Dr Richardson said Scotland has two key advantages in engineered removals: access to storage sites and the very large availability of renewable energy.iiiNet Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, Official Report, 2 September 2025, col 37
The Cabinet Secretary said that if companies developing negative emissions technologies (NETS) in Scotland are supported then Scotland could be an exporter of NETs to the rest of the world, as well as reducing emissions in Scotland.iiiNet Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, Official Report, 9 September 2025, col 60
However, some responses to the Call for Views raised concerns about over-reliance on engineered removals (FOES, SCCS, & WWFS) and recommended a ‘Plan B’ if the technologies do not mature to the scale expected in the CCC’s pathway.viiiWritten submissions from Friends of the Earth Scotland , Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and WWF Scotland
On a Just Transition for workers in the oil and gas sector, Dr Richardson said this was "critical":
Regardless of Government policy on net zero, the industry is going to wind down because of the geology.