Meetings

9th Meeting, 2026

12 November 2026

1. Decisions on taking business in private
2. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – evidence
Show witnesses
• Colin Lindsay
  Developer and Hydrogen Services Manager
  Scottish Water Horizons
• Giulio Santori
  Reader
  University of Edinburgh
• Professor Mark Parsons
  EPCC Director
  EPCC, University of Edinburgh
• Ana Valdivia
  Lecturer in AI, Government & Policy
  University of Oxford
• Dr Gemma Bone Dodds
  Chair
  Lothian Heat
• Simon Kerr
  Head of Heat Networks
  SAV-Systems
• Andrea Marinoni
  Associate Professor of Applied Remote Sensing, UiT the Arctic University of Norway and Affiliated Lecturer, Department of Computer Science and Technology
  University of Cambridge
3. Scottish Government's Budget 2027-28 – approach
4. Environmental Standards Scotland engine idling laws air quality investigation: Scottish Government improvement plan – approach
5. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – review of evidence (in private)

This is all meetings of Climate Action Committee held in 2026. On meeting pages you can find agendas, meeting papers, minutes, and links to Official Reports and Scottish Parliament TV.

8th Meeting

05 November

1. Declaration of interests
2. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – evidence
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• Craig Melson
  Associate Director
  techUK
• Andrew Weir
  CEO
  ScotlandIS
and then from:
• Alejandro Gallego Schmid
  Reader in Circular Economy and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment
  The University of Manchester
• Wim Vanderbauwhede
  Professor in Low Carbon and Sustainable Computing
  University of Glasgow
• Thomas Morstyn
  Associate Professor in Power Systems
  University of Oxford
3. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – review of evidence (in private)

7th Meeting

29 October

1. Decisions on taking business in private
2. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – evidence
Show witnesses
• Kat Jones
  Director
  Action to Protect Rural Scotland
• Kim Pratt
  Senior Campaigner
  Friends of the Earth Scotland
and then from:
• Rosi Leonard
  Data Centre Campaign Lead & Network Development Coordinator
  Friends of the Earth Ireland
• Professor Hannah Daly
  Professor in Sustainable Energy
  University College Cork
• Ronan Kelly
  CEO
  Digital Infrastructure Ireland
3. Instrument subject to annulment
4. Pre-Budget scrutiny – report
5. Scottish National Adaptation Plan: annual report 2025 - 2026 – approach
6. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – review of evidence (in private)

6th Meeting

08 October

1. Decisions on taking business in private
2. Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28 – evidence
Show witnesses
• Gillian Martin
  Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs
  Scottish Government
• Phil Raines
  Deputy Director, Domestic Climate Change
  Scottish Government
• Helen Carter
  Portfolio Finance Lead
  Scottish Government
• Sean Neill
  Director, Energy and Climate Change
  Scottish Government
3. Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28 – consideration of evidence
4. Climate Action Committee Strategic Objectives for Session 7

5th Meeting

01 October

1. Decisions on taking business in private
2. Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28 – evidence
Show witnesses
• Josiah Lockhart
  CEO, Changeworks, and Member
  Climate Emergency Response Group
• Lewis Barlow
  Decarbonisation Head of Profession
  WSP
3. Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28 – consideration of evidence
4. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – approach

4th Meeting

24 September

1. Decision on taking business in private
2. Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28 – evidence
Show witnesses
• Professor Graeme Roy
  Chair
  Scottish Fiscal Commission
• James Black
  Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow
  Fraser of Allander Institute
3. Pre-budget scrutiny 2027-28 – consideration of evidence
4. Work programme (in private)

3rd Meeting

17 September

1. Declaration of interests
2. Decisions on taking business in private
3. Climate Action – evidence
Show witnesses
• Gillian Martin
  Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs
  Scottish Government
• Phil Raines
  Joint Deputy Director, Domestic Climate Change Division, DECC
  Scottish Government
• Anne Aitken
  Deputy Director, Environmental Quality & Resilience Division, ENFOR
  Scottish Government
• Elizabeth Burgess
  Head of Biodiversity Unit, Nature Division, ENFOR
  Scottish Government
4. Climate Action – consideration of evidence
5. Inquiry into the environmental impacts of AI data centres – approach

2nd Meeting

03 September

1. Declaration of interests
2. Decisions on taking business in private
3. Climate Action – evidence
Show witnesses
• Nick Halfhide
  Chief Executive Officer
  NatureScot
• Wendy Kimpton
  Director of Strategy and Regulation
  Scottish Water
• Ciaran McGuigan
  Chief Executive Officer
  Zero Waste Scotland
• Dan Paris
  Director of Policy and Engagement
  Scottish Environment LINK
• Nicole Paterson
  Chief Executive
  Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
and then from:
• Alison Cumming
  Executive Director, Performance Audit & Best Value
  Audit Scotland
• Dr Richard Dixon
  Chair
  Environmental Standards Scotland
4. Climate Action – consideration of evidence
5. Pre-Budget scrutiny – approach
6. Work programme

1st Meeting

25 June

1. Declaration of interests
2. Choice of Deputy Convener
3. Decision on taking business in private
4. Work programme