Environmental Standards Scotland

Scotland has a natural environment we can all be proud of, but there is still much to do, particularly as we look to

tackle the twin climate and nature crisis. At Environmental Standards Scotland, ESS, we play our part by

monitoring, investigating, and securing public authorities compliance with environmental law. We also scrutinize

the effectiveness of environmental law in Scotland and how it is implemented and applied. Our new strategy sets out

how we will carry out this work over the next 5 years. It brings a strong focus on four key priorities that we will base our proactive work upon: climate change,

nature, resources, and water. and it confirms that we will continue to receive and consider representations

from members of the public and community groups on any issues of environmental concern across everything we do. We will

carry out our work according to our principles. We will strive to be independent and trusted, be evidence-driven, be open and

and prioritize our efforts and resources to maximize our impact. We will also measure and report on our progress using

clear indicators and milestones to show how our work is delivering meaningful improvements over time. This will show how our work is helping us achieve our

five strategic objectives of securing compliance and improving effectiveness,

analyzing and investigating environmental concerns, monitoring and scrutinizing environmental performance,

engaging and communicating effectively,

and being an efficient and effective organization.

By achieving these objectives, we will realize the ambition set out in our new strategy. By holding public authorities to account, we will ensure that

Scotland’s people and nature benefit from a highquality, healthy environment through improved compliance with and

better implementation of effective environmental law. For more information, visit environmentalstandards.scot.