Hansard

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate.

If we are to have a just transition to a carbon-neutral economy, we all need to be more honest in how we debate climate change and economic growth in Parliament and across the country. In the chamber and in the media, we talk repeatedly about economic growth—indeed, economic growth is one of the key measurements by which Governments are held to account—but the same voices that one day unequivocally demand accelerated growth often argue the following day with equal passion that we must reduce emissions at a pace that will kill off jobs.

The Scottish Government’s Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill is the toughest legislation of its kind in the world. It is tough, but not destructive. The two ambitions of economic growth and significant carbon reduction are not mutually exclusive, and they cannot be discussed in separate silos. That is why we need the just transition commission: it is absolutely in the spirit of the Paris climate agreement, which emphasises the importance of social inclusion and ensuring that no family and no community gets left behind in this historic process.

We can make the most of the economic opportunities that are offered by decarbonisation. A good illustration of how that is already working in practice can be read about in the briefing from Scottish Renewables. In my region, the global headquarters of Natural Power, which is a leading clean-energy consultant that employs 350 people, is situated in the small village of St John’s Town of Dalry in rural Galloway. That is one of many good-news stories that decarbonisation has brought across rural Scotland.

Although I welcome the jobs that are brought by renewables in the region that I represent, I note—as others have—that agriculture, and in particular livestock farming, is a foundation stone of the economy. That is not just about farmers themselves; dairy workers, local builders, fencers, seed suppliers, vehicle franchises and local shops all depend on a thriving farming sector. We all know that cattle farming has challenges to meet in respect of carbon reduction. The key is co-operation with the sector. That is why I am pleased to see that farming is represented on the just transition commission.

I also note that NFU Scotland’s briefing for us supports the Government’s approach in the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill. As it says, a net zero approach would result in a reduction of output and a decline in the agriculture and food sector. I do not think that anybody wants that.

I know that there are climate campaigners who do not agree with that approach. They would like us to embark at breakneck speed on a journey that could devastate farming and food. That is unacceptable to my constituents in South Scotland, and I am pleased that it is also unacceptable to the Scottish Government. It should be unacceptable to everyone in Scotland who values jobs in our rural economy.

If South Scotland is to prosper economically as a region, we also need to improve the roads that we drive on. Political parties across Parliament support upgrading the roads there—dualling of the A75, for example—as being essential to the economic prosperity of the south-west. I believe that the Government is listening to those arguments, but I am well aware that there are people who will always oppose any road upgrades on the ground that they risk increasing emissions. I am not one of those people, although I acknowledge that their position is consistent. I find those who demand impossible emissions reductions and new roads with equal fervour harder to accept. A just transition will find a pace of change that allows road infrastructure improvements in rural Scotland where they are needed.

However, this is not just about one sector versus another: social justice is also about income levels and opportunities. In parts of Dumfries and Galloway for example, it is often impossible for people to get to work, see a doctor or do the shopping without a car. At the Scottish Rural Action event in Parliament last week, it was noted that traditional statistical measurements of poverty in rural areas often underestimate poverty because they assume that car ownership is a sign of prosperity when, in fact, it is a necessity. Any move to decarbonisation must acknowledge that rural car use is a need, not a choice.

Although I welcome the Government’s electric vehicles initiative, it will be some time before they are affordable to most of my constituents, whose wages are significantly lower than the Scottish average. I say that, of course, with the proviso that the Scottish Government is not responsible for the price of motor fuel or the duty that is levied on fuel by the UK Government.

Similarly, people in rural areas such as the south of Scotland have challenges heating their homes. Many are dependent on heating oil because there is no gas, and the price of electricity is prohibitive. Indeed, last year, the average annual domestic standard electricity bill in Scotland increased by £43 to £606, while the price of gas fell. That certainly does not make environmental sense. Again, I accept that the Scottish Government does not regulate the energy companies and so has no control over bills. However, it is important to put just transition in the context of fuel poverty, which is higher in Dumfries and Galloway than it is in most other parts of Scotland, so I welcome the presence of experts on fuel poverty on the just transition commission.

Social justice is at the heart of the debate. We are reducing our carbon emissions in order to help communities and individuals thousands of miles away whose livelihoods and homes—and often their lives—are threatened by rising sea levels and dreadful droughts. We have an obligation to them, so our ambitious reduction targets should be welcomed by all.

We also have an obligation to people who are living in poverty in this country—or to those who could be plunged into poverty if their jobs were to be lost as a result of policies that do not consider a just transition. That is why I support a just transition.