Chamber and committees

It is inevitable that an event of the size and complexity of COP26 will have an impact on the communities of the host City, we are working closely with Glasgow City Council to mitigate against impact and where possible create opportunities for communities to engage. For example, we are working with partners to develop and deliver a community engagement programme in the run up, and beyond, COP26 that will empower communities to take action in a way that responds to local circumstances and priorities, with a view to prompting a positive outcome for all involved.

A joint COP26 delivery framework has been agreed between the Government of the United Kingdom, The Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Scottish agencies. This outlines the plans, organisation, structure, systems and methodology that will be used to manage delivery of COP26 including appropriate mitigation of impact on business as usual.

COP26 has a unique logistical plan to ensure a safe and secure event. A number of potential impacts that COP26 may have on the transport networks, that serve local communities and facilities, have been evaluated. These evaluations consider impacts within Glasgow, Edinburgh and across the strategic transport networks that serve wider parts of the Country.

The recent HMICS review into Police Scotland’s planning for the event offers a high degree of assurance around the service’s ability to balance business as usual policing with delivering a safe and secure COP26.

We want COP26 to be a platform for engagement that all of Scotland can be involved in and one that delivers a lasting legacy, maximising opportunities before, during and after the conference, and delivers economic benefits. We are committed to ensuring COP26 delivers a lasting legacy, with a particular emphasis on ensuring a just transition, and to encourage the behaviour change needed to reach our ambitious net zero target.

From the moment it was announced that COP26 would be coming to Glasgow, the Scottish Government have been fully committed to playing our role in ensuring a safe and secure event. The Government of the United Kingdom hold the presidency of COP26 and are therefore responsible for working alongside the United Nations to organise the main summit and its attached "Green Zone". A joint COP26 delivery framework has been agreed between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Scottish Government, which includes Glasgow City Council and Scottish Agencies. This outlines the plans, organisation, structure, systems and methodology that will be used to manage delivery of COP26 including appropriate mitigation of impact on business as usual. As the Scottish Government have devolved powers around Safety and Resilience, our colleagues and organisations such Police Scotland, and Transport Scotland, who are responsible for the COP26 transport plan, have been engaged through the COP26 planning process. With a separate Legal landscape in Scotland, we are responsible for ensuring the correct legislative mechanisms are put in place that will allow the event to happen.

The Scottish Government is proactively leading a Scottish response to COP26, ensuring that our communities, businesses and organisations have the opportunities to engage and benefit from COP26 coming to Glasgow. Part of our offering will be to host a Scotland Zone, showcasing the talents, skills and innovative approach that Scotland is taking to addressing the climate emergency.

The Scottish Government has supported the following research:

‘Genetic Testing for Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome and the British Coronial System’. This is currently in follow-up in NHS Grampian and ran from May 2014 to June 2020.

‘The Role of Genetic Testing & Molecular Autopsy in Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS)’, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde which ran from 2011 – 2014.

‘Phenotype-driven molecular autopsy for sudden cardiac death’ through the Familial Arrhythmia Network Scotland, the Scottish Genetics Consortium, NHS Grampian and NHS Highland which ran from 2001 to 2013.

‘Non-invasive prediction of total and sudden cardiac mortality in patients with heart failure’, University of Glasgow, which ran from 1994 to 1996.

The Scottish Government in terms of its marketing and communication planning, utilises a number of communication channels, to reach those that are hesitant under the generic campaign, Roll Up Our Sleeves, targeting 18-49 year olds.

There are currently 40 officials working full-time, or scheduled to begin working full-time on the delivery of COP26. There are also 23 officials currently, or scheduled to dedicate a percentage of their time to working on the delivery of COP26.

The Scottish Government currently regularly attend the below meetings alongside the UK Government:

• UKG COP26 Delivery Board
• Devolved Administration Directors Forum
• UKG led COP26 regular Devolved Administrations catch-up
• Devolved Administrations Ministerial group
• COP26 COVID Steering Group
• COP26 Test, Trace and Isolate Working Group
• COVID leads weekly meeting
• Transport Co-Ordination Group (Relevant sub groups below)

o Communications

o Rail and Subway

o Glasgow City

o Edinburgh City

o Aviation

o Bus and Coach

o Resilience

o Venue Transport

• Transport Steering Group
• Travel Steering Group
• COP26 Planners working Group
• COP26 SCS Risk Challenge Panels
• COP26 Security & Readiness Steering Group
• COP26 Venue Operations Steering Group
• COP26 VIP Logistics Planning Group
• COP26 Testing & Exercising Group
• COP26 Blue Zone Staffing Group
• COP26 Horizon Scanning Group
• COP26 Policing and Security Assurance Group (PSAG)

The Scottish Government notes the recent calls for the International Criminal Court to recognise the destruction of nature, “ecocide”, as an international crime.

We are committed to maintaining high environmental standards and have put in place arrangements to establish Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) as the new governance body which has the ability to keep under review the implementation of international obligations relating to environmental protection legislation and advise the Government accordingly.

Scotland’s Baby Box Managing Agent, APS Group (Scotland), has continued to work with suppliers since the start of the programme to reduce the use of single use plastic in the Baby Box where possible. Currently, only items which require individual wrapping for safety or hygiene purposes are individually wrapped. This includes the baby wrap and the mattress which are packaged to ensure the important safety information is not missed and the teether which is packaged for hygiene purposes.

All clothing is delivered to APS Group (Scotland) as multiples in single protective outers (rather than individually wrapped) for protection in transit. The protective packaging included in the Baby Box is made from 50% recycled paper and is FSC accredited. Other packaging such as cardboard outers, is also recyclable.

We will continue to evaluate how Scotland’s Baby Box is helping families and continue to monitor how it can be improved. We will keep the contents under review and adapt these to meet the needs of babies and parents. This will certainly include removing single use plastics wherever possible.

The reusable nappy voucher was first included in Scotland’s Baby Box in April 2019. The number of nappies claimed each year was as follows:

2019 – 4912

2020 – 7192

2021 – 3128 (this is up to 02-07-2021)