Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-26011

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25286 by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024, and in light of the specific commitment given by the then Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform in a letter to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee, dated 24 March 2021, that "work is underway on the development of roadmaps" for each of the priority sectors listed in the updated Climate Change Plan, whether it will address that commitment and provide an update on when the sectoral roadmaps will be published for (a) electricity, (b) buildings, (c) transport, (d) industry, (e) waste and the circular economy, (f) land use, land use change and forestry, (g) agriculture and (h) negative emissions technologies.

In 2021, we published an updated Climate Change Plan which covers the period 2018 – 2032. The updated plan includes over 200 policies across all eight sectors and proposals to drive future emissions reductions.

Since publication of the update to the Climate Change Plan, progress has been delivered at speed to drive forward the various strategies, plans, roadmaps and routemaps that support delivery. I have highlighted some of this progress as follows:

(a) The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan was published for consultation on 10 January 2023, setting out our vision for a future net zero energy system. The consultation closed in May 2023 with over 1500 responses and on 28 September we published an independent consultation analysis.

(b) We have just completed two consultations, one on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill and one on a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard.

(c) We have committed to producing a Route map to achieve a 20% reduction in car km by 2030 against a 2019 baseline. The Draft route map was published in January 2022 followed by post publication public consultation to April 2022. A finalised route map and analysis of the public consultation is due for publication in the coming months.

(d) The Scottish Government is combining current research with revised funding strategies to develop and enhance the route map for industrial decarbonisation. This will include elements of energy efficiency, energy switching and carbon capture and utilisation for residual emissions. The final route map will form part of the next Climate Change Plan.

(e) In January 2024 we published our draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map for consultation, setting out clear actions to deliver sustainable use of our resources and progress a circular economy in Scotland by 2030. This includes measures to decarbonise the resources and waste sector, and embed circular practices in the construction sector. We intend to review the feedback from the consultation and confirm the final Route Map later in 2024.

(f) A new (5th) edition of the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS), agreed by all four countries, was published last year following a comprehensive review process. The new edition aims to make forests more resilient to a changing climate and the increased risk of pests and diseases so they can continue to deliver multiple benefits.

(g) The Agricultural Reform Route Map was published in February 2023 and updated on 23 June 2023. The Route Map outlines what information and guidance the sector can expect from 2023-2025 and when it will be available. A phased transition will take place from 2025 to implement the Future Support Framework’s proposed conditional payments under 4 tiers: Base, Enhanced, Elective, and Complementary.

(h) The Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study on negative emissions technologies which was published on 30 November 2023. The deployment of NETs is dependent on CCUS, and while there is an understanding of next steps for growing the NETs industry in Scotland, a route map will be finalised once there is certainty from the UK Government on funding for Acorn.

Question reference: S6W-26073

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether jobs involving traditional building skills are included within the inclusive definition of green jobs.

Question reference: S6W-26074

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any demand for traditional building skills to support its net zero policies.

Last November, the Scottish Government welcomed the net zero pathfinder report published by Skills Development Scotland which assessed demand and skills issues across a range of sectors including construction. This information can be found here: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/what-we-do/skills-planning/green-skills-research-and-evidence/cesap-pathfinder-wp1-an-evidence-based-approach-to-supporting-the-transition-to-net-zero

Question reference: S6W-26072

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that apprenticeships in traditional building skills are equally accessible across all geographic regions of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-26213

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what targeted funding it is providing to local authorities to purchase electric school buses.

Question reference: S6W-26214

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many electric school buses it has supported each local authority to purchase, in each of the past three years.

Question reference: S6W-26212

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what material support it plans to provide towards a pilot scheme proposed by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh to establish air quality monitors in select schools in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth.

Question reference: S6W-25340

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importation to Scotland of nuclear energy generated elsewhere in the UK.

Security of electricity supply is a reserved matter and is delivered by the National Energy System Operator (ESO) across the whole of Great Britain under regulation from Ofgem.

We recognise the contribution that nuclear generation makes to the current energy mix in Scotland, including electricity generated from nuclear power generated elsewhere in the UK. However, we will continue to increase electricity generation from renewable and other low carbon sources.

Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan sets out key ambitions for Scotland’s energy future including enhancing our energy security through the development of renewable and low carbon energy storage.

Question reference: S6W-25808

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24995 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, what its position is on whether an updated estimate of the cost of food waste would be useful in illustrating any benefits for households of reducing food waste.

Based on 2021 UK food waste levels, the Waste Resources Action Programme has highlighted that food waste costs a four-person household around £1,000 a year. Available evidence indicates that reductions in food waste lead to cost-savings for households and businesses. As part of resetting our approach to tackle food waste set out in our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map proposals, we will continue to prioritise efforts to support householders to tackle food waste and highlight the range of benefits this would deliver, through the development and delivery of a food waste reduction intervention plan for households. We will continue to work in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland and other stakeholders to consider any further evidence that may be helpful.

Question reference: S6W-25809

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24987 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, what reasons were provided by schools for not taking part in the project.

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