Strategic Environmental Assessment Of The Scottish Climate Change Bill Consultation Proposals: SEA Statement

4 Assessment Methodologies Employed

4.1 At the outset of this SEA project, the Scottish Government team asked that the SEA consider the wider environmental implications of possible actions to meet emissions reduction targets and, in order to provide an accessible format for review, high level sectoral E-tests were employed which considered business as usual options under the sectors outlined in the Scottish Climate Change Programme, 2006. The assessments then considered a range of possible emissions reduction activities and the likely associated environmental effects.

4.2 Following the sectoral assessments, a series of iterative assessments considered the possible environmental sustainability implications of each of the relevant consultation proposal options and a range of possible supporting measures.

4.3 In their SEA consultation responses, the Consultation Authorities indicated that whilst the range of assessments undertaken were comprehensive, it was difficult to see where each of the phases of assessment related to each other. They requested that a summary overview be presented in the SEA Statement to more clearly identify how the preliminary phases informed later assessments.

4.4 Table 4.1 below provides such a summary, outlining an overview of the intention behind each phase, where the assessment appears in the (revised) Environmental Report and the relationships between each of the individual phases.

Table 4.1 Overview of SEA Assessment Phases

Assessment Phase	Overview	Provided where in the ER	Relationship to other phases of assessment
Phase 1 PPP review & Baseline discussion	A wide ranging policy review was undertaken to help identify the potential areas of influence of the Scottish Climate Change Bill. The Environmental Report presented a consideration of SEA topics under likely climate change pressures; however, no primary material data was collected or provided. At the scoping stage, it was agreed that it was not necessary to provide a detailed description of climate change science; however, the baseline discussion looked at the range of inter-relationships between SEA topics and climatic factors.	A summary of key PPS was provided as Section 3 in the Environmental Report and the full PPP review was provided as Appendix B. The baseline discussion was provided as Appendix C to the Environmental Report and all relevant sources of information were identified as footnotes.	The PPS review helped set the context for the sectoral E-test assessments considered under Phase 2 of the assessments. The baseline discussion provided an initial level of analysis to help identify environmental inter-relationships and potential impacts associated with possible emission reduction actions identified and assessed through the later phases of assessment.
Phase 2 Sectoral E-tests	Considered business as usual scenarios and possible emission reduction measures across a range of key sectors. Sectors selected for review where those identified in the 2006 Climate Change Action Programme, to help predict and identify potential environmental impacts associated with possible reduction measures.	Full assessment provided as Appendix D to the Environmental Report. A wide range of possible environmental impacts were identified and summarised, by sector, in Section 5, pages 31-39 of the Environmental Report.	Helped identify a range of possible emissions reduction measures and associated environmental impacts. These were defined as indirect effects of the SCCB, and helped provide a resource for later phases of assessment.
Phase 3 Review of Previous Phases	This review was used to summarise Key Climate Issues and Potential Emissions Reduction Effects, based around the required SEA topics.	This summary was provided in Section 5.4 and Table 5.2 of the ER (pages 40-42). For convenience, this summary table is repeated below as Table 3.2 in the SEA Statement.	Provided a summary of key issues and potential environmental impacts to help inform the direct assessment of the proposed SCCB consultation options.
Phase 4 Preliminary consultation options assessment & workshop	Throughout the timescale of the project, the range of proposed inclusions for the SCCB consultation was refined. This preliminary assessment and workshop considered the initial draft list of potential inclusions and worked to summarise the potential environmental effects of alternative options.	An overview of the methodology adopted was provided in Section 5.5, page 43 of the ER, with populated worksheets (recording the outcomes of the workshop) supplied as Appendix E.	An initial round of assessment directly addressing the consultation proposals, where considerations of potential impacts were informed by the range of preliminary assessment data noted above.
Phase 5 Detailed Assessment of Potential Supporting Measures	A range of potential supporting measures were identified within the early stages of the development of consultation options and these were addressed through two iterative stages of more detailed assessment to identify and record possible environmental impacts. Measures included carbon trading, offsetting, carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency and microgeneration, waste reduction and recycling, renewables and combined heat and power.	Some summary considerations were included within Section 5.8, pages 65-68. Full detailed assessment matrices were attached as Appendices F and G to the ER.	These assessments helped inform the detailed considerations of consultation questions/ proposals and identified the environmental impacts likely to be associated with supporting the further use of such measures in the future.
Phase 6 Preferred consultation options assessment	Before the release of the final consultation draft, a second iteration of assessment considered the actual options to be included in the consultation paper. These were identified as preferred consultation options in the SEA.	An overview of the methodology was provided in Section 5.6, pages 44-46 of the ER and the assessments of the consultation options/ questions was detailed throughout Section 5.8, pages 48-73.	The assessments included in the ER were directly informed by the preceding range of assessments, which provided a detailed evidence base upon which to build the considerations of alternative consultation proposals for the SCCB.

Assessment Phase

Overview

Provided where in the ER

Relationship to other phases of assessment

Phase 1

PPP review & Baseline discussion

A wide ranging policy review was undertaken to help identify the potential areas of influence of the Scottish Climate Change Bill.

The Environmental Report presented a consideration of SEA topics under likely climate change pressures; however, no primary material data was collected or provided.

At the scoping stage, it was agreed that it was not necessary to provide a detailed description of climate change science; however, the baseline discussion looked at the range of inter-relationships between SEA topics and climatic factors.

A summary of key PPS was provided as Section 3 in the Environmental Report and the full PPP review was provided as Appendix B.

The baseline discussion was provided as Appendix C to the Environmental Report and all relevant sources of information were identified as footnotes.

The PPS review helped set the context for the sectoral E-test assessments considered under Phase 2 of the assessments.

The baseline discussion provided an initial level of analysis to help identify environmental inter-relationships and potential impacts associated with possible emission reduction actions identified and assessed through the later phases of assessment.

Phase 2

Sectoral E-tests

Considered business as usual scenarios and possible emission reduction measures across a range of key sectors.

Sectors selected for review where those identified in the 2006 Climate Change Action Programme, to help predict and identify potential environmental impacts associated with possible reduction measures.

Full assessment provided as Appendix D to the Environmental Report.

A wide range of possible environmental impacts were identified and summarised, by sector, in Section 5, pages 31-39 of the Environmental Report.

Helped identify a range of possible emissions reduction measures and associated environmental impacts.

These were defined as indirect effects of the SCCB, and helped provide a resource for later phases of assessment.

Phase 3

Review of Previous Phases

This review was used to summarise Key Climate Issues and Potential Emissions Reduction Effects, based around the required SEA topics.

This summary was provided in Section 5.4 and Table 5.2 of the ER (pages 40-42).

For convenience, this summary table is repeated below as Table 3.2 in the SEA Statement.

Provided a summary of key issues and potential environmental impacts to help inform the direct assessment of the proposed SCCB consultation options.

Phase 4

Preliminary consultation options assessment & workshop

Throughout the timescale of the project, the range of proposed inclusions for the SCCB consultation was refined.

This preliminary assessment and workshop considered the initial draft list of potential inclusions and worked to summarise the potential environmental effects of alternative options.

An overview of the methodology adopted was provided in Section 5.5, page 43 of the ER, with populated worksheets (recording the outcomes of the workshop) supplied as Appendix E.

An initial round of assessment directly addressing the consultation proposals, where considerations of potential impacts were informed by the range of preliminary assessment data noted above.

Phase 5

Detailed Assessment of Potential Supporting Measures

A range of potential supporting measures were identified within the early stages of the development of consultation options and these were addressed through two iterative stages of more detailed assessment to identify and record possible environmental impacts.

Measures included carbon trading, offsetting, carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency and microgeneration, waste reduction and recycling, renewables and combined heat and power.

Some summary considerations were included within Section 5.8, pages 65-68.

Full detailed assessment matrices were attached as Appendices F and G to the ER.

These assessments helped inform the detailed considerations of consultation questions/ proposals and identified the environmental impacts likely to be associated with supporting the further use of such measures in the future.

Phase 6

Preferred consultation options assessment

Before the release of the final consultation draft, a second iteration of assessment considered the actual options to be included in the consultation paper.

These were identified as preferred consultation options in the SEA.

An overview of the methodology was provided in Section 5.6, pages 44-46 of the ER and the assessments of the consultation options/ questions was detailed throughout Section 5.8, pages 48-73.

The assessments included in the ER were directly informed by the preceding range of assessments, which provided a detailed evidence base upon which to build the considerations of alternative consultation proposals for the SCCB.

Page updated: Monday, December 22, 2008

Scottish Government