Scotland has strong standards for environmental protection, but to date we have relied on EU arrangements to implement and enforce these. Building on the work done by the Scottish Government’s Expert Roundtable, this report by Professor Campbell Gemmell considers international examples of environmental governance arrangements and proposes practical solutions to the challenges Scotland will face if the UK leaves the EU.
Based on this report, Scottish Environment LINK recommends the Scottish Government:
- Creates an independent Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment;
- Establishes a dedicated Environmental Court;
- Streamlines and strengthens environmental governance in Scotland.
This would form a comprehensive response to the risks of EU exit and mean that Scotland’s institutions are as strong as the environmental protections they uphold. It would ensure that government and its agencies are held to account, providing a fundamental democratic safeguard and giving the environment a strong voice at a time when it urgently needs to be heard.
Read the full LINK summary here: