Just Transition Commission Interim Report

Annex A – Call for Evidence

This call for evidence document is available on our webpage (link)

Introduction

5.42 The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets)(Scotland) Act 2019 recently passed by the Scottish Parliament contains some of the most ambitious statutory emission reduction targets in the world. The transition required to meet these targets will be one of a number of long-term structural changes to the economy that will require a response and active management from the Scottish Government.

5.43 Against this backdrop of increasingly ambitious emission reduction targets, calls for fairness in climate change action and securing a ‘just transition’ have grown. Originating from the trade union movement, the concept of just transition refers to the need for Government’s to take action to reduce emissions in a way which is fair and leaves no-one behind.

5.44 Against this backdrop, the Just Transition Commission has been established to provide Scottish Ministers with practical, realistic, affordable recommendations for action that will:

• maximise the economic and social opportunities that the move to a net-zero economy by 2045 offers
• build on Scotland’s existing strengths and assets
• understand and mitigate risks that could arise in relation to regional cohesion, equalities, poverty (including fuel poverty), and a sustainable and inclusive labour market

5.45 The Commission’s final recommendations are due by January 2021, and will be reported to:

• Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
• Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Communities
• Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work, and Culture

Call for Evidence

5.46 The Commission’s remit tasks it with working openly and transparently and engaging meaningfully with workers, communities, NGOs, businesses and other relevant bodies across Scotland.

5.47 To support this, we are inviting written submissions to inform the development of our final recommendations. We hope this will provide as wide a range of individuals, representative bodies, public bodies and businesses as possible the opportunity to feed into our work.

Deadline and how to submit

5.48 Given the short timeframe available to the Commission in preparing its report and recommendations we would ask that any written submissions are sent to the Commission Secretariat as soon as possible, but in any case, no later than 28 May 2020.

5.49 There are two ways in which you can submit: using the following email address: justtransitioncommission@gov.scot

5.50 Or if you are unable to respond via email, then via post at the following address:

Just Transition Commission Secretariat
PO Box 24152
Edinburgh
EH7 9FW

Questions

5.51 Please base your submission on the following questions and limit responses to each question to a maximum of 500 words:

5.52 The Commission may wish to publish your response at a later date and would like your permission to do so. Please indicate your publishing preference:

Publish with name

Publish response only (without name)

Do not publish response

5.53 Information for organisations: The option ‘Publish response only (without name) is available for individual respondents only If this option is selected, the organisation name will still be published. If you choose the option ‘Do not publish response’, your organisation name may still be listed as having responded to the consultation in, for example, the analysis report.

Full name or organisation’s name

ANSWER:

What do you see as the main economic opportunities and challenges associated with meeting Scotland’s climate change targets?

ANSWER:

Does your response relate to a specific sector?

ANSWER:

What do you think are the wider social (health, community etc.) opportunities and challenges associated with meeting Scotland’s climate change targets?

ANSWER:

What would a successful transition to net-zero emissions look like for your sector/community?

ANSWER:

What actions do you think the Scottish Government should take to manage the opportunities and challenges referenced above?

ANSWER:

Are there specific groups or communities that may be, or feel that they may be, adversely affected by a transition to a net-zero carbon economy?
What steps can be taken to address their concerns?

ANSWER:

Please provide here any other information, evidence, or research you consider relevant to the work of the Commission.

ANSWER: