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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 14 March 2023

14 Mar 2023 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Net Zero: Local Government and Cross-sectoral Partners

Matheson, Michael SNP Falkirk West Watch on SPTV

I very much agree with that. One action that we have been taking, as I mentioned, is through climate action hubs, which are about helping to lever in public and private finance and to co-ordinate and bring together communities to direct support and assistance in local areas.

To date, we have supported two pathfinder hubs to do exactly that. Both hubs are community-led organisations that were launched back in September 2021—one covers Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, and the other covers Highland, Orkney and Shetland. The hubs have provided a strategic approach to enabling community-led climate action. They have focused on building awareness of the climate emergency and building community capacity through training and events. The hubs have widened participation, with an impressive 40 per cent of the groups that have engaged in the Highlands being new to climate action.

The hubs have directly supported community organisations in developing projects, including on community energy, retrofitting, reducing flooding risks and green skills, while helping to secure funding from public and private investments. The hubs offer an opportunity to build on existing support and ensure co-ordinated action. I have been encouraged by the positive feedback from a number of local authority colleagues who are looking to support the programme.

I want to build on that progress and the interest that local authorities have expressed in that work. That is why I am delighted to announce that we will expand the programme to provide a national network of hubs. The Scottish Government will commit £4.3 million in the 2023-24 budget to support the expansion. On the basis of conversations with communities to date, we anticipate that in the region of 20 hubs will be developed. A national network will drive a place-based approach, putting communities very much at the heart of the transition to net zero.

The inquiry specifically highlighted the need to promote community engagement on local heat and energy efficiency strategies.

In the same item of business

The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone) NPA

The next item is a debate on motion S6M-08209, in the name of Edward Mountain, on behalf of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, on the role of loca...

Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

I am pleased to open the debate on the committee’s inquiry. I thank the many people who contributed to the inquiry, especially the councils and their local p...

The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport (Michael Matheson) SNP

I take this opportunity to thank the committee for its time and effort in undertaking its inquiry and producing its very detailed report. I also put on the r...

Fiona Hyslop (Linlithgow) (SNP) SNP

I listened carefully to what the cabinet secretary said. He described the place-based approach as being about participatory budgeting in local geographical a...

Michael Matheson SNP

I very much agree with that. One action that we have been taking, as I mentioned, is through climate action hubs, which are about helping to lever in public ...

Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

I appreciate what the cabinet secretary says about community engagement, as that is a vital subject on which I think we can all agree. However, the report st...

Michael Matheson SNP

On the point about guidance, yes, there needs to be guidance, but that needs to be developed in partnership with local government, and not be top-down guidan...

Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con) Con

Will the member take an intervention?

Michael Matheson SNP

I am conscious of the time, Presiding Officer. Do I have to conclude?

The Presiding Officer NPA

Michael Matheson SNP

I therefore offer my apologies to the member. We are also continuing to work closely with local government through our recently established heat network sup...

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

I thank the clerks to the committee and my fellow committee members for what is a very good report—I agree with the convener about that. It is a considerable...

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I thank the members of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee for carrying out the inquiry, the many organisations and individuals who gave evidence an...

Stephen Kerr Con

Will Colin Smyth take an intervention?

Colin Smyth Lab

I certainly will. Will I get extra time for Stephen Kerr putting his card in?

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

There is some time in hand, Mr Smyth—do not worry. Are we there, Mr Kerr?

Stephen Kerr Con

We all do that at some point, and I have just done it. Does Colin Smyth agree with the report, which says that the “clear message of this inquiry is that n...

Colin Smyth Lab

The point was well worth waiting for, and it is a point that COSLA made in its recent response to the committee’s report. It said that the Government has no ...

Brian Whittle Con

Does Colin Smyth agree that that hits rural areas disproportionately harder than urban areas?

Colin Smyth Lab

There is no question but that the cuts in support for bus companies will hit rural areas harder, as those are the more heavily subsidised parts of our networ...

Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD

I thank Edward Mountain and his committee for producing a very substantial report. I think that it will—unlike some committee reports, I have to say—actually...

Brian Whittle Con

Does Willie Rennie agree that, as a Parliament, we need to start looking further than a parliamentary term and to start making long-term strategies that are ...

Willie Rennie LD

I wish that we could do that. However, the nature of politics is that we want answers now. We want to get results immediately. Of course, people are desperat...

Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Green

I am aware of the discussions on a heat network in Cupar, but that was happening largely before the heat networks legislation was brought into place. Does Wi...

Willie Rennie LD

Having plans is fine, but how do we deal with the risk? Who takes that risk? Do they have the money? Do they have the incentive? Are they addressing competin...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Before we move to the open debate, I advise members that, at this point, we have some time in hand, so members may wish to make and/or take interventions. 1...

Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) SNP

I am pleased to speak in my first committee debate as a member of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee—I think that this is the first time since I jo...

Liam Kerr Con

When the member calls for the UK Government to match the just transition fund, does she think that the £16 billion North Sea transition deal goes any way tow...

Jackie Dunbar SNP

Well, the UK Government has taken £300 billion from the north-east of Scotland through the Treasury since the 1970s, if you are going to start matching funds...

Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

I am delighted to contribute to the debate, which highlights the vital role that local government can and must play in the journey to net zero. As the level ...