Proactively tackle climate, health, poverty and inequalities together
Action to reduce Scotland’s emissions should be pursued in ways that actively improve health, reduce poverty and narrow existing inequalities, including economic, gender, disability and racial injustice, with the impact of all relevant strategies and plans transparently assessed.
Currently, there is inadequate assessment of the impact of climate policies on health, poverty and inequalities, with these insufficiently visible within policy-making related to the Just Transition. The proposed Human Rights Bill and its right to a healthy environment could be a vehicle to help this situation.
The Scottish Government committed to carry out an Equalities Impact Assessment on the new Climate Change Plan and Energy Strategy, which is welcome. This improved level of assessment should lead to a new approach to climate action in Scotland, one in which, wherever possible, activities to reduce emissions should also reduce poverty and poor health, and combat inequalities – recognising these are incompatible with a climate just future.
However, the Scottish Government could go further and carry out an Equalities and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EQHRIA), that is, adding a human rights lens. This is more person centred, and captures intersectionality and lived experience.
To add a health lens, we would welcome the Scottish Government carrying out an impact assessment specifically targeting a simultaneous reduction of emissions and improved population health in Scotland.
Unless well designed, climate action can exacerbate existing inequalities – for example through increased costs incurred to low-income households for decarbonising heat in buildings. A report by IPPR found that it is much fairer to share a high proportion of retrofit costs via the public finances, and pay for it through progressive tax, than to leave those costs to individual households.
Proactive measures are needed to ensure policies support low-income households to increase, or at least maintain, their overall household income. Regressive impacts must be identified and proactively mitigated against.
This policy involves a broadening of the definition of ‘Just Transition’ to ensure that the shift to a sustainable economy and society is achieved in ways that support the wider goals of ending poverty, improving health and narrowing inequalities.
For further information:
Equality Impact Assessments – Briefing from the UK Women’s Budget Group on equality impact assessments and the Public Sector Equality Duty, UK Women’s Budget Group, 2019, https://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/EIA-2019.pdf
Assessing impact and the Public Sector Equality Duty: a guide for public authorities (Scotland), EHRC, 2016, https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/assessing-impact-and-public-sector-equality-duty-guide-public-authorities
People’s Health Movement Scotland – Our Manifesto, 2024, https://peopleshealthmovementscotland.wordpress.com/manifesto/
