Introduction

The A96 Corridor Review

In August 2021, it was agreed by the Scottish Government to take forward a transport enhancements programme on the A96 corridor that improves connectivity between surrounding towns, tackles congestion and addresses safety and environmental issues.

Whilst the current plan is to fully dual the A96 route, it was agreed as part of this process there would be a transparent, evidence-based review of the programme, to include a climate compatibility assessment to assess direct and indirect impacts on the climate and the environment. Other statutory assessments would also be undertaken which include a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Statutory Impact Assessments (SIAs).

As it has already received Ministerial consent following a Public Local Inquiry, dualling of the A96 from Inverness to Nairn as well as a bypass of Nairn is separate from the wider A96 review process.

The A96 Corridor Review is being carried out in accordance with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) . STAG is the best practice, objective-led approach to transport appraisal. The transport appraisal has considered all relevant transport modes within the A96 corridor, including active travel, public transport, rail and roads-based transport modes. Adopting STAG also brings the review in line with the same methodology as set out in the Second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

The A96 Corridor Review is being carried out by design consultants Jacobs AECOM acting on behalf of Transport Scotland. Jacobs AECOM supported Transport Scotland undertaking STPR2. The review considers transport problems and opportunities within the A96 corridor. It also looks at the changing policy context and other key considerations, such as development and growth aims for the corridor and surrounding area. Additionally, it considers the impact of the global climate emergency and the COVID-19 pandemic on how people work and travel within the corridor.

This Climate Compatibility Assessment has been undertaken as part of a series of materials produced to support the A96 Corridor Review, including:

A96 Corridor Review climate compatibility assessment

The climate compatibility assessment has drawn information and data from existing transport guidance, processes and assessments including the SEA, STAG and Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), all of which are required as part of the suite of statutory reports and assessments as agreed with Transport Scotland.

The climate compatibility assessment is separate from and does not replace the transport guidance, processes and assessments, and instead should be considered in conjunction with these which provide the wider social, environmental and economic appraisal and assessment of the A96 Full Dualling and packages.

The climate compatibility assessment is a narrative assessment, that seeks to establish the alignment or otherwise of the proposals with the identified climate change criteria. The narrative assessments do not provide a definitive ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to an intervention being compatible or aligned to the climate change criteria. The criteria assessments are not combined to provide a collective impact assessment across all criteria.

The packages are at an early stage of development with limited design details. Therefore, the assessments are based on potential impacts and interactions the packages could have with aspects considered within the specific criteria. The A96 Full Dualling has been assessed at the same stage of design development as the packages to ensure a consistency of approach.

Below are the climate compatibility assessment criteria and their associated success factors, split across the two themes of ‘climate change adaptation and resilience’ and ‘climate change mitigation’.

Climate change adaptation and resilience

Criterion 1 - extent to which the package supports adaptation and/or resilience to current and predicted future impacts of climate change.

Success Factors:

(a) Supports adaptation for and/or resilience to predicted increases in sea levels and storm surge.

(b) Supports adaptation for and/or resilience to predicted changes in temperatures.

(c) Supports adaptation for and/or resilience to predicted increase in likelihood and severity of fluvial and pluvial flooding.

(d) Supports adaptation for and/or resilience to predicted increase in likelihood and severity of storms and high winds.

Criterion 2 - extent to which the package supports the surrounding area to adapt and/or become more resilient to current and predicted future impacts of climate change.

Success Factor:

(a) Supports adaptation for and/or resilience to current and future impacts of climate change within the study area outside of the package boundary.

(b) Supports the natural environment to adapt for and/or increase resilience to current and predicted future impacts of climate change.

Climate change mitigation

Criterion 3 - extent to which the package supports the decarbonisation of the transport network in Scotland, including supporting transition from higher to lower emission modes, and the modal shift to greater public transport and active travel options.

Success Factor:

(a) The net change in user carbon emissions sits appropriately within a calculated emissions envelope for Scotland, taking account of changing legislation and targets (including any Climate Change Plan update for Scotland) (assumed current target of 2045).

(b) Supports the transition to low carbon modes of transport: transition from higher emission to lower emission modes, the modal shift to public transport and the modal shift to active travel for shorter everyday journeys.

Criterion 4 - extent to which the package supports the decarbonisation of the construction sector in Scotland and maximises reduction in carbon emissions.

Success Factor:

(a) Supports transition from higher emission to lower emission materials and technologies during construction, operation and maintenance.

Criterion 5 - extent to which land use change associated with the package mitigates carbon emissions and contributes to carbon storage and sequestration.

Success Factor:

(a) Supports the protection and development of carbon sinks, and takes appropriate measures to maximise carbon sequestration, taking account of wider ecosystem services/natural capital.