The Scottish Government

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the First Minister what analysis the Scottish Executive has made of the Stern review of the economics of climate change with regard to devolved policy.

The First Minister (Mr Jack McConnell): The Stern review confirms the seriousness of the threat that is posed to the global economy by climate change and provides a compelling case for global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That supports the strong action that we are taking through Scotland's climate change strategy. We are analysing the Stern review to consider how it may further inform the strategy and, in particular, our work with businesses.

Nora Radcliffe: Does the First Minister agree that the Stern review basically tells us that we will need to go way beyond the carbon reduction targets that were agreed at Kyoto? Will he confirm that Scotland will consider the Kyoto objectives not as a target but merely as a staging post in our efforts to reduce carbon emissions to mitigate and avert the threats of climate change?

The First Minister: I certainly think that it is obvious from the Stern review and all the other evidence that the world needs to go further than Kyoto. I believe that it is essential that every level of government makes a contribution to that. Our commitment is that Scotland will exceed the proportion of the carbon emissions targets that would automatically apply to Scotland under any population share. We will do that by vigorously implementing our strategy for combating climate change. All ministers are committed to the strategy and we will report to Parliament on it regularly.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): I refer members to my entry in the register of interests.

Does the First Minister agree that the Scottish Executive's policies on housing, planning and procurement offer us the chance to start now on Stern's agenda for energy efficiency, microgeneration and decentralised energy? Will he note the cross-party support that exists in the chamber for such action? Will he further agree that if the Executive were to follow the lead that the City of Edinburgh Council has taken, it would be good for Scotland's economy and taxpayers, it would help to tackle fuel poverty and to deliver a secure energy and heat strategy for Scotland and it would lead to significant reductions in our CO2 emissions?

The First Minister: I fully support the important policies that we have introduced to tackle those issues and I praise the City of Edinburgh Council's commitment to ensuring that Edinburgh makes its contribution to that. I also welcome the increasing cross-party support, to which Sarah Boyack referred, for action in this area. Such support is long overdue, but it is good news. I hope that people will be consistent in their support for the measures that will be required, even when those measures are tough.

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated total levels of CO2 emissions have been from all sources per head of population in (a) Dundee, (b) Angus and (c) Aberdeenshire in the last year for which information is available.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28256 on 22 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated levels of CO2 emissions in kilotonnes have been in (a) Dundee, (b) Angus and (c) Aberdeenshire in the last year for which information is available from (i) industrial electricity, (ii) industrial gas, (iii) industrial and commercial oil, (iv) industrial and commercial wastes and biomass, (v) domestic electricity, (vi) domestic gas, (vii) domestic oil, (viii) domestic solid fuel, (ix) road transport petrol and (x) road transport oil sources.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28256 on 22 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated total levels of CO2 emissions in kilotonnes have been in (a) Dundee, (b) Angus and (c) Aberdeenshire in the last year for which information is available, broken down into the (i) industry and commercial, (ii) domestic, (iii) road transport and (iv) land use change sectors.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28256 on 22 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated total levels of CO2 emissions from domestic sources per head of population have been in (a) Dundee, (b) Angus and (c) Aberdeenshire in the last year for which information is available.

Ross Finnie: Estimated levels of carbon dioxide emissions for 2003 at local authority and regional level are available in a report entitled Local and Regional CO2 Emissions Estimates for 2003 produced for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). These experimental statistics present estimated emissions in a number of different ways, including totals by area, by sector and per capita.

A copy of the report is available on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/globatmos/.

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated total levels of CO2 emissions have been in (a) Dundee, (b) Angus and (c) Aberdeenshire in the last year for which information is available.

Ross Finnie: Estimated levels of carbon dioxide emissions for 2003 at local authority and regional level are available in a report entitled Local and Regional CO2 Emissions Estimates for 2003 produced for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). These experimental statistics present estimated emissions in a number of different ways, including totals by area, by sector and per capita.

A copy of the report is available on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/globatmos/.

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the significance is of Scotland's peatlands in terms of climate change emissions. (S2O-10394)

The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie): Scottish soils, including peatlands, are a significant store of carbon. Land management practices can enhance that store of carbon or can lead to emissions of carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change. However, as the member will be aware, many uncertainties are associated with the behaviour of carbon in Scotland's soils. Jointly with the National Assembly for Wales, the Executive has commissioned research on modelling the behaviour of carbon and nitrogen in organic soils. The findings, which will assist our understanding of the emissions from soils, will be available in the autumn.

Eleanor Scott: Notwithstanding the on-going research, it is accepted that healthy peat bog stores carbon, whereas damaged peat bog emits carbon. In the flow country of Sutherland and Caithness, we have the largest blanket bog in Europe, which is of international importance not only with regard to climate change, but because of its unique habitat, which was recently recognised when it received national nature reserve status. Does the minister agree that its importance should be further recognised internationally by being put forward to become a world heritage site, and will he undertake to take that forward?

Ross Finnie: As always, we are guided in such matters by the advice that we get from Scottish

Natural Heritage. We will look at the case with interest, as it concerns an important area. The member will be aware that the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development recently announced, on behalf of SNH, support for the peatlands in southern Scotland.

Scottish Natural Heritage and the Executive take the issue seriously. The member makes a good point. I very much hope that the information from the study, which will be available shortly, will help us to fashion policy in a targeted way.

Mr Kenneth Macintosh ( Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage people to take personal responsibility for climate change.

The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie): The new climate change programme encourages everyone to accept responsibility for climate change. Tailored summary versions have been produced for the general public and, most recently, for those engaged in Scottish agriculture. We are continuing to develop our strategic approach to climate change communications and education and we will report progress in our first annual report on the programme.

Mr Macintosh: Does the minister agree that one of the most positive steps that the Executive could take would be to pledge its support for my colleague Sarah Boyack's proposed energy efficiency and micro-generation bill? Does he agree that such support would encourage people to make their homes more fuel efficient and would make it easier for all of us to apply for new small-scale renewables technology?

Ross Finnie: The member would not, of course, expect me to anticipate the Cabinet's decision on Sarah Boyack's bill, although he might wish to tempt me to do so, particularly with Sarah Boyack sitting next to him and trying to pull his strings.

I wholly accept that, with or without a bill, micro-generation plays a hugely important role in improving individual citizens' understanding of the role that they can play in a range of fields. We should understand the cumulative effect that would result if every individual, where possible, fitted some form of micro-generation in their house. People should take all the steps that they can to save electricity. From how they are connected to the use of light bulbs and energy in general, the individual can do an enormous amount. Micro-generation improves citizens' understanding of their responsibilities and their contributions to climate change.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): I have to say that there are no strings whatsoever between me and Ken Macintosh.

I recognise the positive elements in the minister's response, but legislative change is needed. One thing that has struck me most about the consultation on my bill proposal is the sheer demand for accurate and informative advice on what people can do now about basic things such as energy efficiency, sourcing information and obtaining resources to install micro-renewables.

Even before we hit the legislative process, there is a great thirst for knowledge about how to get started. Will the minister make a commitment seriously to consider that matter, which is raised in the climate change programme? Will he tell us what the Executive might do through local organisations such as Changeworks in Edinburgh, energy advice centres and work with local authorities?

Ross Finnie: Sarah Boyack makes a fair point, as always. We have undoubtedly stimulated a huge amount of public interest as we have developed the climate change programme, and a range of people are providing advice, but I am not clear whether there are slightly disparate approaches to providing that advice. I am happy for us to consider ensuring that when a person goes to a particular body, they receive comprehensive advice on what they should do rather than a single piece of advice.

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): I am sure that the minister recognises that the wasting of natural resources is a major contributor to climate change. As one of his personal contributions to tackling that, will he urge his colleagues to avoid the kind of waste that saw every member of the Parliament today receive a copy of a large document from the Crown Office? It contains 194 pages that are printed on one side only. I am sure that it is a valuable report, but most of us could have made do with an electronic copy.

Members: Hear, hear.

Ross Finnie: Far be it from me to interfere with the somewhat older habits of the Crown Office. However, I take the point that, if we print documents at all, we should print them on both sides of the paper and that, if we have access to them, we should distribute electronic copies. I am happy to pass on Alasdair Morgan's comments to the Crown Office.

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): What plans does the minister have to provide further grant aid to promote home energy efficiency and the use of micro-renewables in the domestic environment? Does he intend to produce proposals before the next election?

Ross Finnie: Of course, the member will understand that I am never stimulated by the onset of an election in deciding whether I bring forward sensible proposals; they are brought forward on their merits. We have undertaken to review those issues as part of our review of our climate change programme, and we will report to the chamber on that in due course.

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): While I do not ask him to give away any secrets about his approach to Sarah Boyack's proposed bill, will the minister ensure that things actually happen? We are good at talking about these things, but there are various obstacles in the way of people establishing micro-renewables or undertaking energy conservation. Sometimes, the obstacles are financial; sometimes, they are to do with planning. People sometimes do not even know where to go for information. Will the minister put somebody competent in charge of that to push the issue forward?

Ross Finnie: It is rare that we get a job advert and an application for the job in the same question. Who could possibly doubt Donald Gorrie's competence in leading such an effort? His point is almost identical to that in Kenneth Macintosh's first question, which was pursued by Sarah Boyack. Irrespective of whether the bill proceeds, there are issues to be addressed in delivering micro-generation. There are also issues about public access to comprehensive information, which have to be addressed if individual responsibility for implementing climate change programmes such as micro-generation is to gain momentum.

Alasdair Morgan ( South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider offering incentives to encourage local authorities to establish systems for the collection, treatment and use as a road fuel in local authority vehicles of waste vegetable oil from fast food outlets, restaurants, hotels and households.

Tavish Scott: There are no plans to offer such incentives. The storage, collection, treatment and use of any waste is subject to waste regulation. However, the storage and use of fuels derived from waste vegetable oil are exempted from waste management licensing by paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994, as amended. We are examining ways of applying a "light touch" regulatory regime to small-scale preparation facilities.

There is increasing interest in establishing biofuel production in Scotland and local authorities may wish to consider opportunities for producers to source waste vegetable oil for fuel production.

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the total level of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 if both the Scottish and United Kingdom Climate change programmes deliver as expected.

The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie): The Executive is preparing projections of Scottish carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions for 2010, taking into account the measures in the Scottish and UK climate change programmes. Those projections will be available later this year.

Mark Ballard: Will the minister say a little more about what those projections might look like? The most recent figure for carbon emissions is 14.8 million tonnes, and the Scottish Executive has set a reduction target of 2.7 million tonnes. Does that mean that Scotland will have carbon emissions of 12.1 million tonnes if the programmes deliver as expected? I am concerned that the Executive's calculations-

The Deputy Presiding Officer: You are elaborating on your question, which the minister may now answer.

Mark Ballard: May I finish what I was saying?

The Deputy Presiding Officer: If you have another question.

Mark Ballard: Just to make things clear, will the minister say what the Executive thinks Scotland's carbon emissions will be in 2010 if both Scottish and UK climate change programmes deliver as expected?

The Deputy Presiding Officer: I think that you have already asked that question. No doubt the minister can answer it.

Ross Finnie: I am getting confused about what the member's question is. I agree with the Presiding Officer: we have gone all the way back to the member's first question, to which the answer is simple. We are preparing projections of Scottish carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. I will be delighted to give full answers to the member when those projections are available.

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action its Environment and Rural Affairs Department has taken, as part of its strategy on climate change, to encourage other Executive departments to meet its targets for energy conservation and renewable energy by promoting energy conservation and the use of micro-renewable power schemes.

The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie): As the member will be aware, we have set an ambitious overarching Scottish target for carbon savings that provides a framework for encouraging all departments to meet their commitments. We have also committed to mainstreaming climate change and carbon proofing throughout the Executive to ensure that momentum is maintained. In particular, the first Scottish energy efficiency strategy will be published later this year, setting out total carbon savings for all energy efficiency measures as a contribution to the overarching Scottish target. Linked to that, we will set out a range of measures to help cut energy-related emissions from buildings, including the use of micro-generation from local and renewable heat.

Donald Gorrie: Will Mr Finnie reassure us that his enthusiasm and that of his department will be transmitted effectively to other departments in which officials might attach a lower priority to energy conservation and renewable energy? Will he encourage them to lead by example? The other day, some of us were speaking at a primary school that had a windmill in the playground, which is really great. Every school could have that. Hospitals, jails and all sorts of places could practise energy saving-

The Deputy Presiding Officer: Will you return to the question, Mr Gorrie?

Donald Gorrie: Will the minister ensure that all departments lead by example in the way that I have described?

Ross Finnie: I assure Donald Gorrie that I very much take his point and that my department is in constant dialogue with other Executive departments. In the same way as the eco-schools project has done a great deal to encourage and ensure the use of renewable energy in our schools, the Minister for Health and Community Care is determined to ensure that the use of energy-saving measures and renewable energy in hospitals and other departments is to the fore.

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): Will the minister say how he intends to monitor the effectiveness of energy conservation measures, given evidence that after such measures are applied to domestic space heating, many people-understandably-use the same amount of energy to heat their houses to a higher temperature than hitherto?

Ross Finnie: Yes, indeed. We are looking at a range of ways to monitor and measure the effectiveness of energy conservation. In response to Donald Gorrie's question, I offer a very small example of what we are trying to do at the Scottish Executive's Victoria Quay building. We are currently monitoring the total amount of energy that is consumed in that establishment, which we can display daily. We are trying to keep track of what individual departments do in Victoria Quay to discover whether making more efficient use of energy reduces its consumption or whether through more efficient use, all we do is to produce a higher temperature, as Alasdair Morgan suggested. Such examples need to be followed throughout the Executive.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment its Environment and Rural Affairs Department has made of how significant the environmental impact of the Scottish community and householder renewables initiative has been.

The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie): Carbon savings from the Scottish community and householder renewables initiative are currently estimated at 1,250 tonnes per year, which is a relatively small contribution to our recently announced Scottish.

carbon savings target, but the initiative has been successful in stimulating demand for micro-renewables, among other things.

Roseanna Cunningham: Is the minister aware of the Energy Saving Trust's research for the Department of Trade and Industry that shows that domestic renewables could meet 113 per cent of total domestic electricity demand by 2050? If he is, does he agree that the recent uncertainty about grant availability for domestic renewables schemes has not been helpful? What pressure can he bring to bear to ensure that, in the interests of joined-up government, such uncertainty does not happen again?

Ross Finnie: The member will be aware that we recently announced additional funding of £3 million for the fund in question to try to create a degree of certainty. I accept that there was an unhelpful hiatus in respect of our scheme and the DTI's scheme, but now that we are clearly committed to a climate change programme, we intend there to be no future disruption in the provision of such schemes.

Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con): Does the minister agree that there is a clear distinction in the SCHRI between individuals who benefit from the scheme and community projects, such as the Glenkens Community and Arts Trust project in my constituency and the Dunscore community initiative? Such community initiatives often require countless hours of voluntary input, even before an application is made. Will the minister use his no doubt considerable influence with his ministerial colleague, Allan Wilson, to assure us that the SCHRI will continue to receive a level of funding that will ensure that the many community initiatives that have come about as a direct result of the SCHRI and which are currently being considered at all levels will not be rejected because of a lack of funding?

Ross Finnie: As I said in answer to Roseanna Cunningham, we recently announced a further £3 million increase in funding to the scheme. The Scottish scheme, which should be compared with other schemes in the United Kingdom, focuses exclusively on communities and households. We intend that that should continue to be the case and that there should be no disadvantage to communities, as the member hinted there might be.

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the total level of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 if both the Scottish and UK climate change programmes deliver as expected.

Ross Finnie: The Executive is preparing projections of Scottish CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions for 2010 taking account of the measures in the Scottish and UK climate change programmes, and these will be available later this year.

John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual emissions of carbon dioxide are from electricity generating stations in Scotland. The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Rhona Brankin): Sectoral carbon dioxide emissions are reported in "Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 1990-2003", a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament information centre. Emissions from electricity production are recorded in the public electricity and heat production category which, in 2003, accounted for 18,031 gigagrams-equivalent to around 18 million tonnes-of carbon dioxide in Scotland.

John Home Robertson: That is a lot of carbon dioxide from a little country. I find it disappointing that the Liberal Cabinet minister is not answering questions for which he is responsible.

Will the minister acknowledge that the base-load stations at Torness and Hunterston are not emitting CO2 and that we will have to replace the fossil fuel stations that are causing the problem? Forty per cent from renewables is great, but where will the remaining 60 per cent come from to allow us to avoid power cuts in future? Now that the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management has resolved the nuclear waste issue and recommended safe geological storage, can we get on with the job of planning new nuclear power stations to stop the dangerous emissions of CO2, in accordance with Labour Party policy.

Rhona Brankin: I am not going to get into an argument about which minister answers questions.

Carbon dioxide emissions from nuclear power generation are negligible, but we must not lose sight of the fact that emissions are associated with the construction of power stations and with the mining and processing of the fuel. Decommissioning and dealing with nuclear waste also lead to emissions. It is important to take a balanced view of the contribution that nuclear makes to meeting our climate change commitments in a sustainable way, including consideration of the wider environmental impacts.

For our part, as John Home Robertson well knows, the partnership agreement clearly states that we will not support further development of nuclear power stations while waste management issues remain unresolved. Of course, the UK energy review is looking at the future options-including nuclear and other technologies-that will allow the UK to meet its energy needs in a way that is affordable to consumers and meets its emissions target.

John Home Robertson mentioned CORWM. Its remit states clearly that it considers the management options for the way in which we deal with the waste; its remit is not to solve the waste management problem per se.

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): Does the minister agree that CO2 emissions at the point of generation are not the only emissions that should be taken into account when assessing nuclear electricity generation? Does she accept that whole-life-cycle emissions make nuclear power about as climate friendly as efficient gas-fired electricity generation? Will the minister give the chamber an assurance that full-life-cycle CO2 emissions will be taken into account in any decisions on nuclear power generation?

Rhona Brankin: I thought that I had made that clear in my earlier answer. I reiterate the importance of taking a balanced view of the contribution that nuclear makes to meeting our climate change commitments in a sustainable way, including consideration of the wider environmental impacts.

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): Given that renewables are the major alternative to conventional generation, is the progress towards forms of renewable energy other than onshore wind not far too slow?

Rhona Brankin: As the member knows, we are committed to developing a range of renewable energy technologies. We are reviewing the situation. It is important to get the balance right and to ensure that the maximum number of opportunities is taken up in Scotland.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): The minister referred to lifetime carbon emissions, as did Shiona Baird in her question. Does the minister acknowledge that wind-generated energy has a greater lifetime CO2 emissions factor than nuclear generation has? That is the case particularly when we look at the installed capacity and output of wind generation.

Rhona Brankin: I am sorry to disappoint Mr Gallie, but I will not get into a broader debate on the issue. It is important for us to have a range of renewable energy sources in Scotland, of which wind is an important one.

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its new Climate Change Programme.

Ross Finnie: Scotland's new Climate Change Programme, Changing our Ways (Bib. number 39288), will be published today. It brings together new and strengthened policies across all the key sectors and provides a framework for further action. The new programme defines the Scottish Share of UK climate change commitments in carbon terms for the first time. It also sets an ambitious Scottish Target to exceed this share by an additional reduction of 1 million tonnes of carbon in 2010.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, or any of its agencies, has raised revenues from the sale of carbon rights in trees and, if so, what revenues have been raised in each of the last three years and how these revenues were then used.

Ross Finnie: No revenues have been raised directly by the Executive or its agencies from the sale of carbon rights in trees. However, Forestry Commission Scotland is part of the Scottish Forest Alliance - a collaboration working to expand native woodland on sites managed by RSPB Scotland, the Woodland Trust Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland - which has attracted private investment for the establishment of native woodland in return for potential access to carbon rights.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to complement the £6 million Climate Challenge Fund which was established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to support local-level projects in England aimed at raising awareness and changing attitudes to climate change.

Ross Finnie: We will be reviewing our climate change communications in the light of Scotland's Climate Change Programme, due to be published soon, and in the context of the sustainable development communications plan, due to be published this spring. As part of the review process we will be considering how our communications can complement existing and forthcoming climate change awareness raising initiatives such as Defra's Climate Challenge Fund.

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment its Environment and Rural Affairs Department has carried out of the climate change implications of building the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Ross Finnie: Transport Scotland shared its analysis of the carbon dioxide emissions associated with options for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route with my department. The preferred route, announced in December, was assessed as resulting in lower increases in greenhouse gas emissions than the route inherited from the councils.

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to improve the resilience of homes and the built environment in respect of the impacts of climate change.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbooks include reference to The Design Guidance on Flood Damage to Dwellings and Preparing for Floods. Both documents describe the likely effects of flooding on materials and elements of the building and assess various forms of construction and measures to reduce the risk of flood damage in dwellings.

The resilience of buildings at risk of flooding is addressed in Scottish Planning Policy 7 - Planning and Flooding, which says that water resistant materials and forms of construction should be used as appropriate and conditions may be attached to planning permissions.

Planning Advice Note 69: Planning and Building Standards Advice on Flooding , published by the Scottish Executive in 2004, includes advice on flood resistant and resilient materials, and construction techniques. It has been referenced in replacement pages for the technical handbooks, due to be issued in February 2006. Additionally, the SBSA has also contributed to research presently being carried out by the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) on Improving the Flood Resistance of Buildings Through Improved Materials, Methods and Details.

New guidance will be issued by the SBSA on 1 February on greywater recycling and rainwater harvesting to reduce dependence on mains water. Guidance on sustainable urban drainage systems has been included in building regulations for several years. The agency also is soon to go to consultation on proposals to revise the guidance to the building regulations to take account of increased incidence of driving rain and wind loading and changed snow loadings.

Together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the other devolved administrations, the Scottish Executive is consulting on a National Adaptation Policy Framework that will develop a strategic approach to climate change adaptation and assist in identifying key risks and opportunities from the impacts of climate change.