Delivering the Environment Strategy outcome on Scotland’s society: evidence base and policy levers

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Introduction 1. The research project will support the development of the Environment Strategy for Scotland. In particular, it will provide an evidence base needed to inform the development of a ‘pathway’ for achieving one of the Strategy’s outcomes: ‘Our healthy environment supports a fairer, healthier, more inclusive society’ . By identifying opportunities for tackling inequalities and improving the collective wellbeing of current and future generations, it will also support the delivery of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation and its vision for a wellbeing economy. 2. The Environment Strategy creates an overarching framework for Scotland’s strategies and plans on the environment and climate change. It was a commitment in the 2019 Programme for Government and was placed on a statutory basis by the Continuity Act 2021, which requires Ministers to publish an ‘environmental policy strategy’ and to have due regard to it when developing policies. 3. The Scottish Government is taking a phased approach to developing the Environment Strategy. Its vision and outcomes were published in 2020, setting out long-term ambitions for restoring Scotland’s environment and playing our part in tackling the global climate and nature crises. An initial monitoring framework and website for tracking progress towards these outcomes were published in 2021. A report to update the Scottish Parliament on progress in developing the Strategy was published in March 2022. The next phase in developing the Strategy is to publish ‘outcome pathways’, identifying actions and priorities across government for achieving the Strategy’s outcomes. This research project will gather evidence to support the development of the pathway for the outcome on Scotland’s society. Background & Context 4. The Environment Strategy vision publication recognised that playing Scotland’s role in tackling the global climate and nature crises will require transformative changes across our society . Our lifestyles and consumption patterns, including our demand for energy and resources, are currently placing unsustainable demands on the planet’s natural systems. It is estimated that if everyone in the world lived as we do in Scotland, we would need three planets to sustain us. At the same time, from an equalities perspective, within Scotland, our lifestyles and levels of consumption vary significantly across different socio-economic groups. 5. To restore nature and safeguard the wellbeing of current and future generations, we will need to adapt our behaviours and social policies to become a net zero, nature-positive society. This will include changes in key systems such as food, housing, transport, infrastructure, planning, energy, waste, education and our consumption of wider goods and services. 6. In turn, these transformations have the potential to create a wide range of societal benefits, supporting the collective wellbeing of current and future generations and helping to tackle inequalities