Question reference: S6W-24021
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 18 December 2023
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Lorna Slater on 19 December 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its plans for the future of the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan, in light of the upcoming reform of the post-school education and skills landscape.
Answer
The Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) published in 2020 provided an important springboard for net zero skills planning and we have made good progress since its publication.
The recent CESAP Pathfinder publication highlights that investment in net zero is progressing, with nearly £90 billion in green investments currently underway or planned in the next three years. This progress in building a strong skills base and creating green jobs is underpinned by the findings in the PwC Green Barometer. The Pathfinder also provides a strong evidential underpinning across apprenticeships, further education, and higher education that will inform next steps.
It is important that our education and skills landscape is flexible, adaptable, and easier to navigate for employers, learners, and training providers. The Scottish Government intends to fully align green skills policy and planning behind its wider net zero priorities and we will therefore integrate the next phase of our work on green skills into the Just Transition Plans, Green Industrial Strategy and Rural Delivery Plan, rather than through a separate CESAP update.
The CESAP Implementation Steering Group, now chaired by myself, will continue to play a critical role in informing our net zero transition, sending strong signals to the education and skills system on the need for urgent action to tackle net zero, and supporting the development of relevant strategies, including the Just Transition Plans, Green Industrial Strategy and Rural Delivery Plan.