Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 10 January 2023
10 Jan 2023 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan
Audrey Nicoll raises a really important point. In focusing on delivering a just transition and the economic opportunities that go alongside the transition to a low-carbon energy system, we need to ensure that we take communities with us, because they will be impacted by the technology that is deployed to deliver that system. That is why, for example, with onshore wind, we have good-practice guidance through which we encourage developers to be much more focused in working with communities to allow them to be party to the process and to look at co-production as part of that process. We have rolled out greater community programmes to allow communities that want to develop their own energy network to do so.
Therefore, it is important that we continue to ensure that those who are developing energy production facilities, particularly onshore, are working in partnership with the local communities that will be affected. The guidance that we will put in place is directed at doing exactly that.
I would like to go further and be able to mandate that developers are required to do that, but I am unable to do so because it is a reserved area. I hope that, at some point, the UK Government will see the wisdom of mandating the need to work with communities and for community benefit to be part of any community programme in the energy sector.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a statement by Michael Matheson on Scotland’s national energy strategy and just transition plan. The cabinet secretary will take...
The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport (Michael Matheson)
SNP
I am pleased to inform Parliament that today, the Scottish Government is publishing its draft energy strategy and just transition plan. The draft strategy ma...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues that were raised in his statement. I intend to allow about 30 minutes for questions, after which ...
Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his much-delayed energy strategy. This represents a far from happy new year for the tens of thousands of w...
Michael Matheson
SNP
The member has raised a number of points, and I will try to deal with them in turn. Let me first turn to the suggestion that in some way we are neglecting t...
Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement. The long-awaited publication of the draft energy strategy and just transition plan comes a...
Michael Matheson
SNP
Let me deal first with the point that Mr Smyth is making about the skills in the energy sector, which is extremely important. As we move forward, it is impor...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Excuse me, cabinet secretary. Could we have less sedentary chit chat, please?
Michael Matheson
SNP
Scandinavian Governments have had the wisdom to set up funds and companies to invest in such areas. Those countries also have the benefit of being independen...
Fiona Hyslop (Linlithgow) (SNP)
SNP
The people of Scotland have a clear world advantage in terms of access to natural resources such as wind, water and wave. The energy strategy sets out clear ...
Michael Matheson
SNP
One of the most important elements of our energy transition is ensuring that the transition is fair and just. We must ensure that Scotland does not simply be...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I ask for more succinct answers, because I am keen to call all members who have requested to ask a question.
Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I know that the Scottish ministers find wind power statistics hard to understand, but here is a fact that should give them pause for thought. On 14 December ...
Michael Matheson
SNP
We could take any particular day and look at the contribution that wind makes to our wider energy mix in the UK. I do not know whether the member has looked ...
Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP)
SNP
I thank the cabinet secretary for his statement, which presents fantastic opportunities for us to move to net zero, to improve energy security and to boost o...
Michael Matheson
SNP
The figures were drawn from a variety of reports, including one from Robert Gordon University on the potential for development in the renewable and clean ene...
Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for the advance sight of his statement and of the draft energy strategy and just transition plan, which states: “We are suppor...
Michael Matheson
SNP
That is exactly what the passport will do—it will provide seamless movement between the oil and gas and renewables sectors. I hosted the skills summit up in ...
Audrey Nicoll (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
The draft energy strategy and just transition plan provides a route map of actions that are central to meeting our climate change targets, and the north-east...
Michael Matheson
SNP
Audrey Nicoll raises a really important point. In focusing on delivering a just transition and the economic opportunities that go alongside the transition to...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I thank the cabinet secretary for early sight of the statement. I welcome the strategy and, in particular, the acknowledgement of the contribution that tidal...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I particularly welcome Liam McArthur’s comments on tidal and marine energy, which he will obviously have a keen interest in, through his being the local memb...
Jenni Minto (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
SNP
As the cabinet secretary will know, Argyll and Bute is a significant contributor to Scotland’s energy strategy through onshore wind, offshore wind, wave powe...
Michael Matheson
SNP
It is important that Argyll and Bute benefits. One of the ways in which we can achieve that is through the carbon neutral islands strategy that has been intr...
Maurice Golden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
A just transition to clean energy requires materials to build the wind turbines, heat pumps, electric cars and other infrastructure that we need. However, we...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I cannot give Maurice Golden the specific details, but he has raised a really important point. During the past nine or 10 months, because energy security has...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
The science of climate change demands that North Sea oil and gas be phased out. That is the right thing to do for people and planet. Today, Scotland’s energy...
Michael Matheson
SNP
There is a section in the strategy that sets out the clear areas of action that the UK Government needs to take forward, and I have provided a copy of the st...
Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
Will the cabinet secretary provide more detail on how the £75 million energy transition fund will support our energy sector and the north-east to make progre...
Michael Matheson
SNP
Four projects have already received funding through the energy transition fund, through which we are investing £75 million in the north-east. Those projects ...