Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening Report - Transport Scotland Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience (ACCAR)
Step one – details of the plan
Responsible Authority
Transport Scotland
Title of the plan
Transport Scotland Approach to Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience (ACCAR)
What prompted the plan?
In 2019 Transport Scotland’s Senior Management Team agreed that a Transport Scotland adaptation strategy should be developed, including a review of our adaptation activity.
A priority of our National Transport Strategy (NTS2), published in December 2020 is to ‘Take climate action.’ This includes adapting to the impacts of climate change, allowing our transport systems to remain resilient and reduce the harmful effects on future generations.
The NTS2 Delivery Plan 2022-23 sets out a number of strategic policies including publishing Transport Scotland's Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience.
Plan subject
Transport
An SEA is not required, as the environmental effects are unlikely to be significant: This plan falls within Section 5(3).
Step two - context and description of the plan
Context
The ACCAR sets out Transport Scotland’s current approach to adaptation and resilience in relation to climate change, highlighting the key messages and urgency scores for infrastructure risks, derived from the Climate Change Committees (CCC) independent assessment of UK Climate Risk (CCRA3), which provides evidence to inform the UK Government’s UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022 (UKCCRA3).
It sets out four high level Strategic Outcomes and a number of Sub-Outcomes to deliver a well-adapted and resilient transport network for the future. The four Strategic Outcomes are as follow:
- Trunk Roads - Trunk Roads which are well adapted and resilient to the current, projected and unexpected impacts of climate change
- Rail Network - Supporting the delivery of climate change adaptation and resilience for Scotland’s Rail network
- Aviation Network - Engaging with aviation stakeholders to support their decision making in relation to climate change adaptation and resilience
- Maritime Network - Contributing to safeguarding lifeline ferry services, ports, harbours and canals in response to the threat of climate change
There is also a section setting out wider adaptation and resilience activity across the agency communications and corporate functions.
Within the current decade the ACCAR will seek to address the 7 CCRA3 risks that relate to transport and align our delivery with the current and subsequent Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme (SCCAP2). These 7 CCRA3 risks are as follows:
- Risks to infrastructure networks (water, energy, transport, ICT) from cascading failures
- Risks to infrastructure services from river, surface water and groundwater flooding
- Risks to infrastructure services from coastal flooding and erosion
- Risks to bridges and pipelines from flooding and erosion
- Risks to transport networks from slope and embankment failure
- Risks to subterranean and surface infrastructure from subsidence
- Risks to transport from high and low temperatures, high winds, lightning
Section 53 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires Scottish Ministers to lay a programme before the Scottish Parliament that sets out:
- Their objectives in relation to adaptation to climate change
- Their proposals and policies for meeting those objectives
- The arrangements for involving employers, trade unions and other stakeholders in meeting those objectives
- The mechanisms for ensuring public engagement in meeting those objectives
- The period within which those proposals and policies will be introduced.
The Scottish Government’s second Climate Change Adaptation Programme (SCCAP2) is titled Climate Ready Scotland. The programme runs until 2024 and sets out policies and proposals to increase the capacity of Scotland to adapt to climate change, based on the Climate Change Committees 2017 Climate Change Risk Assessment. SCCAP2 takes an outcomes-based approach which is aligned with both the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Scotland’s National Performance Framework. An outcomes-based approach seeks to focus on what a policy or policies should achieve (the outcome), rather than the specific inputs and outputs.
Transport Scotland leads on 13 SCCAP2 policy objectives, which aim to assist delivery of the programme, and are referenced within the ACCAR. These objectives are spread across various areas of transport. There is a focus on the delivery of actions that improve transport resilience, particularly across Trunk Roads, which feed into delivering the high-level outcomes of the programme.
The Programme must also address the risks identified in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (UKCCRA), which is laid before the UK Parliament every 5 years. The UKCCRA contains an assessment of the risks for the United Kingdom from the current and predicted impact of climate change.
The Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan Update (CCPu) 2020, outlines strategic actions that will be taken to achieve this over the period to 2032, including various actions for transport that align with NTS2. The CCPu includes sector wide detail on the importance of climate change adaptation and resilience.
The National Transport Strategy (NTS2), published in 2020, sets out the ambitions for Scotland’s transport system over the next 20 years. Through the priority ‘Takes climate action,’ it is envisaged that people will be able to make travel choices that minimise the long-term impacts on our climate and the wellbeing of future generations. It states that Scotland’s transport system will ‘adapt to the effects of climate change’ and deliver policies which will focus on Scotland’s transport networks to ensure they are managed effectively, well adapted and resilient.
The NTS2 Delivery Plan 2022-23 sets out a number of strategic policies including publishing the ACCAR.
The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in 2022, is a Scotland-wide review of the strategic transport system and networks, across all modes, and will inform transport investment in Scotland for the next 20 years. Options identified through STPR2 will focus on making the best use of existing capacity and assets.
STPR2 sets out a number of recommendations including several under the theme ‘increasing safety and resilience on the strategic transport network,’ and one specifically for ‘Trunk Road and Motorway Network Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience.’
The Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) is the key delivery programme for the National Infrastructure Mission which represents over £33 billion of Scottish Government investment in the next five years (from April 2021). The IIP sets a long-term vision of ‘infrastructure supporting an inclusive, net zero carbon economy in Scotland.’ It also recognises the vital role that Scotland’s natural environment can play in our infrastructure system and highlights climate resilience as a key priority over the coming years. The proposed common infrastructure investment hierarchy emphasises making the most of our existing assets in order to increase sustainability and address the climate emergency.
The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) was published in November 2022 and acts as a national spatial strategy for Scotland. It sets out spatial principles, regional priorities, national developments and national planning policy. NPF4 sets outs planning considerations in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Description of the plan
The ACCAR sets out Transport Scotland’s approach to climate change adaptation and resilience, providing a foundation which will enable us to protect against extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. The ACCAR addresses climate risks relating to transport, identified under the Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk. The 7 risks (outlined above) are detailed across four high level Strategic Outcomes (outlined above).
Subsequent plans will set out specific actions, projects and targets, depending on our level of influence and analysis of climate impacts. The ACCAR will not set out any specific powers or targets that do not already exist and will not initiate any legislation.
The spatial scope of the ACCAR is national.
Through delivery of these Strategic Outcomes we will address all 7 CCRA3 risks relating to transport to 2030. This timeframe aligns with the current timeframe for SCCAP2 and the next iteration of SCCAP, due to be published in 2024, which will cover the period up to 2029. Following publication of SCCAP3 in 2024, a review and update of our approach will be undertaken to ensure it remains appropriate and continues to contribute to wider adaptation efforts in Scotland.
The ACCAR relates to the Scotland transport infrastructure sector in relation to climate change adaptation and resilience. It covers policy areas of road, rail, aviation and maritime and Transport Scotland’s level of control within these areas. The ACCAR itself will not cover any specific technologies or introduce new restrictions or measures that could be considered intrinsic mitigations.
The ACCAR will not provide any new powers.
Vision - A transport system which is well adapted and prepared for current and future impacts of climate change. It is safe for all users, reliable for everyday journeys and resilient to weather related disruption
Strategic Outcomes
Trunk Roads - Trunk Roads which are well adapted and resilient to the current, projected and unexpected impacts of climate change
Rail Network - Supporting the delivery of climate change adaptation and resilience for Scotland’s Rail network
Aviation Network - Engaging with aviation stakeholders to support their decision making in relation to climate change adaptation and resilience
Maritime Network - Contributing to safeguarding lifeline ferry services, ports, harbours and canals in response to the threat of climate change
There is also a section setting out wider adaptation and resilience activity across the agency communications and corporate functions.
What are the key components of the plan?
The ACCAR sets out a vision for a well-adapted transport system in Scotland which is safe, reliable and resilient in relation to the current and future impacts of climate change.
This vision will be delivered through our Adaptation and Resilience Framework, which includes four high level Strategic Outcomes and various Sub-Outcomes, which collectively will address the 7 transport related climate change risks outlined above.
It also considers wider adaptation and resilience activity from across the organisation, such as Transport Scotland’s corporate and communications functions. The ACCAR Vision and Strategic Outcomes are set out above and cover the areas of Roads, Rail, Aviation and Maritime transport.
Have any of the components of the plan been considered in previous SEA work?
A number of programmes, plans and strategies that sit within the hierarchy for the ACCAR include detail on adapting transport to the impacts of climate change and have been subject to an SEA, assessing the impact of adapting to climate change in relation to transport.
The Climate Change Plan Update (CCPu) was subject to an SEA. This covered climate change mitigation and also adaptation.
The National Transport Strategy (NTS2) was subject to an SEA and specifically assessed adapting the transport network to the impacts of climate change as one of its outcomes under the priority ‘Takes Climate Action.’ It assessed the following policy and policy measures in relation to adaptation and resilience:
Plan our transport system to cope with the effects of climate change:
- Increase resilience of Scotland’s transport system to climate change related disruption;
- Ensure the transport system adapts to the projected climate change impacts.
The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) was subject to an SEA. It assessed the impacts of the following STPR2 recommendations against various SEA topics and for cumulative effects:
- Trunk Road and Motorway Network Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience;
- Trunk Road and Motorway Network Renewal for Reliability, Resilience and Safety.
The Scottish Government’s second Climate Change Adaptation Programme (SCCAP2), Climate Ready Scotland, was subject to an SEA. An assessment of likely significant effects was conducted and the results of this were included in an Environmental Report. The assessment findings identified show that the Programme is likely to have significant positive effects on climatic factors through drawing together relevant adaptation measures to maximise their impact, capitalise upon synergies and address any gaps.
The Infrastructure Investment Plan was subject to an SEA.
The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) was subject to an SEA.
In terms of your response to Boxes 7 and 8 above, set out those components of the plan that are likely to require screening:
Previous SEA work has been undertaken as part of various overarching strategies and plans that contain relevant detail on transport adaptation and resilience.
We are unable to determine what the likely impacts of the ACCAR will be at this stage, as it does not set out specific interventions, actions or programmes. Further impact assessment, such as SEA and EIA, will need to be carried out at the appropriate level as specific plans, programmes and projects are developed
Therefore, it is not considered appropriate at this stage to screen any of the specific components of the plan due to the prior SEAs that have been carried out for other related strategic documents set out above in relation to transport adaptation and resilience, and that we cannot determine what the likely environmental effects will be for the ACCAR until specific plans, programmes and projects are developed.
Step four – statement of the findings of the screening
The ACCAR outlines a current approach to adaptation and resilience, with many actions referenced already being taken forward through existing plans and programmes. It is difficult to assess the significance of any future work where the need and extent of interventions are yet to be determined. Therefore, Transport Scotland has concluded that any new environmental effects can and therefore will be exempt through screening.
It would also be for any future underlying transport policies/ plans/ strategies to be subjected to SEA (or other environmental assessment) where it is determined that they are likely to generate significant environmental effects.