Chamber and committees

It is for employers to provide appropriate PPE where it is required based on assessed risk. The health and safety of our workforce in all sectors is a priority for the Scottish Government and if there is evidence of specific concerns in particular industries this should of course be raised through appropriate channels.

In response to requests for help in securing PPE supplies from organisations delivering essential public services in community settings, the Scottish Government has been working to establish a process with a third party. Eligible organisations can purchase PPE from this supplier when they are unable to secure PPE supplies through existing channels or need to supplement existing supply chains.

Yes, we will. As I have said in a number of fora previously, but to put that formally on record, we will revise Scotland’s Energy Strategy, which I published in December 2017, to ensure that our Strategy:

• reflects our commitment to a green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic;

• ensures that the transition to a decarbonised economy that is fair, sustainable and resilient; and

• reflects the need to ensure consistency with the trajectory required for our revised greenhouse gas emissions targets for 2030 and 2040, en route to our ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

While our response to COVID-19 is far from over, our response to global warming and climate change continues. The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to our world-leading climate change targets. These include a 75% reduction in our national emissions by 2030 (relative to a 1990 baseline), and net zero emissions by 2045.

The Climate Change Plan published in 2018 sets out policies for emissions reduction across all sectors of the economy – including the role of the Energy Efficient Scotland programme in reducing emissions from buildings. The indicative emissions envelopes in the Plan show a reduction of 4% in green house gas emissions from buildings over the period 2018 to 2021, but it should be noted that this figure; i) only covers part of the current parliamentary session and builds from strong progress to date, with emissions from the sector down 14% between 1990 to 2017, and ii) includes policy interventions other than energy efficiency measures.

The SG is currently in the process of recasting the 2018 Climate Change Plan to meet the increased targets from the 2019 Climate Change Act – including for a 57.9% reduction in cross-economy emissions by 2021, relative to the 1990 baseline - as part of a “green recovery” from COVID-19.

The SG continues to reduce emissions from its own estate, including through energy efficiency interventions. At the end of 2019-20 the SG core estate had reduced its carbon emissions by at least 45% compared to the baseline year of 2009-10. This exceeds the Carbon Management Plan target of a 30% reduction by 2020.

On 27 May we published guidance, jointly developed with COSLA, on reopening and operating HWRCs. On 1 June, Local Authorities reopened over three-quarters of household waste recycling centres across Scotland, with services available in every Local Authority area.

We will consider what more can be done to address issues relating to flytipping, working with CoSLA, SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland.

The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to our world-leading climate change targets. The Climate Change Plan update, which sets out actions on how we will meet these targets, was due to be laid in Parliament on 30 April, but was necessarily postponed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The recast Plan, scheduled for late 2020, will take into account a ‘green recovery’ to help the country recover from COVID-19.

We have set a clear policy direction for Scotland’s buildings to play their part in Scotland’s transition to net zero by 2045, and are taking actions which will support continued progress on this, such as:

• Making sure the net zero transition remains at the core of our planned 2020 Infrastructure Investment Plan and Capital Spending Review. Future Infrastructure Investment Plans will be accompanied by an assessment of how they will support meeting climate change targets and we will seek to prioritise low carbon infrastructure opportunities wherever possible. We also anticipate the work of our Advisory Group on Economic Recovery will examine how a green recovery can be supported.
• Working with key stakeholders and our agencies through the Construction Leadership Forum, chaired by the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, to ensure the construction sector is best placed to restart construction activity when the medical evidence supports this and to support a resilient, green and inclusive recovery.
• Working with partners and industry to restart our national and area-based home energy efficiency programmes as soon as it is safe to do so.
• Working with industry on a standard that will require new build homes consented from 2024 to have renewable or low carbon heating.
• Continuing to progress reviews to improve energy standards set through building regulation.
• Engaging with partners on a new Net Zero Carbon Standard for new public buildings to make heating them more efficient and low carbon, and supporting improved energy performance in the public sector estate through the Non Domestic Energy Efficiency framework and supporting contracts.
• Looking for opportunities through capital programmes to stimulate the low carbon heat supply chain including bringing the Heat Transition Deal, announced in the budget, online in phases over coming months to support economic recovery in the energy efficiency, heat and low carbon energy sectors. Also, in the coming year we will introduce a district heating relief, guaranteed until 2032, in order to provide certainty to investors.
• Later this year, publishing our long term plan for decarbonising the way we heat homes and buildings in Scotland.
• And we have taken action within the planning system to ensure that the system can continue to operate throughout this emergency period: new applications for planning permission can continue to come forward; appeals can be heard; and planning permissions set to lapse in the period will automatically be extended.

A breakdown of the local authorities that have received funding from the Spaces for People fund and the amount allocated to each is provided in the following table.

The remit of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery is to advise on the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, including:

• measures to support different sectoral and regional challenges the economy will face in recovery; and
• how business practice will change as a result of Covid, including opportunities to operate differently and how Government policy can help the transition towards a greener, net zero and wellbeing economy.

Biodiversity is a key pillar of the Scottish Government’s green agenda and will therefore be vital to our economic recovery plans. As such the Scottish Government expects the Advisory Group to give full consideration to biodiversity when determining its recommendations.

Safeguarding and enhancing Scotland’s biodiversity is key to the Scottish Government’s green agenda and will form an important part of our economic recovery plans.

Through supporting a green recovery we can drive progress towards the vision and outcomes of Scotland’s Environmental Strategy including the outcome that our thriving, sustainable economy conserves and grows our natural assets.

The Advisory Group on Economic Recovery’s remit includes making recommendations to the Scottish Government on how it supports a green economic recovery. The Chair of the Advisory Group, Benny Higgins, has already written to organisations including Scottish Environment Link, the Woodland Trust and the Scottish Woodland Trust to seek their insights and knowledge to inform its recommendations. This is part of a wider programme of engagement being undertaken by the Advisory Group which include an open call for views which will be advertised widely to ensure that environmental groups have the opportunity to share their views with the Group.

The remit of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery is to advise on the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, including;

- measures to support different sectoral and regional challenges the economy will face in recovery; and

- how business practice will change as a result of Covid, including opportunities to operate differently and how Government policy can help the transition towards a greener, net zero and wellbeing economy.

The remit of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery explicitly states that it should consider how Government policy can help the transition towards a greener, net zero and wellbeing economy. The engagement that the Advisory Group has conducted so far suggests that these areas are featuring strongly in its deliberations.

Supporting our climate change targets, delivering inclusive growth and wellbeing economy objectives are core to our response to COVID-19 and our overall economic response and recovery plan. Decision regarding COVID-19 are based on the “4 harms” – the direct health impacts of the virus, the wider impacts on health and the social and economic impacts. Our wider economic recovery plan is guided by wellbeing economy principles, integrating economic, social, and environmental spheres. Ensuring a green recovery is central to this. As part of this we are engaging widely with a number of stakeholders and groups across Scotland and beyond.

We have already asked for and received advice from the Committee for Climate Change on how to ensure a resilient, green recovery for Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform has also asked the Just Transition Commission to consider a green recovery as part of their remit.

Our membership of the Wellbeing Economy Governments' Group enables us to utilise international best practice to inform our approach to the economic recovery from Covid-19 ensuring that it progresses our transition towards a wellbeing economy.

A key part of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery's remit is to make recommendations on how the Scottish Government can support the transition towards a greener, net zero and wellbeing economy. Benny Higgins, who chairs the Advisory Group, wrote to Scottish Environment LINK and the Wellbeing Economy Alliance seeking their knowledge and insights to inform the Advisory Group on Economic Group’s recommendations. This is part of a wider programme of engagement being undertaken by the Advisory Group which includes an open call for views which will be advertised widely to ensure that both environmental and wellbeing economy groups have the opportunity to share their views.