The
Geographer
Independence: Non-Governmental Organisations
12-13
Spring 2014
An environmental perspective
Lloyd Austin
So, battle is joined! The opposing
‘Yes’ and ‘No’ camps are
dominating the headlines. What,
if anything, does this mean for
Scotland’s environment and those
who care for it, such as our NGOs
or learned societies?
The Scottish Parliament has
responsibility for the environment,
and a range of other matters
affecting our natural heritage, such
as planning, transport, agriculture
and fisheries. The powers of the
Scottish Parliament and how they
might be used should therefore be
of great interest to those who care
for our environment. The debate is
not purely constitutional. Many are
also debating the use of powers,
or ‘the kind of Scotland we wish to
live in’, including how we manage
the environment and sustainability.
The referendum on independence
takes place on 18th September. The
Scottish Government has published
its prospectus in its White Paper
Scotland’s Future, although there are
other views (for example, Greens).
Meanwhile, those campaigning
for a ‘No’ vote are also developing
proposals for further devolution,
reflecting a broad dissatisfaction
with constitutional arrangements
in the UK. The Labour, Liberal
Democrat and Conservative
parties all have their own internal
commissions (or similar), while
there are also groups promoting
‘devo-plus’ or ‘devo-max’. Whatever
the result in September, it is clear
that there will be developments
(significant and/or gradual) in
the constitutional arrangements
between Scotland and the rest of
the UK. These can be summarised
as: (1) status quo plus Scotland Act
2012; (2) status quo, 2012 Act, and
further unspecified devolution; and
(3) independence. The exact nature
of independence would, of course,
be dependent on post-referendum
negotiations