Hansard

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on an important piece of legislation that Scottish Liberal Democrats will be delighted to support. I am proud of the role that my party has played in helping Scotland to set stretching emissions reduction targets, and am determined that we will now walk the walk, in respect of meeting targets.

There is no doubt that to make a 75 per cent cut in emissions by 2030 is a significant challenge. It can be achieved only if we pick up the pace in areas such as heat, where—as others have said—progress to date has been glacial.

Over the next decade, we must build confidence in the technologies that are required to make the difference. That is why legislation on regulating heat networks is an essential first step. It is also why the case for developing strong customer protection is so compelling, and why further legislation in that area will be necessary, as Ombudsman Services and others have pointed out.

At stage 1, I noted the constructive engagement between the committee and the minister, and I am pleased that it has continued. One benefit of that has been willingness to extend the powers of local authorities and communities so that they can take the lead, where there is a desire to do so.

Amendments that have been passed at stage 2 and today mean that the challenge of decarbonising heat can be met from the ground up. As the member for Orkney, I am certain that the islands will be ready, willing and able to step up to that challenge. Committee members will know from their recent visit that Orkney has an impressive track record when it comes to turning concepts into practice and innovation into action.

However, as statistics that have been released today remind us, that has not sheltered islanders from the harsh reality of fuel poverty, which is higher in Orkney than it is anywhere else in Scotland. Orkney has four times the national average proportion of homes in the lowest energy efficiency category. Shameful levels of fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty mean that the revolution in heating technology cannot come soon enough for my constituents.

That underlines why Energy Action Scotland is right to press the Government to do more in its budget, and it highlights why the bill must have regard to the importance of bearing down on fuel poverty. Making energy use more sustainable means making it more affordable for those who must currently choose between heating and eating.

I thank the minister again for the way he has sought to take on board proposals from Opposition members. At stage 2, I lodged amendments that were aimed at increasing our ambition to decarbonise the school estate. I built on the work of the inspiring Teach the Future campaign, which argues that

“If our education system is to teach students about sustainability, the buildings they learn within must be sustainable.”

Although I understand the technical reasons behind the Government’s reluctance to include such an ambition in the bill, I welcome the minister’s assurances that that aspiration will influence the work that follows the passing of the bill. I am grateful for the specific tribute to Teach the Future in his opening remarks. Young people have shown what is needed to take responsibility for our environmental obligations; the Scottish Government and Parliament must take heed.

I confirm again that Scottish Liberal Democrats will be happy to support the bill at decision time, and I thank all those who have played their part in a productive and genuinely collaborative process.