Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
24 Mar 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Climate Change Plan
I mentioned some of the voices against climate action and we need no further demonstration of that type of voice than what we hear from Douglas Lumsden.
The climate change plan sets out a fair and ambitious pathway towards meeting our first three carbon budgets. It drives £42 billion in direct financial benefits and cost savings for households, businesses and Government, in more cost-effective transport systems, more efficient heating and wider support to decarbonise industry. The plan will also, as I have mentioned—and as has been said in an independent report—provide more than £8 billion in co-benefits, including through improvements in population health brought about by active travel, warmer homes and cleaner air. The plan creates and sustains thousands of jobs across a range of sectors and in all parts of the country, from jobs in our renewables industry—which Douglas Lumsden is not interested in supporting—to jobs restoring peatland and planting trees, which help farmers and crofters to diversify their incomes.
The plan works together with the environment strategy and the circular economy strategy. If I am lucky enough to be back in Parliament and lucky enough to be still doing this job, I will continue to deliver on the plan, which will include working globally with other sub-national and national Governments that understand that the fundamental challenge of our time is decarbonisation.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a statement by Gillian Martin on “Scotland’s Climate Change Plan: 2026-2040”.14:22
The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy (Gillian Martin)
SNP
I am pleased to be able to lay the final version of our climate change plan before Parliament today, after many months of constructive engagement with the pu...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for those questions, after which we ...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Back in November, I criticised the draft climate change plan for being yet another Scottish National Party propaganda pamphlet that was heavy on rhetoric and...
Gillian Martin
SNP
I mentioned some of the voices against climate action and we need no further demonstration of that type of voice than what we hear from Douglas Lumsden.The c...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, thank the cabinet secretary for advance notice of her statement, and I thank all the stakeholders who gave their views on how the draft climate chang...
Gillian Martin
SNP
We have taken on the recommendations of a number of committees, particularly on the monitoring and evaluation approach, in the final plan. We need to ensure ...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
The cabinet secretary pointed out in her statement that the SNP Government has increased the amount of electricity that is generated in Scotland from low-cos...
Gillian Martin
SNP
There might be groans from those to the left of me, who do not want to grow our economy by investing in new technologies for our energy, but Kevin Stewart is...
Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Finally, we have the climate change plan, on the penultimate sitting day of the parliamentary session. In the 40 minutes that we have had to look at it—let m...
Gillian Martin
SNP
I do not understand. I have to be honest and say that I did not catch the end of Edward Mountain’s question about drop-in fuels. I will need to consult him a...
Edward Mountain
Con
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. With respect, I find that answer to my question to be troubling, because it is clear that the NZET Committee called f...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Thank you, Mr Mountain. That was not a point of order, but the cabinet secretary has heard your comments and has offered to be in touch with you on that issue.
Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP)
SNP
Over the past few years, I have met and engaged with the East Lothian Climate Hub and seen its work across East Lothian. It has engaged with communities to e...
Gillian Martin
SNP
Paul McLennan is a big supporter of and advocate for the work of his local climate hub.Community climate action is a vital part of our communities’ journey t...
Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement. I welcome Scotland’s new climate change plan, which is of crucial importance for workers an...
Gillian Martin
SNP
I was pleased that the just transition commission was complimentary about how we had embedded just transition throughout the draft plan. The commission is, r...
Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP)
SNP
I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for her statement. I very much agree with her comments about securing the economic value of decarbonisation and achiev...
Gillian Martin
SNP
I have the Cabinet Secretary for Transport sitting next to me, who has just told me that that will be announced very soon. As Michael Matheson knows, we are ...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
I am grateful for advance sight of the documents.A great many of the criticisms of the draft plan were not about methodology and measurements but policy and ...
Gillian Martin
SNP
Màiri McAllan has responsibility for domestic heat now, and she has outlined some of the actions that she will take forward, should she retain her position i...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Let us hear the cabinet secretary.
Gillian Martin
SNP
—to reform the electricity market. Both Governments have dithered in that respect, and we are not getting clarity on that. I am getting further with the Labo...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I am keen to protect time for the next item of business, so I would be grateful for concise questions and responses.
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
As the co-convener of the cross-party group on Malawi, I welcome the announcement on funding for Malawi, but may I also advise the cabinet secretary that no ...
Gillian Martin
SNP
When I talk about cross-party action, I also talk about cross-party action on delivering on the reserved policies and actions that are needed, which will hav...
Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
Ensuring that Scotland can effectively crowd in private investment is an essential part of delivering this plan, not least given the Scottish Government’s li...
Gillian Martin
SNP
What Jackie Dunbar has just outlined is critical: public money will not deliver on all the actions of the climate change plan. It can be used as seed funding...
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
On the subject of public money, the entire premise of the climate plan is that the renewable investment that is outlined happens only because of subsidies fr...
Gillian Martin
SNP
What Sue Webber is not saying is that, actually, that is a UK-wide endeavour, and that a lot of the actions that are happening at UK level will prompt the ch...