Meeting of the Parliament 15 January 2019
As I did in my speech last week, I will start on a positive note and commend Scotland for performing well on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, which has led to our country’s meeting our annual legislated target for 2016. That means that our pollution levels are now 49 per cent below those recorded in 1990. However, there is always room for improvement, which will be possible only if our policies begin to reach into all sectors of our society and industry—particularly those that have not contributed as much as others thus far.
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests.
As a member of the Scottish Parliament who represents a rural constituency, I take the opportunity to raise the rural sector’s issues and ask questions when discussions take place on transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy. One in 10 of Scotland’s jobs is in the rural sector, so it is a vital part of our society and requires support. That could not be truer than when we discuss how to support our farmers in achieving a transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
The agricultural sector has the third biggest emissions of any sector, contributing 17 per cent of Scotland’s emissions. NFU Scotland has accepted that its performance on reducing emissions has been poor. It has also called on Governments to work with it by investing in resources and advice for food producers and land managers, and the Scottish Conservatives support such calls. With over 70 per cent of Scotland’s land mass under agricultural management, farmers and crofters are responsible for the stewardship of many aspects of our renowned environment, so it is important that the Scottish Government invests in them.
Unfortunately, however, our farmers still do not know their future or what payments and support they will receive. While the UK Government has outlined its plans in the Agriculture Bill, the Scottish Government has left farmers in the dark. Farmers face uncertainty in much of their industry. They are the ones who are experiencing the impact of climate change and they know more than most how important it is to reduce our emissions. The Scottish Government needs to do more to reduce the uncertainty in their lives. Therefore, I ask it to consider the impact that it is having on our farming community by not announcing its plans for a new agricultural policy for Scotland.