimated costs and benefits of proposed measures

Where can I find the impact assessments?

• Joint Equalities Impact and Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment
• Island Communities Impact Assessment
• Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment
• Health Impact Assessment
• The Strategic Environmental Assessment can be obtained on request by emailing climatechangeadaptation@gov.scot