General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 19 September 2024.
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 will have on local government procurement. (S6O-03742)
Measures that flow from the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, such as the co-design with local authorities of a statutory code of practice for household waste recycling and the development of a circular economy strategy, may have implications for local authority procurement. We will engage with local authorities to understand the impact on them.
Procurement obligations for local authorities are covered by the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. Under that act, local authorities have a responsibility to consider how they can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their areas.
I recently met Danic Lighting, which is a Glasgow-based company that one of my constituents runs. The company specialises in repairable light fittings and works with some of the world’s biggest manufacturers, which are based in China. Suppliers are reportedly manufacturing repairable lighting for electrical wholesalers across continental Europe, but not for those in the United Kingdom, and the belief is that the UK is lagging behind the European Union in implementing the right to repair and in adhering to the standard that is set by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. How is the Scottish Government maintaining and promoting the CIBSE standard in public procurement so that we are building a circular economy with the right to repair at its heart?
Clare Adamson highlights one of the many ways in which Brexit is harming Scotland’s economy and making the reality of trade and manufacturing far more difficult for businesses. However, that is not stopping us from doing all that we can to encourage and enable innovative firms, such as Danic Lighting, to invest here in Scotland, which will create new clean and green jobs, grow our economy and create prosperity for employees and communities.
I reassure Ms Adamson that the Scottish Government is alert to those issues. We are developing policy to lead by example. We are compiling guidance that is aimed at public sector organisations on circular economy lighting that uses the CIBSE standard, which will integrate circular economy principles into public sector lighting projects. That will involve input from public agencies and businesses to ensure that we get the guidance right. I would be happy to involve Danic Lighting in that process.
The reality is that the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 should have delivered stronger action on public procurement, but the Scottish National Party voted down my attempt to do that. Why?
The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 establishes a legislative framework to support Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy. It will significantly increase reuse and recycling rates and modernise and improve waste and recycling services.
Procurement is an important aspect of developing a circular economy, and powers are already available under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. They include a sustainable procurement duty that requires contracting authorities to consider and act on opportunities to improve economic, social and environmental wellbeing. For the latest annual report on procurement activity in Scotland, 71 per cent of reporting bodies provided evidence of how they are addressing environmental wellbeing and climate change through procurement.