19 August 2022
RIA Scotland has submitted a response to the Scottish Government's consultation on a Circular Economy Route Map to 2025.
Executive Summary
RIA Scotland's key recommendations for the route map are:
RECOMMENDATION 1: Provide industry with a clear strategy and plan – any changes in plans or funding will make it more difficult for industry to deliver on circular economy targets. In order to best support the rail industry’s adoption of circular economy practices, the Scottish Government should focus on:
• Procurement: Award good performance on circular economy in procurement.
• Innovation: Provide industry with outcome-focused objectives to allow rail suppliers to innovate.
• Pipeline: Transparent information on the expected pipeline of opportunities to allow suppliers to invest in their people and their circular economy initiatives.
• Funding: Fund and support skills development and innovation in rail.
RECOMMENDATION 2: To fully unlock the potential of the rail industry to support a circular economy, the Scottish Government should work with rail suppliers and stakeholders to ensure that solutions are innovative, economically viable, and delivering the maximum benefits. This includes working with SMEs as well as larger companies.
RECOMMENDATION 3: For the rail industry, the most effective compliance mechanism is a voluntary one where good performance on circular economy schemes is recognised in the procurement process and in tender evaluations. This allows ‘good actors’ to be rewarded without creating a new barrier to entry to companies wanting to enter the sector. Suppliers and industry should be consulted at the earliest possible stage ahead of the introduction of any mandatory compliance measures and adequate transition periods allowed for.
RECOMMENDATION 4: Rail can support green jobs across all of Scotland. Provide a clear pipeline of work to allow rail suppliers to invest in skills including apprenticeships, training programmes, and circular economy schemes. Include the rail sector in the Circular Economy skills audit.
RECOMMENDATION 5: Innovation in the rail sector can support the circular economy, both for rail and for other sectors. Innovation funding should focus on both development and deployment, and clear challenge statements and outcome-based procurement will allow the private sector to put forward innovative solutions. An open by default approach to data can encourage innovation. Modern methods of construction can be supported as outlined in section 17.8.
RECOMMENDATION 6: Outcome-focused procurement and early supplier engagement allows suppliers and clients to work together to achieve circular economy ambitions.
The Submission