Hansard

I am not a member of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee, but I followed its inquiry with interest as the parliamentary liaison officer to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform. I wanted to take part in the debate mainly to commend the committee’s work but also to praise the efforts of local groups in my constituency that are helping to improve air quality, often with Government assistance, as part of a wider effort to tackle climate change.

Keep Scotland Beautiful manages the climate challenge fund, which grants money, with contributions from the European regional development fund, to local projects such as the Beaton hall community climate action project in Methlick and the Garioch sports centre goes green project in lnverurie. Those projects will improve the energy efficiency of local amenities, and they provide home efficiency advice and fuel-efficient driver training to the public. Aberdeenshire East also includes Fetterangus—a small village that has its own wind turbine and community energy scheme. Such projects, with financial support provided by public money, can cumulatively help to improve air quality throughout Scotland and, just as important, get communities engaged in playing their part.

I also highlight local efforts that encourage others to get involved and make their own contributions. Small actions all mount up, and community and school initiatives encourage behaviour change and the buy-in that will promote the mindset change that we need if we are to meet our targets and protect the environment for our children’s futures.

As a judge in the “Dragons’ Den” part of the girls in energy event, I was struck by the fact that all the initiatives and presentations that the girls brought forward were to do with renewable energy and reducing pollution. Not one talked about a carbon-based initiative. That goes to show that young people are already grasping the fact that this is the future of energy.

Of course, the larger initiatives that are coming to fruition have an immediate impact. The installation of the world’s most powerful single wind turbine off the coast of Balmedie in my constituency is an example of that. Just one rotation of its blades is enough to power a household for an entire day. It is one of 11 turbines that will form the European offshore wind deployment centre, and it is expected to displace about 135,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually and remove the equivalent of about 740,000 cars from UK roads during its lifetime.

I welcome the promised low-emission zone in Aberdeen city centre and the strategic work that is being done to keep traffic away from the centre of the city. That is long overdue not just for environmental reasons but for safety reasons.

I welcome the investment in local rail infrastructure, too. The doubling of rail track between Aberdeen and Inverurie should lead to a massive reduction in the number of commuters on the roads and a consequent reduction in emissions.

I also highlight the Scottish Government’s decision to double to £80 million the investment in a range of measures to support active travel. Many members have mentioned that investment. By creating safe, segregated walking and cycling infrastructure in our towns and cities, we can make them friendlier and safer spaces for pedestrians and cyclists and encourage a reduction in car use.

The committee’s report mentions that there should be more focus on the impact of agriculture on air quality. I note that NFU Scotland accepts that, post-Brexit, new environmental measures should address air quality. I am also aware that the practice—which is mentioned in the report—of spreading manure into rather than on to soil in order to limit the volume of pollutants that are lost to the atmosphere is already followed in my constituency.

We must recognise that improvements in air quality can be achieved as a by-product of increasing internet access. The committee does not really mention that issue, but it is significant. By increasing Scotland’s connectivity, we can increase the potential for people to work from home instead of commuting to work. That is particularly important in my constituency, where Aberdeen city seems to be a Mecca for all the work that happens. I would like the work to be spread more widely throughout the constituency. Therefore, I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is taking a lead on the issue, going further and faster than the UK Government and committing to ensuring that 100 per cent of premises have access to superfast broadband.

As members know, I am passionate about flexible working and encouraging new business start-ups. Part of that is about allowing more people to forgo commuting in favour of working closer to where they live, whether that involves accessing remote working or setting up in business.

We all have to play our individual parts, and I am playing mine. I am six months into a four-year lease on the most ecologically friendly hybrid car on the market, with a view to going fully electric in four years’ time at a point when we have the infrastructure in my constituency to support that.