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I can give Mr Lumsden absolute confidence that, when we are in a position to have certainty about the timescale and about which emitters will be included, the funding that we have committed to will be realised.

As I have said, when we have certainty on which emitters will be included and what the UK Government will fund, we will use the £80 million to add maximum value to those that are involved, depending on what the UK Government sets out. That is why, as I have said repeatedly, it is so important that the UK Government sets out which emitters will be included and what it is going to fund. Until we know that, it will be impossible for us to add value because, as yet, there is nothing to add to. That is why we and industry are looking for the UK Government to move much faster.

The longer the delay, the less likely it is that we will be able to meet our targets and see the industrial decarbonisation that we all want to see and that we have to see if we are to meet our net zero objectives. That is why I call on the UK Government to move much faster, and I do that through engagement, publicly and privately, as do my officials.

We need to take this in order. The consultation on our energy strategy and just transition plan closed earlier this year and received substantial feedback. The consultation responses are being considered, and we are hoping to produce a response as soon as possible to make sure that that part of our programme is realised. We will move as quickly as we can on a sector-by-sector basis thereafter.

Ms Lennon’s initial proposition is absolutely correct: the Scottish and UK Governments have very different positions regarding new oil and gas projects. That said, we are very much focused on ensuring a just transition, which is why the areas for which we have responsibility—we do not grant licences for new oil and gas exploration—are focused on a just transition. That is where our responsibilities lie, and it is where we will continue to provide focus.

However, we appreciate that the energy companies that are involved in oil and gas are transitioning and that their workforce and investments will be incredibly important—I refer to Mr Lumsden’s contribution—in allowing us to make that just transition. We will not be able to meet the 2045 target without private capital. A substantial amount of that, particularly in the energy generation sphere, will need to come from energy companies that are involved in oil and gas.

We need to take a measured approach that appreciates the role that those companies have to play. That will be critical, but we also need to push them to go as fast as possible in that just transition. That will be of paramount importance. All my engagements over the summer, with those in the sector and with Government colleagues, have been about ensuring that a just transition happens as quickly as possible.

I will bring in Nick Young.

I appreciate Mr Lumsden’s question. I am pleased that we have taken another step forward, but it is one step, and I think that Mr Lumsden would accept that, until we have further clarity on which emitters will be included, and a timescale, it will be difficult for full progress to be made.

We interact with the UK Government. There have been a number of meetings on the matter at official and ministerial level, and we are, as you would expect—and, I hope, support—trying to push UK colleagues to go as fast as possible to ensure that such decisions are taken to give certainty and to help to unlock the Scottish Government funding, because we cannot spend the £80 million until we know which emitters will be included and where we will be able to add maximum value.

We want the UK Government to go much faster. Industry does as well, and that is a very strong call from industry, which is clear that further delay absolutely risks our ability in Scotland and that of the UK Government to meet our net zero targets. Carbon capture, as Mr Lumsden will be aware, plays an incredibly important role in that.

The £80 million is there and is committed for carbon capture when the decision is taken and when we know where we will be able to add the greatest value. That can happen only when there is certainty about which emitters will be included in the project.

We have already set out some of the funds that support that and the important part that carbon capture will play in that regard, and we will ensure that continued progress is made in sectors that are going through a decarbonisation process—I am thinking of the likes of Mossmorran and Grangemouth. The funds that Mr Lumsden mentioned, on which Nick Young and Kersti Berge have given more information, are our key focus.

Thank you, convener. You are right—it is important that we speak with as much clarity as possible for people.

Obviously, the Scottish National Investment Bank has a key role to play in our reaching net zero. It is independent of Government, but it has been tasked with a goal. One of its priority areas is net zero and ensuring that the investments that it makes support us in that journey. It has resources to utilise to ensure that it supports projects that can help us with a just energy transition. I meet and engage regularly with SNIB to ensure that it updates me on progress and on the work that it is doing. I have also been at a number of events where I have seen how it is supporting organisations already.

SNIB’s investment proposition will be important, as will private capital. We know that it will not be possible for public finance alone to help us in this journey. We will not be able to realise our renewable energy potential or our decarbonisation responsibilities without the support of private capital. Ensuring that there continue to be investable propositions is part of my responsibility, working alongside other colleagues in the Government. We continue to engage with the likes of SNIB and the First Minister’s investor panel so that we do everything that we can to ensure that our energy and decarbonisation plans are all as attractive as possible in order to get maximum response and meet our 2045 target.

It is always best to keep us all above board, convener.