The Scottish Climate Change Declaration

The Scottish Executive has recently developed a ‘Climate Change Declaration’ and support mechanism, which has been signed by all 32 Scottish local authorities.

The Declaration was a commitment in Changing Our Ways: Scotland’s Climate Change Programme, published in March 2006 and is designed to be a framework and support system to help organisations to establish and reduce their contribution to carbon emissions and climate change.

On signing the Declaration, the Scottish local authorities have committed to developing a carbon management plan, or climate change action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all their operations, including their roles as

• Estate Manager;
• Service Provider; and
• Community Leader.

These all contribute to the local authority's overall carbon footprint. The action plans will cover many topics from estate energy consumption to development control policies. Transport is also an important consideration.

Carbon-focused Travel Plans transcend all three of the roles of a local authority.

Firstly, the local authority's internal Travel Plan is a critical part of an internal action plan to reduce emissions across all LA operations. Specifically, the Travel Plan details how the local authority, in its role as Estate Manager, will better manage its transportation and travel needs to reduce emissions.

Secondly, local authorities can include Travel Plans in their Local Transport Strategies (or Plans). By encouraging uptake of carbon-focused Travel Plans through, for example, development planning, local authorities are reducing emissions from their role as a Service Provider.

Finally, the signing of the Climate Change Declaration and engagement of schools and other organisations in the local area on Travel Plans is an example of how a local authority can take account of its role as a Community Leader.

Schematic showing wider context of a carbon-focused Travel Plan