- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement in its Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan that "many young people are already choosing renewable or low carbon roles" and that "only 12% of the oil and gas workforce is under 30", what its response is to the suggestion that its comments regarding domestic oil and gas production ending and a presumption against new exploration and production in the North Sea, for example by the Cabinet Secretary in the Scottish Parliament on 10 January 2023, might be impacting young people’s choices to move into the oil and gas sector.
Answer
Data from the industry itself clearly shows that a significant proportion of the oil and gas workforce will retire in the coming years.
As a responsible government, we have set out a pathway to ensure a fair and just transition for our energy workforce, and to bring a new generation of skilled workers into the industry. Given the North Sea basin is mature and production is already in decline, any other course of action would only serve to put jobs and our economy at risk.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Climate Change Committee's report, Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland - 2022 Report to Parliament, when it will provide information on the steps that it will take to compensate for the carbon emission targets it failed to meet.
Answer
Under section 36 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the Scottish Government has a legal duty to produce a catch-up report with additional policies and proposals to compensate in future years for the excess emissions from any missed annual emissions targets. These have already been published for any previously missed targets. The 2020 target, which is the most recent to have been reported on, was met. We are one of only a very few countries to have such a rigorous statutory system which requires us to outperform on future targets when past targets are not met.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has requested any meetings with the UK Government to discuss improving collaboration to meet those climate change targets it has failed to meet, as recommended by the recent Climate Change Committee report, Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland - 2022 Report to Parliament.
Answer
Under the legal framework set by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and agreed by the Scottish Parliament, a target outcome is determined at the time it is reported, which means that it is not possible to subsequently meet a previously missed emissions target.
The Scottish Government meets regularly with the UK Government to discuss areas of shared interest on climate change, including through the Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change Inter-Ministerial Group. Given the significant powers reserved to Westminster, including on energy infrastructure, taxation and borrowing powers, the Scottish Government intend to discuss further with the UK Government how we can ensure our plans aren't delayed as a result of UK Government decisions where shared action is needed to meet our future emissions targets.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions are applied, and to whom, as a result of it failing, for three consecutive years between 2017 and 2019, to meet its annual legal emissions targets, as set out in the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019.
Answer
The extremely stretching statutory emissions targets framework, set in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (“the 2009 Act”) by the Scottish Parliament, places specific duties on Scottish Ministers in the case that emissions reduction targets are missed. In particular, a missed emissions target triggers a duty on Ministers to bring forward – as soon as reasonably practicable after such a target outcome has been reported - additional policies and proposals to compensate in future years for the excess emissions arising from the missed target.
Under section 36 of the 2009 Act, a statutory catch-up report in relation to the 2019 annual emissions target was laid in Parliament in October 2021 (supplementing the ambitious and transformational commitments in the updated Climate Change Plan, finalised in March 2021)which included measures to make up for the shortfall from the previously missed 2017 and 2018 annual targets.
This approach ensures that the total amount of Scottish emissions over the lifetime of the targets in the Act will remain no greater than would have been the case if all of the annual targets had been exactly met.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the development of an investment prospectus to support the move to a net zero energy system, as referred to in its Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 10 January 2023, when work on the prospectus is expected to (a) begin and (b) be completed.
Answer
The development of an investment prospectus, as mentioned in the , originated as a recommendation from the Just Transition Commission, in its report. Officials are committed to the development of the investment prospectus over the course of this Parliament, with much of the detail emerging through the process of developing our next Climate Change Plan and the Just Transition Plans.
We will be seeking to make use of the Just Transition Commission's expertise as we develop our work. The investment prospectus will also be developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including financial institutions, trade bodies, and business, ahead of the finalised Strategy and Plan.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government which education and training providers, including (a) colleges, (b) universities, (c) energy sector-specific training providers and (d) general independent training providers it consulted as part of the development of its Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 10 January 2023.
Answer
Officials regularly engage with institutions with expertise across further education, training, and skills. During the development of our draft ESJTP, we have had input from representatives from Robert Gordon University, Stirling University, University of the Highlands and Islands, University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, OPITO, X-Academy, Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, The Business Partnership, and Skills Development Scotland.
We will continue to engage with industry experts and wider stakeholders and encourage the broadest possible range of responses to the formal consultation of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the contract with CEMRE to build two ferries, to serve the Islay route, in Turkey, whether there are any clauses stipulating that Scottish, UK, EU or other European businesses should form part of the supply chain where possible.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13041 on 10 January 2023 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .’
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £80 million funding from the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund to help the Scottish Cluster project accelerate its development, which was announced on the 14 January 2022, has been paid out to date.
Answer
We have offered £80 million from our Emerging Energy Technologies Fund to support the deployment of the Scottish Cluster. Due to delays with the UK Government awarding the Scottish Cluster, the offer of financial support was not required and we have re-profiled funding into subsequent years. We remain committed to supporting the Scottish Cluster and continue to urge to UK Government to commit to a concrete timeline and processes to ensure the Track 2 sequencing process commences in 2023.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the report on Scottish greenhouse gas emissions for 2021 will be published.
Answer
While we can be confident that the Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics publication for 2021 will be published by early June 2023, we can not provide a precise date at this time. The reason being that the publication date is agreed by officials in the four Nations of the UK following initial quality assurance of the draft greenhouse gas inventory dataset.
The publication date will be pre-announced on the Scottish Government website during the month before publication.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish the updated guidance, Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Offshore Renewable Energy Developments.
Answer
The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) makes clear that we encourage developers to offer community benefit and shared ownership opportunities as standard on all renewable energy projects.
As set out within the ESJTP, the Scottish Government is reviewing its Good Practice Principles for community benefits from offshore renewable energy developments.
As part of the development process, we are currently holding a series of stakeholder engagement sessions to raise awareness of the work and gather initial input, with a view to consulting on the draft guidance later this year.