Chamber and committees

I have finished with my questions, convener, unless someone else would like to answer.

I do not think that I have heard how we are going to reduce the impact. If you ruled the world, what would you do to reduce it?

First, I congratulate Michael Matheson on securing this members’ business debate on putting young people at the heart of the energy transition. As the former Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, and now as the deputy convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, Michael Matheson has a wealth of knowledge and understanding of our energy sector and of what is needed for a just transition.

The motion is clear, as are Michael Matheson and so many other folk I have spoken with, that young people absolutely need to be at the heart of the transition. That is the generation that we need to get this right for. If we act too slowly on an energy transition, we will do irreparable damage to our climate, and they will have to live with it. If we move too quickly and scale down our current energy industries without investing in new industries, we will fail that generation by failing to provide them with the job opportunities to make their own way in life.

Investment in new industries is needed not only in bricks and mortar and in technologies and machines, but in people. To borrow a phrase from Jimmy Reid,

“The untapped resources of the North Sea are as nothing compared to the untapped resources of our people.”

That is why it is such a pleasure that this debate gives us a chance to talk about fantastic initiatives such as Powering Futures that are investing in young people and giving them the skills that they need for Scotland’s energy transition.

It is particularly pleasing for me that two schools in Aberdeen are Powering Futures schools. As members will know—not least because I keep saying it—Aberdeen is the future net zero capital of the world. It might come as no surprise to members, therefore, to learn that the north-east has a similar scheme of its own, the girls in energy scheme, which complements the Powering Futures scheme exceptionally well.

The girls in energy scheme is a year-long engineering course for 14 to 17-year-old secondary school students, sponsored by Shell and delivered in partnership with North East Scotland College and Fife College, to encourage young women to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to consider a career in the global energy sector.

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the girls in energy conference at the P&J Live, in my Aberdeen Donside constituency, where I got to meet the five members of team phoenix—Elizabeth Ogunleye from St Machar academy, Kacey Smith from Mintlaw academy, Isla Walker from Ellon academy, Tilly Drunsfield from Peterhead academy and Sophie Charleston from Banff academy—who thoroughly impressed me with their elevator pitch.

Team phoenix recognised that carbon emissions from air travel need to come down in our journey to net zero, but they also recognised the importance of aviation in connecting us to others, so they set out their ideas to make flying more environmentally friendly. I think that they were going with the line, “You can’t change the world if you can’t connect to it”.

Although I did not get a chance to meet any of the other teams, I was still quite certain that team phoenix’s pitch would be the winning one, and I was almost proven right. When I spoke to Audrey Nicoll later—she was one of the dragons for the day—she told me that team phoenix had made the top 5 and that they had a very impressive pitch. She said that it was very close and that it was a difficult decision to pick the overall winners.

I offer my congratulations again to Michael Matheson on securing the debate, and I am pleased to hear of the many ways in which young people are being put at the heart of the energy transition. With the likes of Elizabeth, Kacey, Isla, Tilly and Sophie at that heart, the energy industry has a bright future ahead of it.

First, I congratulate Michael Matheson on securing this members’ business debate on putting young people at the heart of the energy transition. As the former Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, and now as the deputy convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, Michael Matheson has a wealth of knowledge and understanding of our energy sector and of what is needed for a just transition.

The motion is clear, as are Michael Matheson and so many other folk I have spoken with, that young people absolutely need to be at the heart of the transition. That is the generation that we need to get this right for. If we act too slowly on an energy transition, we will do irreparable damage to our climate, and they will have to live with it. If we move too quickly and scale down our current energy industries without investing in new industries, we will fail that generation by failing to provide them with the job opportunities to make their own way in life.

Investment in new industries is needed not only in bricks and mortar and in technologies and machines, but in people. To borrow a phrase from Jimmy Reid,

“The untapped resources of the North Sea are as nothing compared to the untapped resources of our people.”

That is why it is such a pleasure that this debate gives us a chance to talk about fantastic initiatives such as Powering Futures that are investing in young people and giving them the skills that they need for Scotland’s energy transition.

It is particularly pleasing for me that two schools in Aberdeen are Powering Futures schools. As members will know—not least because I keep saying it—Aberdeen is the future net zero capital of the world. It might come as no surprise to members, therefore, to learn that the north-east has a similar scheme of its own, the girls in energy scheme, which complements the Powering Futures scheme exceptionally well.

The girls in energy scheme is a year-long engineering course for 14 to 17-year-old secondary school students, sponsored by Shell and delivered in partnership with North East Scotland College and Fife College, to encourage young women to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to consider a career in the global energy sector.

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the girls in energy conference at the P&J Live, in my Aberdeen Donside constituency, where I got to meet the five members of team phoenix—Elizabeth Ogunleye from St Machar academy, Kacey Smith from Mintlaw academy, Isla Walker from Ellon academy, Tilly Drunsfield from Peterhead academy and Sophie Charleston from Banff academy—who thoroughly impressed me with their elevator pitch.

Team phoenix recognised that carbon emissions from air travel need to come down in our journey to net zero, but they also recognised the importance of aviation in connecting us to others, so they set out their ideas to make flying more environmentally friendly. I think that they were going with the line, “You can’t change the world if you can’t connect to it”.

Although I did not get a chance to meet any of the other teams, I was still quite certain that team phoenix’s pitch would be the winning one, and I was almost proven right. When I spoke to Audrey Nicoll later—she was one of the dragons for the day—she told me that team phoenix had made the top 5 and that they had a very impressive pitch. She said that it was very close and that it was a difficult decision to pick the overall winners.

I offer my congratulations again to Michael Matheson on securing the debate, and I am pleased to hear of the many ways in which young people are being put at the heart of the energy transition. With the likes of Elizabeth, Kacey, Isla, Tilly and Sophie at that heart, the energy industry has a bright future ahead of it.

Will the member take an intervention?

I will probably spik in the Doric. I thank Emma Harper for takkin the intervention. She has gone on aboot Scots contributors makkin a difference. Does she agree that Oor Vyce is also makkin a huge difference in gettin oor Scottish language oot there?

I have none that I am aware of.

Despite Labour’s pre-election promise to slash bills by £300, household energy prices rose by £149 in October and are set to rise again in January. It is vital that we work to make pricing fairer, and I welcome the Scottish Government’s work so far on a social tariff. Will the cabinet secretary say more about how a social tariff might operate and how it would help to lower costs?

I am not sure whether Opposition members have short memories or selective amnesia. The SNP has reconnected Kintore and Laurencekirk to the railway. The Aberdeen bypass, which had been spoken about for 50 years, has been delivered. The Haudagain improvement in my constituency, now named the Brian Adam Road, has been delivered. My party has delivered for the north-east before, and it will continue to do so in the future. Given the enormous interest in the subject, how can members of the public make their views known, and how will they be kept aware of opportunities to raise their views?

It predates my time here, too.