Chamber and committees

A number of discussions were held with those involved in the scheme in the weeks prior to the announcement including Circularity Scotland and business groups. To reach a decision on the next steps for the Deposit Return Scheme Scottish Government officials also provided advice to the First Minister and Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity.

The First Minister and I met to discuss the Deposit Return Scheme on one occasion during the time frame specified. The date of that meeting was 13 April 2023. It should also be noted that a further meeting between us on this issue was held on 20 April 2023.

Scotland's ambitious emissions reduction targets, including targets for reducing emissions every year until reaching net zero by 2045, are set under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. The level of these targets are kept under regular review to ensure they are in line with the latest climate science and advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), our independent statutory advisers. We have recently laid draft regulations to modify annual targets for 2021-2029 for technical reasons, to reflect updates to international standards for carbon accounting and in line with the latest advice received from the CCC.

As set out at Section 2.38 of the Ministerial code Ministers must not divulge either who provided the advice or its contents (whether it is from the Law Officers or from anyone else). This applies to all forms of legal advice, including advice on a particular subject or advice associated with clearance of a document.

The Scottish Government is committed to building resilience to the impacts of climate change as part of Scotland's just transition to a net-zero economy and society.

Alongside continuing to deliver over 170 policies and proposals in the current Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme, the Scottish Government is also now developing the next programme. Public consultation is anticipated for the start of 2024 with the aim of publishing a final statutory programme in Autumn 2024.

This third five-year Adaptation Programme will respond to the full range of current and future climate risks for Scotland, as independently identified by the Climate Change Committee in its evidence base for the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022. The Scottish Government is also looking for additional, early actions we can take to address the highest priority risk areas identified by the Climate Change Committee.

While progress is being made, we acknowledge that more needs to be done. Adaptation to the locked in impacts of climate change is a global challenge and we are not alone in needing to accelerate progress.

To enable Ministers to reach a decision on the next steps for the Deposit Return Scheme, a number of discussions were held with those involved in the scheme in the weeks prior to the announcement including Circularity Scotland and business groups. The First Minister then met with Circularity Scotland on 20 April 2023.

The Scottish Government will consult on the next Climate Change Plan, a draft of which will be published in November 2023. Plans for consultation are still in development.

The Scottish Government has promised a laser like focus on delivery, and we will ensure this happens, by directing energy and resources towards achieving the three missions and supporting the outcomes set out in Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start . Our ambition for an improving, consistent and transparent focus on performance and delivery is shared by Ministers and the Executive Team and work is in hand to strengthen the existing, evidence-based approach to delivery, performance and assurance that currently exists across the organisation.

The Scottish Government has promised a laser like focus on delivery, and we will ensure this happens, by directing energy and resources towards achieving the three missions and supporting the outcomes set out in Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start . Our ambition for an improving, consistent and transparent focus on performance and delivery is shared by Ministers and the Executive Team.

As a government, we are convinced that hydrogen, alongside renewable electricity, will play an extremely important part in our energy system going forward. We are scaling up renewable energy and taking action to transform and expand Scotland’s energy generation sector. The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan which is open for consultation until 9 May, sets out actions to ensure that Scotland is home to a multi-skilled energy workforce, boosting our domestic supply chain and manufacturing capabilities.

Through the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), the Scottish Government is driving forward the transformation of Scotland’s Economy by committing to six programmes of action that will focus on stimulating entrepreneurship; opening new markets; increasing productivity; developing the skills we need for the decade ahead; ensuring fairer and more equal economic opportunities; and creating a new culture of delivery. We have established a clear set of metrics, which we will use to assess our performance against the long-term objectives set in NSET, and have been chosen to represent the key areas where NSET seeks to shift the dial.