Question reference: S6W-22078
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 6 October 2023
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Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 November 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) its position on aligning its Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) with Scotland’s pathway for achieving net zero and (b) whether it has discussed creating a new methodology for assessing the contribution of individual infrastructure projects within the IIP to greenhouse gas reduction efforts.
Answer
Scottish Ministers are committed to complying fully with the requirements of section 94A of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and are engaging with Environmental Standards Scotland on this matter through the informal resolution process. To this end, the Scottish Ministers intend to publish an assessment of the extent to which investment in accordance with the Infrastructure Investment Plan is expected to contribute to the meeting of the emissions reduction targets in Part 1 of the 2009 Act. In the context of the informal resolution process, it is the Scottish Ministers’ intention to share with ESS the proposed assessment prior to publication. This will be done as soon as possible and before the end of the calendar year, with publication anticipated in early course thereafter.
An enhanced taxonomy approach will be adopted and will include an assessment on whether the IIP is contributing positively to the emissions reduction targets.
As set out in the Infrastructure Investment Plan, Scottish Ministers are committed to considering developments in methodologies for assessing the contribution of infrastructure investment plans to the emission targets and this will be pursued in relation to future IIPs.