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Quarter 1 2024-2025 Corporate Performance Summary Report

1. Executive summary

This year’s Annual Operating Plan includes 12 performance measures. Each quarter we will produce a report to explain how we are progressing with those measures. This is the first quarterly report covering the period April 2024 – June 2024.

In the first quarter we are on track to achieve 10 of the 12 performance measures. We have two measures with a status of ‘partially achieved’ - (i) measure six: rates of waste to landfill in annual Scottish household waste data is reducing and (ii) measure 12: percentage of invoices paid within 10 days. Action is being taken to improve performance against both measures including resource allocation and internal process reviews. It should be noted that measure six is a long term, Scottish performance measure and whilst we are responsible for reporting Scottish data, we are not wholly responsible for achieving this measure.

A key highlight for this quarter is the reduction of 16 illegal sites in Scotland causing potential harm to the environment and communities. We achieved this by using several different intervention methods.

During this quarter all flood alerts and warnings were issued on time to businesses, first responders and communities. Specifically, in April and May we saw a record number issued compared to previous years. 92 alerts and warnings were issued in April against a previous record of 43, and 74 alerts and warnings were issued in May against a previous record of 28.

2. Performance summary

A high-level summary of the progress of each performance measure for quarter one is below.

Number	Priority	Aim	Measure	Status
1	Net Zero	Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.	Annual greenhouse gas emissions in the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory - Reducing (These are national outcomes for Scotland and SEPA plays a contributing role).	Achieving
2	Net Zero	Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.	Annual reports of greenhouse gas emission by SEPA - Reducing.	Achieving
3	Climate resilience	The impact of flooding and water scarcity is reduced.	Number of flood warnings and alerts issued by SEPA - Maintaining.	Achieving
4	Climate resilience	The impact of flooding and water scarcity is reduced.	Proportion of developments approved in accordance with SEPA's advice on flood risk - Increasing.	Achieving
5	Water environment	The condition of the water environment is improving.	Classification of water bodies across Scotland - Increasing.	Achieving
6	Resource efficiency	Resource efficiency is improved.	Rates of waste to landfill in annual Scottish household waste data - Reducing (These are national outcomes for Scotland and SEPA plays a contributing role).	Partially achieving
7	Business environmental performance	Interventions to tackle environmental crime are increasing.	Number of successful interventions per year - Increasing.	Achieving
8	Our organisation	Enabling aims.	Percentage of customer complaints responded to within statutory timescales - Maintaining.	Achieving
9	Our organisation	Enabling aims.	Number of vehicles in our fleet to electric and enhancing our EV charger facilities - Increasing.	Achieving
10	Our organisation	Enabling aims.	Percentage of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and Environmental Information Requests (EIRs) responded to within statutory timescales - Increasing.	Achieving
11	Our organisation	Enabling aims.	Percentage efficiency savings - Maintaining.	Achieving
12	Our organisation	Enabling aims.	Percentage of invoices paid within 10 days - Maintaining.	Partially achieving

3. Performance updates

3.1 Annual greenhouse gas emissions in the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory – reducing

Status: Achieving

This measure and measure six (rates of waste to landfill in annual Scottish household waste data – reducing) are long term, Scottish performance measures. Whilst, we are responsible for reporting Scottish data, we are not wholly responsible for achieving these measures. Through collaboration, partnerships, data reporting and regulation, we create the conditions for other stakeholders to undertake the necessary action towards achieving these targets.

The priority areas of activity identified in the Annual Operating Plan for both of these measures are predominantly in development. We are not yet sure the level of impact they may have on the overall Scottish measures we report on, once they are implemented. As part of the developmental work on these priorities over the next three years (Corporate Plan period), we will be looking at developing measures that can help us understand and report on the impact they have once operational.

Two areas we will consider when evaluating our performance against this measure are around a pilot of an outcome based and collaborative approach to regulation and the industrial cluster, and around identifying priority sites for industrial decarbonisation. Delivery against both of these areas remains positive, with progress against all work packages.

3.2 Annual reports of greenhouse gas emission by SEPA – Reducing

Status: Achieving

As a society we are over-using our planet’s resources. This has resulted in a global poly crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. As Scotland’s environmental regulator, we are requiring and encouraging businesses to reduce their impacts. We must do the same.

We report our greenhouse gas emissions one quarter in arrears due to the time lag in securing data (e.g. from travel expenses, which have a 60-day claim window). Our quarter one report will therefore be available in quarter two.

In May, our Net Zero Routemap 2024-2026 was approved by the Corporate Leadership Team. This sets out actions we will take in the coming two years to make progress towards our new goals and targets:

• Goal: To reduce all our greenhouse gas emissions to at least net zero by 2035.
• Goal: To be zero avoidable waste by 2030.
• Interim Target: To reduce our direct greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by March 2026. This means our target is 1481 tCO2e by March 2026.

CLT lead: Kirsty-Louise Campbell

3.3 Number of flood warnings and alerts issued by SEPA - maintaining

Status: Achieving

Flooding is a frequent natural hazard in Scotland. It can have devastating impacts on people, on activities, and on the natural and built environment.

Our 24/7 flood forecasting and warning service enables people, businesses, and communities to take action to protect themselves. We also advise civil contingency responders before and during flood events. This is part of Scotland’s multi-agency emergency planning and incident response.

Every day we issue a daily flood guidance statement to responders (more than 900 people). Ahead of flooding periods, we issue regional flood alerts and local flood warnings to inform the public. We operate a network of rainfall, river, and coastal water level gauges. These feed into our real-time forecasting models, along with meteorological forecasts. A dedicated communication system issues the flood guidance statements, alerts and warnings.

All daily flood guidance statements were issued on time during quarter one, with a total of 105 regional flood alerts and 79 local flood warnings issued.

This quarter was marked by very unsettled weather resulting in the highest number of alerts and warnings issued over the last 14 years for April and May (92 alerts and warnings in April against a previous record of 43 and an average of 10; 74 alerts and warnings in May against a previous record of 28 and an average of 12). These figures continued the trend observed in the autumn and winter of 2023-2024. 2023-2024 had the highest activity on record over the last 13 years.

CLT lead: Alex Flucker.

3.4 Proportion of developments approved in accordance with SEPA’s advice on flood risk – increasing

Status: Achieving

We deliver flood risk advice, evidence and guidance for the land use planning system, to ensure new developments avoid flood risk and help existing communities and services become more resilient to flooding.

We take a proportionate risk-based approach to focus our site-specific advice to the highest risk places. We provide evidence and guidance – based on the latest science and directly applicable at the site scale – to support good decision making at the earliest stages of developments being planned.

We work with partner authorities in the planning process to implement National Planning Framework 4 to deliver sustainable, liveable and productive places.

We have responded to 361 consultations for flood risk advice from planning authorities, 185 were for new applications we have not previously advised on. Two applications notified to Scottish Ministers have been approved to go ahead in flood risk areas against SEPA’s advice during the same time period. Therefore, around 99% are currently progressing in line with SEPA’s flooding advice.

CLT lead: Alex Flucker.

3.5 Classification of water bodies across Scotland – increasing

Status: Achieving

Classification is the approach used to define the state of Scotland’s water environment and is produced annually for all water bodies in Scotland. Environmental monitoring for classification is driven by risk assessments based on pressure information or located in areas of known risk. It is designed to assess longer term changes in the water environment. Our system was devised following EU and UK guidance. We currently analyse results for 3542 water bodies across Scotland.

Surface water bodies (rivers, lochs, transitional and coastal) are classified using a system of five quality classes (high, good, moderate, poor, bad). Ground water bodies are classified as good or poor.

The classification results for 2023 have been reported confirming that the status of the water environment is improving.

It is hoped that the 2024 State of Environment Report with the classification results will be published in July 2025. Since the start of water environment classification for River Basin Management Planning in 2008, the overall condition of Scotland’s water bodies has improved each year. The percentage of surface water bodies that were classed as good or better in 2008 was 61% and is now 65.6%, demonstrating an improvement of 4.6% since 2008. The number of surface water bodies classed as bad overall condition has decreased from 224 in 2008 to 57 in 2023, an improvement of 74.6% of these water bodies that indicates an upward trend in overall condition.

We secure environmental improvement through direct regulation or funding, depending on the type of environmental pressure, and track progress on a sectoral basis. Sectors include agriculture, hydro-power and Scottish Water. We also work with a range of partners on funding work, including local authorities and fisheries organisations. SEPA ensures no deterioration by issuing permits to new developments which have the potential to impact on the water environment, undertaking associated compliance and checking enforcement. We also advise local authorities on new planning applications and respond to pollution incidents.

CLT lead: Lin Bunten and Alex Flucker.

3.6 Rates of waste to landfill in annual Scottish household waste data – reducing

Status: Partially achieving

Through collaboration, partnerships, data reporting and regulation, we create the conditions for other stakeholders to undertake the necessary action towards achieving these targets.

The priority areas of activity identified in the Annual Operating Plan for both of these measures are predominantly in development. We are not yet sure the level of impact they may have on the overall Scottish measures we report on, once they are implemented. As part of the developmental work on these priorities over the next three years (Corporate Plan period), we will be looking at developing measures that can help us understand and report on the impact they have once operational.

There are three areas we will consider when evaluating our performance against this measure. These areas are:

1. Deliver actions on digital disruption of illegal waste collection and landowner roles and responsibilities.

The purpose of this project is to detect and disrupt illegal waste operators advertising their waste collection businesses on social media, principally Facebook. It is our assessment that approximately 50% of profiles are used by unregistered waste carriers, and therefore members of the public using them to dispose of their own waste may be contributing to fly tipping and other waste crimes. Our disruption efforts are focused on both overt challenge of operators and follow-up formal enforcement when there is sufficiency of evidence.

In the current reporting period, we have delivered the following:

Action	2024 Q1	2023 Q4
Information notices issued	12	4
Profiles closed	23	7
Texts to unlicensed operators	39	20
Public Facebook posts	51	21
Waste Carrier Application Received	5	2
Fixed Monetary Penalties Issued	1	0

In addition, an X (formally Twitter) campaign was delivered to expand the deterrence message to raise awareness of this work and warn members of the public about how to avoid falling foul of potential illegal operators advertising online.

The campaign received a high volume of engagement and interaction. It was initially published on 21 March 2024 and in the current reporting period achieved a total of 94,947 impressions across X, Facebook and LinkedIn. There was positive engagement from Members of the Scottish Parliament, local authority elected members and community councillors, and evidence of re-sharing and use by stakeholders.

2. Prepare for the implementation of UK Extended Producer Responsibility reforms.

We are preparing for the implementation of UK Extended Producer Responsibility reforms and have achieved the following in quarter one:

• Successful recruitment of a Project Manager, to implement improvements to project delivery structure, tracking, reporting and planning.
• Continued to provide feedback to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on development of new UK producer digital portal.
• On track to complete validation of producer supplied data for 2023.
• Advised Scottish Government on the drafting of new Material Facility legislation.
• Obtained approval to proceed with preparation for a consultation on a new Materials Recovery Facility charging scheme.

3. Progress the implementation of digital waste tracking.

SEPA’s ability to prepare for digital waste tracking implementation is extrinsically linked and dependent on, the delivery and final functionality of the UK digital waste tracking system that is being built by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This system build has been significantly more complex than expected but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is still working towards an in-service date of April 2025. In quarter one, we successfully recruited a Senior Project Manager to support internal and external progression and provide a more robust project delivery structure to achieving agency readiness.

CLT lead: Lin Bunten and Alex Flucker.

3.7 Number of successful interventions per year - increasing

Status: Achieving

Our target for this year is to increase the number of interventions we take to tackle environmental crime, and as such cause the number of illegal sites to reduce or downgrade in risk.

This is the first time we have calculated the number of interventions used to tackle environmental crime. Quarter one we have used 29 interventions.

Disruptions and interventions:

• Multi-agency days of action - Targeted inspections with partner agencies.
• Intelligence - Using intelligence to detect high risk environment crime.
• Working with partners - Disrupting simple planning applications of illegal operators.
• Trading standards - Targeting unlicensed operators advertising on social media.
• Online operators - Targeting online operators - "same day"/"next day" pick up.
• Use of powers of entry and investigation - Use of notices to prevent disturbance of deposited waste and require onsite plant to carry out small-scale excavations.
• Statutory notices - Service of statutory notices to remove deposited waste.
• Waste exports - Waste exports stopped and returned to site for inspection.
• Licence suspension - Suspension of ABTO status and partial suspension of SEPA Authorisation of a site.

*Illegal Sites and illegal operators means those which are operating without the required environmental authorisation or in contravention of environmental legislation.

The successful interventions we take should result in a continued downward trend in illegal sites we are aware of and start the year with, along with a continued increase in Enforcement Actions we take in year. This quarter we have closed 16 illegal sites.

Enforcements actions:

• 2024-25 YTD - 43.
• 2023-24 Total - 136.
• 2022-23 Total - 95.

Enforcement actions means final warning letters, information notices issued for enforcement/interventions purposes, statutory notices, Fixed Monetary Penalties, Variable Monetary Penalties and enforcement undertakings.

CLT lead: Lin Bunten

3.8 Percentage of customer complaints responded to within statutory timescales - maintaining

Status: Achieving

Our target for this year is to respond to 85% of complaints within the timescales set out in our complaints handling procedure. This reflects the measure set by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and recognises the fact that some complaints cannot be completed within the planned timescales, due to their seriousness or complexity.

In quarter one, we closed nine complaints, six at Stage 1 and three at Stage 2. All Stage 2 and five Stage 1 complaints were closed within timescales. One Stage 1 complaint was completed in six days, missing the five-day deadline by one day, due to resource availability during the time of the complaint. Overall, we responded to 89% of complaints within timescales, exceeding the target.

CLT lead: Kirsty-Louise Campbell

Stage 1 Complaints:

	Apr	May	Jun
Stage 1 complaints open at start of month	0	1	0
Stage 1 complaints received in month	3	3	3
Stage 1 complaints close in month	2	4	3
Average number of days to complete	4	4.25	2.67
Closed within 5-day deadline (%)	2(100%)	4(100%)	2(66.6%)
Closed after 5-day deadline (%)	0	0	1
Total remaining open at end of month	1	0	0

Stage 2 Complaints:

	Apr	May	Jun
Stage 2 complaints open at start of month	0	1	0
Stage 2 complaints received in month	1	3	0
Stage 2 complaints close in month	0	4	0
Average number of days to complete	n/a	19.5	n/a
Closed within 20-day deadline (%)	n/a	4(100%)	n/a
Closed after 20-day deadline (%)	n/a	0	n/a
Total remaining open at end of month	1	0	0

3.9 Number of vehicles in our fleet to electric and enhancing our EV charger facilities – increasing

Status: Achieving

This year we are looking to increase the number of electric vehicles in our fleet and increase the number of electric charging facilities over our estate.

We have submitted the relevant documentation to Scottish Government to replace our fleet vehicles with electric vehicles and our teams have been working together around the sourcing strategy we will use once approval is given. We are also aware of some issues with our charging infrastructure that have rolled over from our previous provider alongside the age of the equipment. We are working to resolve these issues.

CLT lead: Kirsty Paterson.

3.10 Percentage of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and Environmental Information Requests (EIR) responded to within statutory timescales – increasing

Status: Achieving

Our performance for responding to requests within the legal time limits since April 2022 is shown in the graph below. This year, our aim is to process at least 90% of requests within 20 working days by the end of March 2025.

Towards the end of last year, we focussed more resource within the Access to Information team and across the organisation on responding to requests to improve performance. We are continuing to focus on performance and in quarter one this year, we achieved 95% in April, 89% in May and 92% in June. As a result of this focus and investment in the Access to Information Team, all new staff are now in post and currently undergoing training. This will consolidate the capacity in the team to enable work and to improve the efficiency sustainability of the service while continuing to maintain a high level of performance.

The number of Freedom of Information requests received remained relatively stable with 10 in quarter one; in line with the total of 54 we received last year. However, we continue to receive a high number of Environmental Information Requests. We received 434 requests for environmental information in quarter one, in line with the total of 1,623 we received last year.

We continue to see a high number of requests concerning the water environment. Particular areas include flooding, combined sewer overflows, water resources, and sewage discharges. There also continued to be a high number of requests for regulatory information, such as permits and enforcement notices.

Key areas of work going forwards are to focus on improving our website and content with a focus pro-active publication of information where possible to meet the needs of customers seeking information; and to adopt digital solutions where appropriate.

CLT lead: Kirsty-Louise Campbell.

3.11 Percentage efficiency savings – maintaining

Status: Achieving

In the 2022 Resource Spending Review, Scottish Government set an expectation that public bodies would deliver annual recurring efficiency savings of at least 3% of their cash revenue grant in aid. In 2024-2025 this equated to £1.2m of SEPA’s revenue budget.

To achieve a balanced budget in 2024-25 we set a vacancy management savings target of £3.5m, which is £2.3m higher than the target required by Scottish Government.

At the end of quarter one we are on track to meet our budgeted target and achieving this measure.

CLT lead: Angela Milloy.

3.12 Percentage of invoices paid within 10 days – maintaining

Status: Partially achieving

We are working to the Scottish Government target to pay all valid invoices within 10 working days.

The percentage of valid invoices paid within 10 working days for 2024 quarter one is 86%, compared to our baseline figure of 89% for 2023-2024. This has been affected by several factors, including resourcing and year/month end processes. With sufficient resourcing and internal process improvements it is anticipated that this rate will increase in the year, aiming for the rate of 90% of valid invoices paid within 10 working days. Improved scrutiny of the reason for delayed payments will also be implemented to identify any further process improvements moving forward.

CLT lead: Angela Milloy.