Video of ESS Six Month Update Available

0:00 [Music]
0:04 hello I’m Mark Roberts, Chief Executive of Environmental Standards Scotland
0:09 I want to give you a short update on some of the work that we’ve
0:12 been doing recently
0:14 In February, we published a report looking at particulate matter in
0:18 air in Scotland
0:20 We did this because, in 2021, the World Health Organisation revised
0:24 its air quality guidelines and we wanted to see how
0:28 Scotland compared
0:30 The new guidelines are much more stringent, reflecting what we now
0:33 know about the effects of particulate matter on
0:36 human health
0:37 Our report recommended that the Scottish Government considers this
0:41 when it revises its air quality strategy
0:46 Over the last few months, we’ve concluded a number of pieces
0:49 of work where we have worked with public bodies to address
0:52 concerns that have been raised with us by members of the
0:55 public and organisations
0:57 We call this informal resolution and it will always be our first step in
1:01 trying to resolve issues
1:04 We’ve reached informal resolutions on aspects of water quality,
1:08 on how Habitats Regulations appraisals are conducted and
1:12 how the Scottish Government assesses the impact of its
1:15 infrastructure plan on greenhouse gas emissions
1:18 All the details are on our website
1:22 Finally, we have also begun a community engagement
1:25 programme
1:26 Being accessible to the pubic is a priority for ESS
1:30 This programme will allow us to meet with, and listen directly to,
1:33 the concerns of individuals and environmental groups in Scotland
1:38 If you’re a community group interested in speaking to us,
1:41 please do get in touch
1:43 Indeed, if you’re interested in any aspect of our work, have a look at
1:47 our website at www.ess.thegateedinburgh.com
1:52 where there’s much more detail on who we are and what we do
1:56 [Music]
2:01 [Music fades]