Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 17 May 2022
In its programme for government 2021-22, the Scottish Government committed to supporting carbon neutral islands. That included pilot projects for islands to run on 100 per cent renewable energy, create circular economies and explore more sustainable transport options.
The Scottish Government also made a commitment to work with at least three islands over this parliamentary session to enable them to become fully carbon neutral by 2040, as forerunners to a net zero Scotland by 2045. As we have heard, during a speech delivered at COP26, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands announced that the Scottish Government was doubling its commitment and that six islands would be supported to become carbon neutral.
Scotland is an island and coastal nation; we have 93 inhabited islands and over 10,000 miles of coastline. Our islands can be exemplars and can lead the way in ensuring that Scotland meets our 2045 net zero ambitions.
The Scottish Government is committed to a just transition to net zero by 2045, with an ambitious interim target for 2030 of a 75 per cent reduction in emissions—that is only eight years away. Scotland’s emissions are already down by over 50 per cent since the 1990 baseline, and we continue to outperform the UK in delivering long-term reductions.
The Scottish Government’s 2022-23 budget sets out record levels of investment to address the climate emergency and deliver a just transition to net zero, including the first £20 million of our £500 million just transition fund.
In 2019, the Scottish Government produced Scotland’s first ever national islands plan, which has 13 strategic objectives. Three of those objectives support the work towards carbon neutral islands. The first is strategic objective 8,
“To improve and promote environmental wellbeing and deal with biosecurity”.
We are dealing with a biodiversity emergency as well as a climate change emergency. Strategic objective 9 is
“To contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and promote clean, affordable, and secure energy”.
Strategic objective 10 is all about empowering island communities.
In the consultation for the plan, climate change emerged as one of the most pressing issues. Islanders are extremely resilient and innovative by nature. They are determined to play their part and, indeed, want to be at the very forefront of responding effectively to the climate emergency.
We are all committed to supporting and protecting Scotland’s islands and to proudly promoting them as wonderful places to live, visit, work and study. We need to continue to work closely with communities and the public agencies that support and serve those communities. Our islands are profoundly important to not just Scotland, but the world. They contribute hugely to our culture, heritage, environment, identity, landscape, economy and society.
The Scottish Government commitment to publish the islands connectivity plan by the end of 2022 is also welcome. As we know, the islands connectivity plan will replace the current ferries plan.