Climate change - Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029: joint equalities impact assessment and Fairer Scotland Duty assessment

Policy Details and Purpose

Department/team responsible: Climate Adaptation Team, Directorate for Energy & Climate Change, Scottish Government

Name of Policy, Practice or Project being assessed: The Scottish National Adaptation Plan (2024-2029)

Purpose and anticipated outcomes: The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires the preparation of a strategic programme for climate adaptation, as soon as reasonably practicable after each round of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (UK CCRA), the evidence for which is prepared by the independent UK Climate Change Committee (CCC). The Plan will respond to the risks set out in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022.

Outcomes:

1. Nature connects across our land, settlements, coasts and seas.

2. Communities are creating climate-resilient, healthy and equitable places.

3. Public services are collaborating in effective and inclusive adaptation action.

4. Economies and industries are adapting and realising opportunities in Scotland’s Just Transition.

5. Scotland’s international role supports climate justice and enhanced global action on climate adaptation.

Is this a new or existing policy, practice or project? New^[1]

Is this proposal/decision strategically important or not? Yes, it is strategically important.

List of participants in impact assessment process: Climate Adaptation Team and associated teams across the Scottish Government.

Date Assessment started: 17^th July 2023

Completion Date: 10^th September 2024

Please indicate who is likely to be affected: The impacts of climate change are indiscriminate and will likely leave no person, environment or economy untouched over the coming years. However, the extent to which individuals and communities living in climate impact-prone areas are adversely affected by climate impacts depends on their vulnerability. Vulnerability has three elements:

• Exposure to climate impacts
• Adaptive capacity
• Sensitivity to climate impacts

People living with social and economic disadvantage are more likely to experience poor quality environments, less likely to have the adaptive capacity, more likely to be sensitive to the impacts of climate change. Other factors affecting vulnerability include geographic location, housing tenure and energy efficiency. Climate change and these social, economic and personal factors act together as risk multipliers to increase the impacts on health and health inequalities.