Section 6 - Planet: Environmental Protection
Contents
Introduction
Shetland has rich and varied natural heritage, being home to many significant species of animal and plants and internationally important habitats, such as blanket bog. The geology of Shetland is diverse, particularly when considering the relatively small land area of the Islands, with rock types spanning almost 3 billion years.
Our natural heritage therefore requires careful management or conservation, with important input from both the public and private sectors, including vital safekeeping from land owners and managers.
Shetland has a number of different designated sites. As part of the Local Development Plan development, Supplementary Guidance on Local Nature Conservation sites was adopted in 2015. This guidance highlighted an additional 49 sites of importance not currently designated under legislation were identified as deserving protection.
It is therefore critical that environmental protection is taken into consideration at an early stage in the planning of all energy development projects.
Current Situation
At present actions relating to locally important habitats and species are tracked through Living Shetland, the Island’s Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP). Living Shetland was developed with a wide range of partner organisations helping to coordinate its development and implementation.
Case Study – SOTEAG
Shetland has a history of comprehensive environmental monitoring programmes. The Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental Advisory Group (SOTEAG) being an example for replication across other projects. SOTEAG was established in 1977, building on the Sullom Voe Environmental Advisory Group (SVEAG). Since 1974, the Sullom Voe Terminal has been the focus on one of the most intensive monitoring programmes of any industrial installation in the UK.
The reviewed area encompasses the zone that the Council is responsible for, including:
- Tanker trading to Sullom Voe
- Ship-to-ship transfer
- West of Shetland activities.
One of the most important functions of SOTEAG is to provide early warning of environmental change and, if appropriate, to advise on remedial action, which if neglected or unheeded, could lead to unacceptable environmental consequences. This is achieved via the Monitoring Committee, compiled of independent scientific experts, who on an annual basis evaluate and analyse, environmental monitoring reports. This ensures that the health of the marine and coastal environment around the terminal is constantly maintained.
An independent expert advisory group, Shetland Windfarm Environmental Advisory Group (SWEAG) will oversee the comprehensive programme of conservation and monitoring measures, including the Habitat Management Plan (HMP), to be implemented by Viking Energy during the lifetime of the windfarm.
Shetland Regional Marine Plan
The aim of the Shetland Islands Regional Marine Plan (SIRMP) is to manage the marine environment in Shetland in a sustainable way to have clean, healthy, safe, productive and diverse seas, managed to meet the long-term needs of nature and the people.
The SIRMP is a policy and data framework which aims to provide clear guidance and evidence to support a wide range of marine decisions throughout Shetland. The SIRMP was created by the Shetland Marine Planning Partnership (Shetland UHI and Shetland Islands Council) with the support of an Advisory Group.
The Marine Spatial Planning Team have led the development of marine spatial planning in Shetland using scientific data to underpin its policies, recognising the equal value of economic, environmental, and social factors in maintaining a healthy marine environment.
Future
We want to ensure that environmental protection is given due consideration during the energy development planning process and that developers follow or even go beyond the requirements for environmental monitoring. We also want to ensure that a holistic overview is taken to projects to maximise opportunities for cooperation and collaboration which would therefore reduce the overall cumulative impact of the developments and their associated infrastructure.
As highlighted above the Council approved a set of Energy Development Principles back in December 2022. One of the principles is environmental protection. Work is currently underway to develop this principle into a set of guidelines that can be used to engage with developers.
Social
By protecting our natural environment we will promote fauna and flora diversity and help to improve the resilience of our land, soils and infrastructure against risks such as flooding and landslides. The natural environment benefits our own health and wellbeing.
Economic
Our economic sectors are dependent on a sustainable natural environment. Without the resources provided by nature, these sectors would not provide the incomes necessary to maintain our population in Shetland. Future developments must co-exist with established industries and minimise the impact on the natural resources.
Environmental
Promoting the use and care of our grasslands and heather covered hills as carbon sequestering habitats, as well as areas for grazing, will allow more carbon to be absorbed and reduce carbon emissions from those peatlands made available for restoration. Similarly, our marine environment is a highly important heat and carbon sink which we need to understand further.
According to Science Based Targets Network, “There is no net zero without meaningful action on nature”
There is now clear scientific evidence that achieving net zero is not possible without the direct involvement of our natural world… Nature is the backbone of human well-being and the foundation for all economic activity. The interplay between nature and climate requires collective, joined-up action to stabilize the climate, preserve freshwater resources, regenerate land, secure a healthy ocean and protect biodiversity. This must be done in line with scientifically defined limits and on a socially equitable basis.
Opportunities:
- There are number of data sets and frameworks in place to build from
- Increased biodiversity health
- End of life planning and circular economy
- Investment and pilot projects
- Creating a resilient Shetland
Challenges:
- Identifying best use of land and sea
- Incompatible, non-standardised data sets that are not shareable
- Capital cost of rehabilitation projects
- Competition for workforce to carry out work, monitoring and data analysis
- Policy gaps and EIA loopholes
We will statements for environmental protection
- We will develop the Energy Development Principle on Environmental Protection into a set of Guidelines
- We will steer projects to sites that are the least environmentally disruptive.
- We will encourage developers to follow and go beyond national guidance on EIAs and environmental monitoring
- We will encourage collaborative monitoring to the benefit of increasing biodiversity gains and ecosystem health.
- We will advocate to the policy makers and national bodies to adopt a holistic approach to energy developments and licensing regionally as opposed to current piecemeal planning approach.