The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has marked Climate Week 2014 with the launch of a new plan to guide the Agency’s work in helping to deliver a lower carbon, more resilient Scotland.

‘Our Climate Challenge’ sets out SEPA’s vision to help Scotland address climate change.

The plan provides a clear direction for where the Agency wants to be in five years and the steps for getting there. SEPA said it will work, in collaboration with partner organisations, across the following four key areas with the aim of making substantial progress towards the Agency’s climate change vision by 2018:

• Acting as a key climate change leader and adviser;
• Helping Scotland to adapt;
• Working with Scottish businesses;
• Being an exemplar and educator.

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires a reduction in Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions of at least 42% by 2020 from a 1990 baseline. SEPA has a duty to help deliver on this world-leading legislation and has set itself a goal of reducing its emissions by 42% by 2020 based on a 2006 – 2007 baseline.

James Curran, Chief Executive of SEPA, said:

“SEPA’s ’Our Climate Challenge’ plan provides a framework for our actions on climate change over the next five years and underlines our aim to help Scotland continue on a more sustainable path towards a resilient, low carbon future.

“Climate change is the greatest threat to the planet’s ecosystems and our lifestyles but, through its legislation, Scotland has an opportunity to become an exemplar in efforts to reduce emissions and SEPA has a vital role to play in this.

“Moving our economy towards a low carbon future is a significant challenge, but it is also a huge opportunity for clean, green and innovative businesses to flourish. Through our regulatory role, we can help Scottish businesses to reduce their emissions, and work with them to reduce resource and energy use which will also increase our resilience under increasing volatility of commodity supply and price.”