SAC Rural Policy Centre

The changing environment presents a number of challenges for Scotland - climate change and how we respond to it; halting the decline in biodiversity; managing water quantity and quality; and protecting our soils. These have to be addressed in the context of increasing demands on Scotland’s land to provide food, fibre and fuel.

Q1: How can rural Scotland respond to climate change?

A: Scotland needs to minimise emissions and use our forests and soils to remove carbon from the atmosphere. We also need to be able to adapt to an uncertain future climate. To meet the ambitious targets set for Scotland (80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050), the way we live and work in rural areas will need to be fundamentally assessed. Emissions from our key sectors (e.g. transport, electricity generation, agriculture) will need to be significantly reduced - we must explore and promote the best options for achieving this.

For more information

• Rural Policy Centre Policy Briefing on Scottish ruminant livestock and climate change
• Farming for a Better Climate

Q2: What more could be done for biodiversity?

A: Increasing the environmental conditions put on Common Agricultural Policy payments to farmers could improve habitat diversity on biodiversity-poor Scottish lowland farms. Conversely, additional support payments are needed to maintain biodiversity-rich High Nature Value livestock systems in the uplands and islands. A fundamental rethink is required on how to target and support actions to benefit biodiversity.

For more information

• Rural Policy Centre Policy Briefing on Farmland biodiversity concerns and the CAP
• SAC Rural Scotland in Focus Rural Scotland in Focus report
• Farming’s retreat from the hills report
• Policy Briefing: Identifying and supporting High Nature Value farming systems
• UK National Ecosystem Assessment
• UK National Ecosystem Assessment draft key messages Oct 2010
• SNH Preliminary assessment of biodiversity in Scotland in 2010
• CEH Scottish Countryside Survey Report

Q3: How well is water quality managed?

A: Water is a fundamentally important life support system. The quality of Scottish water bodies is generally good but diffuse pollution from rural and urban land remains a major concern. Tackling diffuse pollution effectively will be challenging given that climate change is likely to affect the timing and intensity of floods and dry spells.

For more information

• Water quality chapter in the Rural Scotland in Focus report
• UK National Ecosystem Assessment
• UK National Ecosystem Assessment draft key messages Oct 2010
• SEPA River Basin Management Planning reports
• Diffuse Pollution Management Advisory Group site

Q4: What is the future for energy production in rural Scotland?

A: Scotland has a tremendous potential for renewable energy generation. Hydro power is already well developed. High wind speeds are leading to a growing onshore wind industry. In the near future Scotland’s abundant forestry and agricultural output will give heat and power from direct combustion and biogas systems.

For more information

• SAC Consulting: Renewable energy in farm diversification
• UK Department of Energy and Climate Change: UK Renewable Energy Strategy
• Scottish Government website – renewable energy

Q5: How do we get the best from our land?

A: Scotland’s land is facing ever increasing and potentially competing demands: providing safe, healthy and welfare friendly food; forestry; renewable energy; housing, roads and factories; soil and water quality; flood protection; biodiversity; tourism, and leisure and recreation. In order to balance these we need an overall vision for land-use supported by effective governance in the form of regulation and incentives. Moves to develop a Land Use Strategy for Scotland recognises this but it must be implemented effectively.

For more information

• Land Use Strategy consultation

10 Key Facts About The Environment

1. Conservation has improved many habitats but those in the wider countryside
   have declined. For example, plant species richness in hedgerows, which provides
   food for birds and butterflies, decreased by 22% between 1998 and 2007.
2. Scotland has more biodiversity-rich High Nature Value farming systems than
   much of mainland Europe.
3. 63% of Scotland’s rivers, lochs, reservoirs, canals, estuaries, coasts and
   groundwaters are in ‘good’ or better condition. The aim is to bring 97% of
   Scotland’s water bodies up to good status by 2027.
4. Climate change will affect rainfall across Scotland. For example, higher river
   flows in the west and north will reduce the impact of pollution in rivers but
   increase the loading of pollutants entering the sea.
5. More flooding will increase demands for flood defence schemes and increase
   soil erosion leading to siltation of fish spawning gravels and increased nutrient
   loading of lochs and the sea.
6. Scotland currently uses about 10.5 GW of electricity and aims to generate 80%
   of this from renewable sources by 2020.
7. There is currently 1.38 GW of hydro power generation capacity in Scotland.
8. Scotland has 2.3 GW of wind energy generation capacity, (actual generation
   will be about a third of this) but this is rising fast as new onshore wind
   developments gain planning approval.
9. Other sources of renewable energy, such as energy from waste, biomass, wave
   and tidal, currently amount to only about 0.214 GW but all have large potential
   for expansion in Scotland.
10. Biomass is an excellent source of heat energy and already provides around
    64% of the renewable energy production in the EU – wood fuel alone provides
    around half of renewable energy generation.

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