Meeting of the Parliament 23 June 2026 [Draft]
I would be happy to give Finlay Carson that molecular detail after this debate. I am not cherry-picking particular aspects but instead going through some of the areas in which there has been a great deal of progress. I am also outlining where we need to go further. I do not think that characterising what I have been saying as “a broken record” is conducive to the collaborative relationship that I want to have with the Conservative members, particularly given that there are so many new members who perhaps are not with the agenda on this issue and do not see the benefits of it.
I was talking about adaptation. Professor Graeme Roy of the Scottish Fiscal Commission has said that
“not responding to the challenge of climate change ... will be far more expensive and damaging to the public finances than investing in net zero ... it is simply not an option.”
That is the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s position.
Our third Scottish national adaptation plan is our blueprint to build resilience to climate change in a way that is fair and equitable but which can also potentially save millions of pounds by preventing damage. Collaboration is at its heart, including collaboration with local government.
As I have said, our climate change plan is accelerating the rollout of EV chargers. We have delivered nearly £4 million of grant funding to 120 organisations specifically to support the installation of 250 charge points in rural and island locations. We have introduced the rural and island infrastructure fund and have more than doubled it to £10 million to enable the expansion of that infrastructure.
The bridge between climate mitigation and adaptation is also built by the restoration of our natural environment. We know that climate regulates nature, and nature regulates climate—they are inseparable and symbiotic. Today, I announced new funding of nearly £1 million for the Forth, Clyde, Fife and Lothians climate forests. That will not only contribute to our woodland creation targets—which Mr Carson was exercised about—but provide green spaces, flood resilience and opportunities for our people, particularly in urban environments, where we need to improve neighbourhoods and give children, in particular, access to nature. The funding will also help us to reach our plans to increase woodland cover to 23 per cent by 2040.
Yesterday, I visited Duloch Park and Calais Muir Woods, which are part of the Fife climate forests, where I met local partners and community groups. I saw at first hand how they are working together to boost the number of trees in Fife and improve access to high-quality, vibrant green spaces that produce thriving, resilient places for people as well as nature, mitigate flooding and give families places to carry out leisure activities. Those groups also plant community gardens to provide food and often turn derelict wasteland into beautiful, safe spaces that make areas more pleasant to live in and bring people together. We are also committed to working with the Scottish outdoor recreation alliance and others to develop a Scottish paths fund and produce new guidance for access authorities on how to fulfil their responsibilities.
We have invested more than £75 million in the nature restoration fund for a huge amount of diverse projects, supporting the planting of 300,000 trees and protecting 216km of habitat. The nature restoration fund is not just restoring Scotland’s nature; it is also strengthening the economy. It is supporting projects that create jobs, develop skills and attract additional private investment. More than £7 million has so far been leveraged in match funding from the private sector.