Chamber and committees

The latest available information on the number of people convicted under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament is provided in the following table.

Number of people proceeded and convicted under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (where main crime) in Scottish courts, 1999-2000 to 2020-21.

There were no prosecutions under section 40(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (where main crime) since 1 January 2014.

Please note: The latest available data is for 2020-21. Information for 2021-22 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2021-22 Statistical Bulletin. This is due to be published in 2023.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Our response to the pandemic has always been aligned with public health advice whether locally or nationally. We gradually and cautiously lifted regime restrictions that were necessary and proportionate to protect the health and wellbeing of those who live and work in our prisons. We continue to work through a Transition Plan and focus on restoration of regimes as we move out of the pandemic phase.

There were no prosecutions under regulation 44(1) of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (where main crime) since 1 January 2011.

Please note: The latest available data is for 2020-21. Information for 2021-22 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2021-22 Statistical Bulletin. This is due to be published in 2023.

The Scottish Government has made clear to the UK Government our position that to support our just transition to net zero, new offshore oil and gas licenses should be subject to a stringent climate compatibility checkpoint.

My response to the UK Government consultation in March made clear that any credible and effective package of conditionality tests must include both domestic and international dimensions - extending to at least all of the six tests outlined in the consultation document.

The First Minister also called on the UK Government for a four nations’ discussions to agree on a final Climate Compatibility Checkpoint process which was ignored. It is extremely disappointing that the Climate Compatibility Test proposed by the UK Government is limited to new exploration, and that the bar has been set so low in terms of the Test itself. It is a lightweight version of the Test consulted upon earlier this year.

There were no prosecutions under regulation 67 of the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (where main crime) since 1 January 2012.

Please note: The latest available data is for 2020-21. Information for 2021-22 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2021-22 Statistical Bulletin. This is due to be published in 2023.

The oil and gas sector continues to play an important role in our economy, and a bright future lies ahead for a revitalised North Sea in supporting a net zero energy system. Our highly skilled oil and gas workforce have long been at the forefront of energy innovation and we are committed to a just transition that supports them to capitalise on the employment opportunities of net zero energy. The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will outline a co-ordinated vision for Scotland’s future energy system, ensuring a cohesive and joined up framework for action, and will be published for consultation in the coming months.

Our £75m Energy Transition Fund, £100m Green Jobs Fund and £500m Just Transition Fund are supporting the North East and Moray to become a centre of excellence for the transition to a net zero economy, with our investment supporting transformation across the region.

Estimates of marine carbon sequestration rates have large uncertainties and are difficult to calculate. There are few direct in-situ measurements of carbon sequestration by any marine habitat. Estimates of sequestration rate primarily depend on modelling which uses parameters derived from laboratory experiments and theoretical relationships, many of which are not fully tested.

The current estimate of carbon sequestered by Scotland’s marine environment is 6,485,000 tonnes CO ₂ -eq/year. (Details are set out in the table in response to S6W-12149).

There are currently no estimates of emissions from Scotland’s marine carbon stores, research suggests blue-carbon habitat degradation can result in emissions.

We recognise the importance of engagement in developing the Climate Change Plan. We are planning for engagement with stakeholders in 2023. This is in advance of the draft Climate Change Plan being laid by the end of 2023 – for a period of at least 120 days of scrutiny - and a public consultation which will commence at the same time. In addition, we will publish an engagement report alongside the new draft Climate Change Plan to 2040 to provide detail around this engagement.

The Scottish Government’s Public Engagement Strategy for Climate Change - Climate change - Net Zero Nation: public engagement strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - sets out the importance of widespread participation and engagement in addressing the climate emergency.

Achieving our emissions reduction targets requires a societal transformation that goes beyond incremental behaviour change. There are currently 29 research projects being managed through ClimateXChange, totalling £1.2million. Many of these will inform our approach to the Climate Change Plan, including a project to identify points of intervention with the potential to influence multiple, interlinked social practices.

The UK Climate Change Committee briefing on blue carbon, published in March 2022, recognised the challenges in estimating the climate change impact of fishing through disturbance to sea floor sediments and the current, significant, evidence gaps. The briefing concluded that fundamental scientific uncertainties currently prevent accurate quantification of this effect. This has been an area of focus for the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum since its establishment in 2018 and we continue to invest in research, through the Forum, to improve scientific approaches, fill key evidence gaps and understand the implications of this interaction.

Many of the habitats research has identified as important for blue carbon are priority marine features within Scotland’s Marine Protected Area network. Blue carbon will also be one of the search criteria for designation of Scotland’s Highly Protected Marine Areas, in 2026, affording the opportunity for enhanced protection.