Drafting policy and targets

This section describes the main things you should consider in drafting and testing policies and targets developed in response to the evidence base you’ve developed (see the Principles of an Evidence Base for more information). It is split into the scales referred to in the diagram provided on the What planning policy to consider page.

Sustainable energy policy and targets

Energy policy and targets can be split into three scales. Thinking in this way can help ensure that all opportunities are considered. The scales are;

These scales are broad descriptions and some types of policy approach could fit into more than one scale – in such cases, the toolkit only puts information on that approach in one of the sections to avoid duplication.

Climate change adaptation policy and targets

This section also coves policies for climate change adaptation. This is again split into different scales, namely;

Your policy on climate change adaptation should take account of each climate risk, and each of your policies should consider the impact of scale when considering adaptation options. It is also important to note that some risks can be significantly reduced by careful design, negating the need for a physical adaptation measure. In simple terms, this might include changing the orientation of the building or selecting materials with an albedo (ability to reflect the sun) which helps minimise overheating. Due to the nature of adaptation risks and adaptation options, target setting is less suitable for adaptation policy than sustainable energy policy, perhaps with the exception of flooding.

You should remember of course that the policy approaches and objectives listed in the toolkit aren’t exhaustive; there may be other approaches which are just as valid. But, whichever route you take, you must be sure that the policy you develop and implement has the foundation of a sound evidence base so you can be as confident as possible that it can withstand challenge.