Recommendation 8

The process by which consideration of the draft Climate Change Plan unfolded in this Session was unsatisfactory and lessons should be learned from it. We recommend to our successor committee that it ask the Scottish Government to commit, relatively early, to a timetable for having the next CCP in place, on the clear common understanding that, barring highly unforeseen circumstances, this will be adhered to. Specifically, the Committee should also seek an undertaking early in the next Session that a draft Plan will be laid in sufficient time to allow the Scottish Government to reflect properly on any representations made on the draft (by Scottish Parliament committees or others) before laying a final Plan. As a rough guideline, we suggest the gap be at least 8 weeks. In practice, this means that a draft Plan should be laid by no later than shortly after summer recess 2030. The option of passing amending legislation to ensure that the Scottish Government gives itself adequate "thinking time" should be held in reserve.