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Sector Deal - Land Use & Environment Update

Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal Update: Land Use and Environment

For Scotland to address the climate and nature crises, it needs to balance increasing renewable energy capacity with protecting and enhancing biodiversity. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Policy 1 makes it clear that, when considering all development proposals, significant weight will be given to the global climate and nature crises.

The onshore wind sector will work with the Scottish Government, agencies, and stakeholders to ensure a balance is struck between the need for increased onshore wind capacity and the impacts that onshore wind can have on land use and the environment. Balancing the need for more wind farms with the safeguards defined in NPF4 will be a crucial aspect of achieving the 2030 onshore wind ambition. Scotland will continue to be a world leader in responsible onshore wind development, demonstrating how onshore wind can co-exist with a diversity of species, sensitive habitats, peatland, carbon-rich soils, and forestry, ensuring positive outcomes for the climate and nature. 

The Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal includes 9 commitments that ensure onshore wind projects in Scotland will enhance biodiversity and optimise land use and environmental benefits.

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Enhancing Biodiversity and Peatlands

Scottish Government and the onshore wind industry agree to participate in the Peatland Expert Advisory Group (PEAG) to draw on expertise and practice to provide advice to the government on how peatland management and restoration and onshore wind ambitions can be delivered. They will collaborate on a national approach to measuring and evidencing biodiversity enhancements on project sites that industry will agree to adopt. The Government will provide clear guidance to developers and planners on the expectations associated with environmental protection and enhancement. This will include publishing guidance on NPF4 biodiversity policy and clarifying any potential policy conflicts between onshore wind ambitions and peatland restoration.

Who is Involved

The Scottish Government's Peatland Expert Advisory Group (PEAG) is taking the lead on commitments related to biodiversity. The advisory group is made up of Scottish Government, NatureScot, SEPA, PARD, Chief Planners Office, industry leaders, and ecologists. The key contact for the PEAG is the Scottish Government Onshore Wind Policy Team.

Work Update

  • The Scottish Government published Biodiversity: draft planning guidance in December 2023.
  • The PEAG is currently working to develop national guidance on onshore wind development and peatland. They are also working on updating the SEPA peatland guidance.
  • The Scottish Government has commissioned NatureScot to adapt the DEFRA Biodiversity Metric so it is suitable for use in Scotland. A consultation on the Scottish biodiversity metric ran until Friday, May 10 seeking views from stakeholders. Following analysis of this, work on the principles and assumptions of the tool will be carried out. The Scottish Metric is expected to be available on the NatureScot website in early 2025. Please contact Simon Brooks, Strategic Planning Manager, NatureScot regarding work on the Metric.

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Collaborative Use of Data

The onshore wind sector agrees to collaboratively share biodiversity data, along with data to monitor peatland management and restoration, in a central repository and share learnings from the Hagshaw Cluster to inform future collaboration around project clusters.

Who is Involved

Scottish Government (Adam Mackie, Onshore Renewable Electricity Policy) and Scottish Renewables (Megan Amundson, Head of Onshore Wind & Consenting) are working toward an online mechanism for sharing data.

Work Update

  • Scottish Renewables has commissioned BVGa to undertake a scoping exercise to identify the key information the central data repository should contain and how this data will be used by stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement is currently underway. Once scoping is complete, BVGa will develop the data repository, which is expected to be hosted by NatureScot.
  • Scottish Renewables, via a grant from the Scottish Wind Farm Bird Steering Group, is funding work by Net Zero Ecology to identify lessons learned from the Hagshaw Cluster on bird monitoring. The intention is that this work will be used to develop a national approach to bird monitoring on onshore wind projects.
  • BVGA have delivered the scoping documents on the repository, following stakeholder engagements. Scottish Government, Scottish Renewables, NatureScot, and the Improvement Service are reviewing platform options. Further updates are expected by the end of the year following the Strategic Leadership Group meeting in December.