THURSDAY 15 FEBRUARY at 7pm = FREE EVENT
Join us for the premiere screening of Green City: Healing and Hope, a new storytelling film exploring the grassroots movement to turn Edinburgh green.
The struggle for net zero will be won or lost in cities, so how is Edinburgh doing after 900 years as a burgh?
Hear directly from people and places who think global and act local.
This event is free but ticketed please book a ticket: https://bit.ly/3w1K9tF
First Minister Humza Yousaf chaired a cross-party discussion on Scotland’s climate change ambitions at Holyrood yesterday.
Inviting party leaders to discuss how we can all address the climate crisis, the First Minister highlighted the Parliament’s shared goal of securing a future that is fair and just for all.
He urges all parties to lead and promote behaviour change from everyone in society.
Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the independent UK Climate Change Committee (CCC), presented information on where Scotland is in its journey to net zero.
Speaking ahead of yesterday’s meeting, the First Minister said: “Tackling the climate and nature crises is the collective fight of our lifetime, with implications for generations to come.
“The discussion will focus both on the challenges and opportunities we face in reaching net zero. We collectively made a commitment to deliver on net zero when Parliament backed the Act on a cross-party basis.
“There must be a recognition from across the political divide that we require bold action to tackle the scale of the climate crisis, and meet our ambitions on net zero.
“In addition to our Climate Change Plan, we are developing the first set of Just Transition Plans to set out how these changes impact different parts of society and how we can promote a fair path to a net zero and climate resilient Scotland.
“We will continue to implement net zero policies and deliver funding to where it is needed the most – with the highest impact.
“From today’s meeting, I am hopeful that we can continue to work together to implement net zero policies – thereby helping to create a better and more sustainable planet for us all.”
GREENER HOMES ON GRANTON WATERFRONT
The Scottish Government has published their consultation paper on planned Heat in Buildings legislation which sets out a path for how best to deliver greener, warmer homes for Scotland.
The Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenant’s Rights, Patrick Harvie, recently visited Granton to see heat networks being set up for the new developments on the Waterfront.
The systems and homes being built in Granton are examples of what could be rolled out across Scotland – greener energy, lower bills and no fossil fuels.
Green Councillor for Forth Ward, Kayleigh O’Neill said: “This is another major milestone in the Granton Waterfront project. Over £1 billion has gone into helping a community become well connected and no longer reliant on fossil fuels. This is a massive step towards tacking climate change and transitioning the city, and country, to net-zero.”
Cllr. O’Neill added: “Over the next ten years we will also see more affordable housing being built and care taken towards our urban coastal green spaces. We have to be ambitious and put people and planet first in all future developments.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transition towards a greener economy. Granton Waterfront will set the standard for sustainable growth and show how we can live without fossil fuels.”
The consultation will run until 8 March 2024, then responses will be scrutinised and a final decision made on when to publish a Bill in the Scottish Parliament to pass in 2025.
You can take part in the consultation here:
The City of Edinburgh has claimed the top spot of councils in Scotland on climate action, it has been announced this week (Wednesday 18 October) by Climate Emergency UK.
The Council Climate Action Scorecards cover 7 sections, ask 91 questions, and were created in consultation with over 90 different organisations and key individuals.
Collectively this provides some of the most in-depth analysis of climate action in UK local authorities to date.
With a total score of 58%, the City of Edinburgh Council ranks joint 4th overall in the UK, and 1st in Scotland. Edinburgh was also the only council outside of London which placed in the top six of the table.
Edinburgh scored highest in the sections for Collaboration & Engagement (78%), Planning & Land Use (70%) and Waste Reduction & Food (67%).
Disappointingly, only 41 of the UK’s 388 local and combined authorities scored above 50%, with the average score being just 32%.
The Council will use the Scorecards to understand where it can be bolder, and where it needs to make faster progress on climate action.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Whilst I welcome this excellent news about Edinburgh’s ranking from Climate Emergency UK, we still have a long road ahead to reach our goal of Edinburgh becoming a net zero city by 2030 and addressing the other key challenges in our 2030 Climate Strategy.
“It is important though that we highlight the good progress we’re making. From pioneering our sustainable active travel and public transport networks, to combatting food waste, and making our Council houses and buildings more energy efficient, alongside flagship projects like our Granton Waterfront net zero redevelopment (above), I’m inspired by what I see around the city.
“I’d add that in the next few months reports on our Council Emissions Reduction Plan (CERP) and progress on city-wide emissions, and delivery of our 2030 Climate Strategy will be heard at committee.
“I’m conscious that whilst local government has a key role to play in our just transition to net zero, but this must be done alongside wider society with coordination and cooperation alongside government, private sector, third sector and our citizens.
“This was underlined in January of this year, when the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee stated clearly in their report that Scotland will not meet its climate targets without a more empowered local government sector, and the removal of key barriers facing not only our Council but many across the country.
“We’re bold and ambitious in our approach and aims, but this is absolutely essential if we are to properly confront the climate emergency, which is undoubtedly the key existential challenge of our times. “
Climate Emergency UK Co-Director Annie Pickering said: “The low scores across the board shows that there are national barriers for local authorities that make it harder for most councils to deliver the necessary climate action.
“A lack of funding and government policy U-turns are some of the barriers to effective local climate action.”
Scottish and Welsh Ministers press UK Government on new partnership
The Scottish and Welsh governments have written to the UK Government calling for a new four nations summit on reaching net zero, to be chaired by the independent Climate Change Committee.
The call follows the Prime Minister’s speech on climate change last week.
The letter, co-signed by Scotland’s Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan and Wales’ Minister for Climate Change Julie James, highlights the weakness of current arrangements for working with the devolved nations and calls for greater UK collaboration in agreeing the pathway towards the UK’s legally-binding net zero targets.
The two governments propose that the summit be chaired by the independent Climate Change Committee, which acts as a statutory adviser to all four nations.
The full text of the letter to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations is below:
Rt Hon Michael Gove MP
Secretary of State for Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities
and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
28 September 2023
Dear Michael,
This is a joint letter from myself and Julie James, Minister for Climate Change, Welsh Government.
We write to highlight our disappointment in relation to the Prime Minister’s statement last week (20 September) announcing that the UK Government is significantly changing course on key net zero commitments.
Despite the far-reaching implications of the announcements made – with substantial changes in policy that will impact progress in delivering net zero and have profoundly negative implications for the environment and economy across the UK and further affect the UK’s international reputation – there was no prior engagement with the devolved governments. Given that delivery of the climate ambitions of the four nations of the UK are intrinsically linked, this is deeply unsatisfactory.
In addition, almost a week later, it is hugely frustrating that the UK Government has not provided the level of detail required by such significant announcements. We would urge you to provide this immediately to enable devolved governments to fully assess the implications.
Regarding Scotland, the Scottish Government will separately be writing to the UK Government shortly, in more detail, setting out areas in which progress urgently needs to be clarified. Regarding Wales, the Welsh Government has also separately written to the UK Government, seeking further clarity on the impacts of the recent policy changes on Wales.
Tackling the twin crises of climate change and nature loss is one of the most significant challenges facing people and planet this century and all nations of the UK must work in partnership to complete the net zero journey. Delivering progress on net zero requires urgent action and higher ambition from the UK Government on issues reserved to Westminster to complement the action taken under devolved powers. The Climate Change Committee has been clear that action by the UK Government is important for delivery of climate change targets around the UK, just as action in Scotland and Wales is crucial to UK targets.
Since last week’s process shows the weakness of current arrangements, we are now urging you to establish a new, mutually respectful partnership, with the aim of developing an agreed four nation approach to net zero in a collaborative manner. We therefore invite you to commit, in the first instance, to a high-level summit for a four nation approach and to agree with us that our statutory advisers, the independent Climate Change Committee, be invited to chair the summit.
We are also copying in Katrina Godfrey, Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Yours sincerely,
JULIE JAMES, MAIRI MCALLAN
A strategy to drive Scotland’s fair and just transition away from fossil fuels will be published by next Summer.
Energy Minister Gillian Martin announced the timeline as the consultation responses to the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, and independent analysis of those responses, were published.
The responses, and continued engagement with a range of interested parties including industry, the Just Transition Commission and the Scottish Energy Advisory Board, will inform the finalised strategy.
Stressing the importance of reaching net zero in a way that spreads the benefits and costs of energy decarbonisation fairly, Ms Martin re-iterated calls for the UK Government to do more to accelerate investment, reform markets and ensure benefits flow to communities.
Ms Martin said: “Delivering on our climate obligations with an unwavering commitment to a fair and just journey to net zero is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government.
“The consultation confirmed broad support for our vision and highlighted the importance of providing policy certainty to enable investment in skills, infrastructure and technologies. We will now publish our Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan by next Summer, setting out how we intend to create a net zero energy system that delivers affordable, secure and clean energy while benefiting communities across Scotland by providing high quality jobs and economic opportunities.
“We believe that all future extraction of fossil fuels must be subject to strict climate compatibility and energy security tests. Our focus is on meeting our energy security needs, reducing emissions and delivering affordable energy supplies, whilst ensuring a just transition for our oil and gas workforce as North Sea resources decline.”
Read the statement in full here.
Read independent analysis of the consultation responses.
Read the consultation responses cleared for publication by respondents.
Discussions about the necessities and trade-offs around the transition to net zero are back on the news agenda this week (write Fraser of Allander Institute’s EMMA CONGREVER and CIARA CRUMMEY).
The changes required to meet net zero targets are complex and challenging yet the risks of not doing enough are immense. Inherent in this are trade-offs but also opportunities. An ordered transition where businesses and households have certainty over what they will need to do is the best way to minimise harm to incomes and to maximise the benefits that can be realised.
For many businesses and households, the costs associated transition to net zero will be manageable, and perhaps even cost effective in the long run. But for some, the upfront costs will be difficult to manage.
Whilst there is a general awareness of the direct costs that will fall on households from, for example the phasing out of gas boilers (a devolved policy, so not affected by the UK Prime Minister’s recent announcement) there is also the impact in livelihoods due to changes in the structure of the economy.
At the moment, all the attention is on the ‘just transition’ for workers in carbon-intensive industries, in the North East in particular. But the impact on jobs could be far wider than this.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation asked us, along with colleagues in the Strathclyde Business School, to look into the potential for disruption to jobs in the wider Scottish economy, particularly in relation to low paid jobs. Our assessment of the available literature and various Scottish Government plans, reports and action plans didn’t provide much to go on, so we embarked on some experimental mapping and modelling of the potential intersection of net zero and low pay.
Today we published a report that we hope provides a rationale and a way forward for government, and others, to consider this issue fully. Whilst we can’t yet confidently put a figure on it, we have found that there is potential for significant disruption to jobs in sectors that employ large numbers of low pay workers, including retail and hospitality.
The mechanisms through which this impact could be felt are varied. Issues we looked at included the knock-on impact from depressed wages in areas where carbon intensive businesses cease trading. We also considered the impact on the viability of businesses with large commercial footprints who may need to invest large amounts to bring buildings up to new energy efficient standards.
There are many unknowns in this type of analysis, including the sufficiency of government policy and the behavioural response from consumers. For example, the Scottish Government is hoping to see car use reduced in Scotland.
Households may also independently decide they wish to reduce car use. It is easy to see how this could impact on the viability of out-of-town shopping centres that rely on customers arriving by car and if there aren’t serious efforts to provide adequate replacement public transport or alternative active travel routes, these large centres of employment may become unviable.
Some of the scenarios that we work through may not lead to jobs disappearing completely, but simply shifting to other places or other sectors. There are two further issues to consider here. Firstly, low paid workers tend to be less flexible on where they can work, due to a variety of factors including available transport and difficulties finding affordable childcare to cover long commuting times.
They also tend have less of a financial buffer to deal with even short periods of unemployment. Secondly, simply moving low paid jobs from one place to another misses a crucial opportunity to maximise the benefits that the transition to net zero could bring by providing career pathways into new, higher paid, growth sectors.
There is an opportunity here to better join up Scottish Government ambitions on tackling poverty and the transition to net zero that is currently missing from both the Just Transition plans and the Fair Work Action Plan. We hope this analysis will be useful in informing the future development of this work.
Communities across Scotland are being asked to consider whether their local area could be designated as the country’s newest national park.
Individuals, groups or organisations considering making a proposal can now register early interest.
Nominations will officially open later this year, once the appraisal framework has been finalised. The government has committed to designating at least one new national park in Scotland by Spring 2026.
Visiting Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Lorna Slater said: “I look forward to engaging with communities and learning more about their proposals, and I encourage everyone to get involved as we move closer to naming Scotland’s next national park.
“Our existing national parks play an important role in tackling the biodiversity and climate crises, whilst also supporting local communities, businesses and visitors.
“Last year we consulted widely on the future of national parks in Scotland, and there was broad support for our commitment to create at least one new park by 2026.”
Chief Executive of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority Gordon Watson said: “National Parks have a vital role to play in securing a more sustainable future for Scotland. They are unique places where we can maximise the benefits that can be provided for nature, climate and people.
“Scotland has set ambitious targets to reach Net Zero and to restore biodiversity by 2045.
“If we are to reach those targets, urgent, bold action is required and Scotland’s existing – and any new – National Parks can make a substantial contribution.
“Through scaling up our efforts to lock-in carbon in the landscape, restore nature at scale and enable a greener low-emission economy, we can, together, help Scotland make significant progress towards these commitments.”
Registers of interest should be submitted by email to: NationalParks@gov.scot
A draft appraisal framework with broad selection criteria for new national parks has also been published for consultation.
The Scottish Government is already aware of several communities or groups that are interested in putting their area forward for national park status. Our appraisal framework will help to ensure the nomination process is fair, transparent and inclusive.
Registration opened yesterday (Thursday 11 May 2023). There is no requirement to register interest in order to submit a nomination. Nor does registration commit a group or organisation to submitting a nomination.
Registration will allow the Scottish Government to update interested parties with any important information, key dates and communications throughout the process.
Electric vehicle consumers are set to benefit from lower energy bills and cheaper motoring thanks to a landmark plan to unlock the potential of smart electric vehicle charging.
The Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Action Plan published today (Tuesday 17 January) by the government and Ofgem, sets out steps being taken to seize on the significant potential of smart charging and make it the preferred method of long duration charging by 2025.
Smart charging harnesses the potential of energy use data and the latest energy innovations to deliver significant benefits for consumers, including allowing motorists to charge electric vehicles when electricity is cheaper or cleaner, allowing consumers to power their home using electricity stored in their electric vehicle, or even sell it back to the grid for profit. It is expected high mileage motorists could save up to £1,000 a year through smarter charging.
And to back this up further, the government has today also announced £16 million funding from the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) for technologies that harness the potential of smart charging, including a smart street lamppost which will enable motorists to access smart charging on the move, and projects that will enable domestic appliances, from heat pumps to electric vehicle charge points and batteries, to integrate into a smarter energy system.
Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart said: “We want to make smart charging an easier choice for drivers of electric vehicles, whether that is charging on the driveway, at the workplace, or parked on the street. To do that we need to build new network infrastructure at pace, using the latest available technologies.
“Today’s plan sets out how we will work with Ofgem and industry to kickstart the market for smart charging, which we are backing up with £16 million in innovation funding. This will let people take control of their energy usage, in the most convenient and low-cost way.
Ofgem Director for Strategy and Decarbonisation Neil Kenward said: “As energy regulator, we’re helping create the infrastructure to deliver Britain’s net zero future at the lowest cost to customers.
“This latest innovative plan will help to maximise the benefits of smart charging, offer vital savings to consumers and reduce the overall cost of energy by seizing the opportunities to use batteries to both power homes and fuel the wider grid.”
Today’s announcements build on the major steps already taken by the government to enable smart and flexible electric vehicle charging. As of July 2022, all new charge points sold for private now must have smart functionality and the UK is consulting on a new policy and technical framework to unlock the benefits of domestic smart, flexible energy, and enhance its cybersecurity.
Through the plan, the government will improve publicly available information and evidence on smart charging, support the implementation of robust consumer service standards and ensure private charge points are secure and compatible with the latest energy innovations.
The roll out of intelligent and automated smart charging will deliver a win-win situation for all consumers. Reduced electricity system costs will lower prices for everyone, motorists will pay less for charging their electric vehicle, and the electricity powering electric vehicles will be cleaner and greener.
The government and Ofgem will seek to remove the barriers that currently prevent the full development of a diverse and competitive smart charging market, while making sure the energy system is ready to respond to the upturn in energy demand that electric vehicles will bring.
Among those receiving funding today through the V2X (Vehicle to Everything) Innovation Programme for prototype hardware, software and business models, are:
Among those receiving funding today through the Interoperable Demand-Side Response (IDSR) Programme, which supports technologies that allow consumers to remotely increase or decrease their energy use to take advantage of when energy is cheaper or more renewables are on the grid, are:
Depending on tariff, mileage, and charging patterns, smarter charging could save an average driver up to £200, and a high mileage driver up to £1000 a year by delaying the power demand from electric vehicles at peak periods, such as 4pm to 9pm on winter evenings. By helping to efficiently balance when energy is generated and used on the electricity grid, the technology could contribute to reducing electricity prices for consumers across the network.
Delivering the steps set out in the Action Plan will help make smart charging the norm at home and work by 2025. It is the ambition that in the late 2020s smart charging will also become more commonplace at long-duration public charging, such as on-street or at transport hubs.
A pathway to help make Scotland a world leader in hydrogen production has been published, but campaigners are questioning the suitability of hydrogen for most sectors.
The Hydrogen Action Plan sets out steps to help the emerging hydrogen sector in Scotland achieve an ambition of 5 Gigawatts (GW) of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen – equivalent to a sixth of Scotland’s energy needs – by 2030.
It also reaffirms an ambition to produce 25 GW by 2045, with a hydrogen economy potentially supporting more than 300,000 jobs.
Capitalising on the potential for Scotland to become a leading exporter of hydrogen is estimated to contribute between £5 billion and £25 billion a year by 2045 depending on the scale of production and the extent of exports.
The Scottish Government is making available £100 million to support the Action Plan, including a £90 million Green Hydrogen Fund, which will open early next year.
Net Zero & Energy Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Hydrogen could present Scotland’s greatest industrial opportunity since oil and gas was discovered in the North Sea.
“The technology has tremendous potential to help deliver a just transition for our energy sector, realising huge economic benefits while supporting our net zero transformation.
“Scotland has vast natural resources with which we can become world leaders in renewable hydrogen production and export, while others are looking beyond their borders to nations that can produce and provide that hydrogen at scale.
“Our Hydrogen Action Plan reaffirms the Scottish Government’s clear commitment to helping our hydrogen sector grow and prosper. We are open to the world and actively collaborating with international partners in order to realise the benefits of hydrogen.”
Climate campaigners have responded to the Scottish Government’s new ‘Hydrogen Action Plan’ by questioning the suitability of hydrogen for most sectors and highlighting the cost and inefficiency of the technology.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Climate Campaigner Alex Lee said: “Hydrogen is inefficient, faces costly technical barriers and is unnecessary or unsuitable in most sectors. Evidence shows that blue hydrogen made with fossil gas, which Ministers want to label as low-carbon, doesn’t deliver meaningful cuts to climate emissions.
“It is welcome that the Scottish Government has heeded the overwhelming scientific consensus on the inefficiency and high cost of using hydrogen to heat our homes. It looks like that this will not be a priority in Scotland but the Plan still suggests that the Scottish Government may attempt to blend hydrogen into the gas grid and potentially invest in ‘hydrogen ready’ boilers in new build homes.
“The Plan also backs hydrogen buses and cars despite the fact electric vehicles are streets ahead in terms of efficiency and public awareness.”
“The Government still seems to be falling for industry spin that dodgy technologies like Carbon Capture and Storage and Direct Air Capture will cut climate pollution. For decades carbon capture has failed to work at the scale promised and the few plants that have been built have been plagued by technical problems and closures.
“It’s time the Scottish Government accepted that carbon capture is not the magical solution it hopes and focused its energies on measures to cut emissions in the here and now.
“The forthcoming Energy Strategy is a chance for the Scottish Government to invest in solutions we know actually work like heat pumps and insulating homes that can help people in Scotland with their bills and unlike dodgy hydrogen help us tackle climate change.”
The Hydrogen Action Plan is available on the Scottish Government website
