Priority 4 – Renewable energy and land use change

Scottish Natural Heritage has a clear commitment to advise and inform Scottish Government, planning authorities, land managers and the general public on land management practices that help to mitigate against climate change and contribute to enhancing and protecting biodiversity and landscape features. We are working with planning authorities, developers and others to help deliver good development in the right places and so protect soil carbon resources. We are also working with land managers and the general public to ensure that land and soils are managed sustainably and to protect the soil's ability to deliver a wide range of environmental and ecological services.

Scottish Natural Heritage seeks to work constructively with partners on the key issues affecting the natural heritage and landscapes. It is not our role to lead on advising on carbon emissions from developments (including windfarms), nor is it our role to advise on the application of the carbon calculator. However, we would expect that our expertise in the management of peat soil and habitats could be a valuable contribution to the development of new tools and guidance.

Proposed Scottish Natural Heritage activities

• work collaboratively with industry and SEPA to develop and promote use of decision-making tools to assess carbon impacts of development, especially to reduce waste of soil and soil carbon as by-products of site development;
• work collaboratively with the industry and SEPA to produce guidance on Good Practice, including the minimisation of soil disturbance, during windfarm construction;
• provide advice on the use of peat and other soils in the restoration of renewable energy development sites;
• produce guidance and advice for sustainable use of soils for the protection of habitats, species and landscape, linking with the Scottish Soil Framework, Scottish Rural Development Programme measures and UK-led activities (Scottish Natural Heritage Climate Change Action Plan S2 );
• continue our engagement with Scottish Government to ensure that soil carbon is included in the identification of the principles of sustainable land use in the forthcoming Scottish Land Use strategy and is balanced within a whole ecosystem approach.