Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Mark Ruskell: I hear what the cabinet secretary says about her engagement with industry, but it is communities that are facing a deluge of applications for data centres. There are people here today from Fife and across Scotland who are raising their concerns. Answers are needed, cabinet secretary.”
“The Scottish Government has not undertaken a wholly national assessment of the remit that the member specifically outlines on data centres. However, we are currently engaging with industry and partner agencies to better understand the cumulative impacts of data centre developments on the environment.”
“The Scottish Government’s wildfires strategic action plan sets out a partnership approach to preventing, preparing for and responding to wildfires.”
“Although the Scottish Government is not currently undertaking a formal national assessment, we are working with partners to assess the impact of AI data centres and to look at whether current planning conditions are appropriate.”
“David Green: The response from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and local land management to the severe wildfires that were experienced in the Highlands last year was exceptional, and I put on record my thanks to them.”
“Following on from the good work that was done on the wildfires strategy in the previous parliamentary session by Jim Fairlie and by Siobhian Brown, the former Minister for Victims and Community Safety, a great deal of work is being done on prevention.”
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“That has not really been mentioned in the debate, but people are finding that there can be a bill associated with that. Too many consumers are already in energy and other consumer debt due to the cost of living crisis, and they should not have to deal with any additional anxieties as a result of a decision that is not theirs. Rachael Hamilton: When I talked about remedial works, I meant rewiring. That is what I was talking about. Gillian Martin: Right. Thank you. We have asked for a fund to support consumers who are in that position, and we have called on Ofgem, the UK Government and industry to make urgent progress. Dr Allan wrote to them recently about that, but I am not entirely sure what response he has had to date. It might be in the works. I will say a few words on resilience planning.”
“Christine Grahame: In taking all reasonable steps to ensure that customers are no worse off, should there be a discount on the bill if, to use my example, white metering means that customers will pay more than they paid under the old metering system? Should there be a discount on their bill, once it has been compared with previous bills? Gillian Martin: My reading of suppliers being mandated to “take all reasonable steps to provide a tariff that leaves the consumer ‘no worse off’” is that it involves exactly what Christine Grahame has just outlined. I will take away the testimony of all members today, to test it with Ofgem and suppliers. It is also unacceptable to expect customers to pay for the expense of rewiring, which I have heard has happened in a few cases.”
“Ariane Burgess, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Emma Harper and many others mentioned that it should be a given that nobody becomes financially worse off as a result of the switch-over. I was going to say that I am pleased that our calls for suppliers to be mandated to “take all reasonable steps to provide a tariff that leaves the consumer ‘no worse off’ than under their existing arrangement” have been heeded. We had been told that that will happen; however, today, I am hearing from members that there is doubt about that. I will take that away and make sure that we are getting the right information. If we are getting the right information, that must be communicated to members and to the many— Christine Grahame: Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention? Gillian Martin: Yes, I will.”
“I understand from Energy UK that agreement has now been reached to allow the use of that technology, which will support many more rural and island customers to access the WAN. Members will welcome our investment in the 4G infill programme to proactively address poor network coverage. As I mentioned in the same intervention, we have activated 55 4G masts to fill those gaps. I am pleased that Pam Duncan-Glancy has taken part in the debate and given an urban perspective. She made the point that it is not only the areas that have connectivity problems that have an issue; there is a wider issue due to the lack of engineers going out. To my knowledge, there are no problems with digital connectivity in Glasgow, yet there are still issues with people getting smart meters installed there.”
“An attempt was made, but the company did not phone back and the work was not done. The Data Communications Company, or DCC, controls the digital energy infrastructure for Great Britain and it collects and shares smart meter data with energy suppliers via the wide area network, or WAN. I agree with Beatrice Wishart that it is wholly unfair that people in significant swathes of Scotland have been unable to connect to this smart meter network. We believe that penalties should also be applied to the DCC for failing to deliver coverage across every part of the country. In my intervention on Tim Eagle, I meant to say that, for areas in Scotland that do not have coverage, we have been calling for the use of cellular technology to access the smart meter network. Christine Grahame also mentioned that in her speech.”
“Some people think that they have arranged an upgrade but the engineers do not turn up or, if they do, they are insufficiently trained to upgrade the meter in question. Elena Whitham gave the example of engineers turning up and being surprised by what they find in front of them and not knowing what to do. That is absolutely unacceptable. Companies must not be allowed to use the loophole of saying, “We took reasonable steps.” I heard from one person that they were on the phone, thinking that they were arranging for someone to come round to change over their meter, but, when they were asked about parking and access to their home, all of a sudden, there was a problem, because two engineers would be needed. The company said that they would phone back, but they never did. Would the reporting mechanism show that an attempt was made?”
“The number of meter upgrades that are outstanding is completely unacceptable, because Ofgem and the companies that have to replace the meters have known for years what was going to happen. We make that view clear at every opportunity. The Acting Minister for Climate Action, Alasdair Allan, wrote to the UK Government to seek penalties for suppliers that fail to replace RTS meters with fully functional or pre-programmed smart meters by June this year. I am pleased to say that Ofgem has listened and that, once refreshed licence conditions are in place, it will take compliance action against suppliers that fail to take reasonable steps to upgrade meters on time. However, I am a little nervous, because I have heard examples of situations, including in my constituency, in which people have been unsuccessful in arranging a meter upgrade.”
“I will cover some issues on which I thought that we had certainty, but I am not sure that that has been communicated, so I or Dr Allan will have to seek confirmation. We are taking the issue extremely seriously and are playing a full and proper part in raising awareness to protect households. Rachael Hamilton: An issue that I did not get to in my speech is the fact that some of the remedial works are not being covered. Could the Scottish Government help with the process, given its responsibilities in relation to fuel poverty? Gillian Martin: As I said, Ofgem is responsible for the process, and the responsibility to replace the meters lies with the energy companies. We have called for certain protections to be put in place, some of which I will outline. I hope that that will be of help to Ms Hamilton.”
“Like other members, I begin by thanking Beatrice Wishart for securing a debate on the hugely important issue of the RTS switch-off. Members will know that energy infrastructure is reserved to the UK Government and that the actions of suppliers are regulated by Ofgem. That means that the Scottish Government has extremely limited powers to intervene, but it does not mean that we are not communicating. I have a whole page that lists the times when the Deputy First Minister, the Acting Minister for Climate Action and I have engaged with Ofgem on all the issues that have been mentioned in the debate, and we will continue to do so. I thank Pam Duncan-Glancy, who asked me to make that pledge.”
“Similarly, I call on the SNP Government, which has devolved responsibility for rolling out broadband infrastructure, to ensure that there are no more delays to these vital upgrades. 18:19”
“I was not even trying to make a particularly political point; I was simply making the point that people in the Western Isles have not seen any upgrades in that respect, and good broadband is required for some of the meter upgrades. Across my region—and this is a further answer for the minister—more than 21,000 premises have yet to receive an upgrade, including more than 3,400 in Moray. It is evident that many households and businesses will not meet the June 2025 deadline, and many people could, as a result, face an energy cliff edge. I call on the UK Government and Ofgem to consider a delay to the switch-off date so that households across Scotland, including in rural and island communities, can catch up.”
“Will the member take an intervention? Tim Eagle: I think that I have time, so yes. Gillian Martin: I was not expecting to talk about R100 today, but I should say that we have activated 55 4G masts in areas where economic factors and challenges would have made that otherwise unlikely. Those areas would never have had those upgrades had it not been for the R100 programme. Does the member accept, therefore, that if we had not undertaken the R100 programme, we would be talking about an awful lot more constituents with connectivity issues? Tim Eagle: I am talking not about what has been done but about the fact that the programme has not been rolled out according to the deadline that the SNP promised.”
“Professor Graeme Roy, who is the chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission, said: “not responding to the challenge of climate change ... will be far more expensive and damaging to the public finances than investing in net zero ... it is simply not an option.” There is no small task in front of us, but through the considered action and commitment of this Government, and with the support from this Parliament and the public, we will set Scotland on the correct course for a healthier future. The Presiding Officer: The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the next item of business. I would be grateful if all members who wish to put questions were to press their request-to-speak buttons now.”
“That will be one that takes the public with us, leaving no one behind. That will be followed by a new climate change plan, which will outline our policies and proposals for reducing emissions between 2026 and 2040. We will introduce that shortly after the carbon budget secondary legislation has been approved. The scale of change that is needed for the next part of our journey is significant, but that also comes with significant benefits for our communities. Delivering our ambitious climate targets will transform our economy and society, and they will be underpinned by sustained public and private investment in infrastructure. A net zero Scotland is one that is more resilient to global shocks and weather events, and has a growing economy with high-value job opportunities.”
“We will soon be setting out our proposed emissions trajectory to 2045, based on five-year carbon budgets, through secondary legislation to amend the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. Tomorrow, our independent advisers on the Climate Change Committee will publish advice on what they believe those carbon budget levels should be. We will carefully consider the committee’s advice before introducing regulations to set Scotland’s carbon budget levels. That will include consideration of the target-setting criteria that is set out under the act and an assessment of whether the pace of decarbonisation is appropriate for people, sectors and businesses across Scotland. The carbon budgets that are proposed via secondary legislation will provide an achievable pathway to net zero in 2045.”
“The Climate Change Committee has advised many times that it “cannot see a route to Net Zero that does not include CCS.” Today, we have also published the annual update to the Scottish nitrogen balance sheet, which tracks how efficiently nitrogen is used in Scotland. That can help to identify further opportunities for improvement and supports in our progress towards net zero, given that nitrogen is our third most prevalent greenhouse gas. Scotland continues to be ahead of the UK as a whole in delivering long-term emissions reductions, but the year ahead will be critical in setting us on the path to net zero in 2045. I am confident that we will continue leading on climate action that is fair, ambitious and capable of rising to the emergency that is before us.”
“However, despite all that progress, it is important to note that the UK Government holds key policy levers with which to deliver the net zero future that will make our lives healthier, our communities more resilient and, indeed, tackle fuel poverty at the same time as reducing harmful emissions. I once again call on the UK Government to act in a number of ways. It is essential that the UK Government provides certainty in the upcoming spending review, so that all investors can continue their work on developing the Acorn carbon capture and storage project. Carbon capture and storage is vital for a just transition.”
“In addition, we have brought into force the new- build heat standard, published a draft transport just transition plan and put reforms in place for tackling agricultural emissions. We also launched an emerging energy technologies fund, committing £80 million of funding to support the development of carbon capture and storage and negative emissions technologies in Scotland. In our programme for government, which we published at the start of the month, we committed to getting rid of ScotRail peak rail fares, to encourage commuters to use public transport; extending our nature restoration fund and establishing statutory targets to improve biodiversity; banning the supply and sale of single- use vapes by 1 June; and introducing our heat in buildings bill by the end of this parliamentary term. Scotland is halfway to net zero.”
“In the four years since the last climate change plan was finalised, we have extended free bus travel, which now benefits more than 2.3 million people, published the landmark Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 and introduced a ban on the supply and manufacture of certain problematic single-use plastic items, including single-use cutlery, plates, food containers and more. We have also fully allocated the £30 million electric vehicle infrastructure fund, which is expected to deliver around 6,000 additional public charge points by 2030. Further, we have created more than 15,000 hectares of new woodland in 2023-24, which is the highest level of woodland creation for 34 years, and we have committed to restoring more than 10,000 hectares of peatland in 2024-25, with an ambition to restore at least 14,000 hectares of peatland in 2025-26.”
“This year’s progress report shows that, out of 43 policy indicators, 16 are on track and 17 are off track, and it is too early to say for the other 10. First, it is important to note that we do not believe that the off-track indicators in the report jeopardise our ability to reach our ambitious goal of net zero by 2045—five years ahead of the rest of the UK. However, we should all investigate and understand the reasons why we are off track in those areas and ramp up action, whether that is as parliamentarians, industry, the public and private sectors or as citizens, because it is the responsibility of us all. We are fully committed to taking decisive action to ensure that we get back on track and make meaningful progress towards our goal.”
“The purpose of today’s statement is to update the Parliament on the progress on our most recent climate change plan, which was updated in 2021. Today, the Scottish Government published its fifth annual statutory monitoring report for the updated climate change plan. I will be able to answer questions on the report, which tracks progress on up to 200 ambitious policies that are outlined in the existing climate change plan, utilising a robust monitoring framework. The framework sets a series of policy indicators for each outcome of the plan—a specific measurable indication of progress. The Scottish Government then reviews each policy indicator against the most recent data that is available and assesses each indicator to establish whether it is on track or off track or whether it is too early to say.”
“Research by world- leading experts, including the world’s economic watchdog, the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development, shows that taking strong action to tackle the climate crisis and investing in transitions away from the causes of climate change will increase countries’ economic growth as well as making our environment healthier. Concerningly, climate change scepticism is gaining traction in public, parliamentary and media discourse, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that climate change is an existential threat. Anti-climate rhetoric presents a serious challenge to our ability to deal with the crisis, and it is something that we must confront collectively and constructively in this Parliament and across our society.”
“Members across the chamber will agree with me when I say that a Scotland that is damaged irreparably by the effects of climate change and nature loss is not a Scotland that any of us wants to see. Climate change is not a far-off concern; it is a reality, and its effects are already being felt in our everyday lives and the lives of our constituents. It is a reality that includes more violent storms, such as storm Éowyn earlier this year; more severe droughts; wildfires such as those that we are seeing right now in Moray and have seen recently in Arran and West Lothian; and life-changing floods. Climate change is not a figment of our collective imagination. Polling shows that the majority of Scots believe that climate change is an urgent problem and agree on the importance and magnitude of the task at hand.”
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“I have taught my kids to take a plastic bag with them when they take the dog down to the beach and to do their bit incrementally by picking up the bits of litter that they find. If we all do that, it will become socially unacceptable for people to litter. Not only will people be going to beaches and playing their part incrementally, but they will be showing that they care about the environment. The more that people do that, the more that other people will see it and I am confident that that will be part of a change in behaviour. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate. Meeting closed at 18:50. This is the final edition of the Official Report for this meeting. It is part of the Scottish Parliament Official Report archive and has been sent for legal deposit.”
“The grey water that might have to go out through a sewage overflow actually protects homes and prevents any backup going into them and is only a small fraction of what is in the water system. I am pleased with the work that Scottish Water is doing, which is testament to the fact that we have a publicly owned water company and that all its profits go back into programmes such as the rolling out of dynamic overflow detection systems throughout the country. A lot depends on human behaviour, so I will end by talking about volunteers, who have been mentioned throughout the debate. The people who organise or go on litter picks are worth their weight in gold, but no one has to wait for an organised litter pick to be able to play their part.”
“I will talk briefly about wet wipes and take the opportunity to put on record that the issue comes not only from the plastic wet wipes that we will be banning, but from all wet wipes. Even the ones that do not contain plastic take a long time to degrade, and that is not acceptable. That fits in with Ben Macpherson saying that people do not know they are doing something wrong: all wet wipes, even the non-plastic ones, cause major problems for the sewage system because they take so long to break down and can create blockages. People should particularly think about what they put down the loo, rather than assuming that it is acceptable to flush a wet wipe that contains no plastic. Sewage-related debris continues to be a challenge. The point about having a sensible conversation about sewage overflows was well made.”
“What is your view on litter bins being available at roadsides? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I may have a view on that, but I am not going to share it and will ask the cabinet secretary to answer. Gillian Martin: I would, of course, be very interested in your view on that, Deputy Presiding Officer. There are pros and cons to that and I cannot give a fully rounded opinion in the time that I have. There can be an issue with the seagull population when there are open bins, but I am also acutely aware that people are inconvenienced if there is no bin nearby. Most of the litter we are talking about is caused by people not even stopping to look for a bin. The cause is human behaviour and people thinking that it is acceptable to roll down their car window and chuck a bag out. The point is well made.”
“I am pleased to be able to say that there is, in general, a four-nations approach to that and I hope that we will remove many hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles and cans from our roads and beaches when that goes ahead. I will say a little about wet wipes in particular. Finlay Carson: I wonder what your view is. We are very lucky in Dumfries and Galloway, because our towns and villages are well looked after by the people who live there. However, as I said in my contribution, litter on the A75 is a big part of what ends up in our seas. What is your view on the removal of roadside bins? There are two ideas about that: one is to let people leave their litter in bins and make it someone else’s responsibility; the other is not to have bins but to encourage people to take their litter home.”
“It is better to reduce the amount of litter by making it socially unacceptable for people to drop it or to throw it out of their cars. Many people have mentioned the regulations regarding single-use plastics, including those on plastic-stemmed cotton buds and the introduction of the carrier bag charge. Rhoda Grant mentioned the 90 per cent reduction in bag use, and I look forward to seeing that happen with plastic bottles and cans on our beaches. As Mark Ruskell said, change was supposed to happen in March last year. I should be standing here saying that we have seen a marked difference since the implementation of the DRS, but we have lost a year or more.”
“If somebody is dropping litter, I would like the people who are with them to say, “Hey, don’t drop that here. Pick it up and put it in a bin’’. The same should apply if someone in a car opens the window and throws out a drinks container, or—as I see in my constituency, and I will not be alone in this—throws out wholesale a burger carrier bag with all their empty food cartons in it. In my constituency, on the Aberdeen western peripheral route, there are signs about how many bags of litter have been collected each month. It is absolutely appalling. Human behaviour is important. What we do here in making regulations is only part of the solution and it is better if we do not have to be punitive or to put those measures in place.”
“I join members in thanking the Marine Conservation Society and its volunteers, and I congratulate them on their commendable efforts over many years, not only to remove litter from Scotland’s beaches but, as Rhoda Grant pointed out, to give us vital intelligence on what is washing up on our beaches. That has informed policy. If we know what the problem is and its scale, we can look at how to address it. That data really helps. Our marine litter strategy and our “National Litter and Flytipping Strategy” drive forward that work to reduce litter. Many members have mentioned human behaviour. In particular, I was struck by what Ben Macpherson and Finlay Carson said about littering from cars. As Ben Macpherson said, we must make littering socially unacceptable, in the same way that other things are socially unacceptable.”
“I have really enjoyed listening to the debate. If I am not in my favourite place, on the front benches in the chamber, I like to be in my second favourite place—the beach. I come from a coastal constituency, and the beach is my happy place. I know that I speak for many people in that regard. I am very pleased to be responding on behalf of the Scottish Government to the debate. I thank Kenny Gibson for lodging the motion. I recognise that, in his constituency, we have some of the most spectacular coastal areas in the whole of Scotland, and we are doing great conservation work. In particular, I point to Lamlash Bay and the no-take zone. I believe that David Attenborough mentioned it in his new film. I am yet to see it, but I have it on my list for the weekend.”
“Gillian Martin: Is the Acorn project up and running because of the Conservative Government? The answer is no. It was abandoned by the Tories when they were in power—”
“My UK partners also know of my disappointment and dismay, after many months of cautiously accepting that the UK Government would not step in to save the Grangemouth refinery, that it intervened very swiftly to save Scunthorpe. Do not get me wrong: it was right for the UK Government to do so for Scunthorpe and that community, but why is there a different approach for Scotland’s only refinery? Then came the news that carbon capture projects in the north of England would get £21.7 billion-worth of funding, which is good news for the sector. We need all the carbon capture, utilisation and storage capacity that we can get. But what about the Acorn project and the Scottish cluster? It was abandoned by the Tories when they were in power and now, it is in danger— Stephen Kerr: Abandoned!”
“Given the adverse effects of EPL on jobs and investment, the UK Government should be considering the earliest possible end date to avoid more decisions such as that taken by Harbour Energy. Similarly, the First Minister has called consistently on the UK Government to work with us to extend the life of the Grangemouth refinery until the opportunities presented by project willow are live. That would have been a tangible demonstration of support for the workforce and the community. I have been working well with the UK Government on progressing project willow. Our joint working has been fruitful, and 60 companies have come forward to express an interest in the site.”
“Harbour Energy has said that its decision to cut jobs is largely down to the UK Government’s energy profits levy. The Deputy First Minister met with the company last week, and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government met industry stakeholders today, to discuss the impacts of the EPL. The EPL was introduced as a supposed temporary measure by the former Conservative UK Government. Douglas Lumsden: Will the member take an intervention? Gillian Martin: I would like to make some progress, Deputy Presiding Officer—[Interruption.] It would be good to do so without being heckled. The EPL was introduced as a supposed temporary measure by the former Conservative UK Government, and was further extended by that Government and now by the Labour Government.”
“The energy transition is at the heart of Scotland’s economic growth potential as well as our response to global climate change, and it is vital to our energy security. Our oil and gas workforce really does give us an advantage over other countries in that energy transition. Even if it were not an existential imperative for us to decrease our reliance on the burning of fossil fuels in our daily lives, the maturity of the North Sea basin is a fact that must propel our sector to pivot to secure future energy opportunities in Scotland for decades and into future generations. It is not a case of having oil of gas over here and renewables over there—it is a whole energy sector, with oil and gas companies also holding licence options in Scotland, as members will know.”
“On that basis, in her discussions with the rural affairs secretary, will the cabinet secretary ensure that the Scottish Government will not simply walk away without recognising and addressing the unique challenges and opportunities that rural businesses and tourism and hospitality businesses in Galloway face? Gillian Martin: As Mr Carson knows, there was a thorough and comprehensive consultation process—5,000 consultation surveys were completed and more than 30 consultation events were held across the area covered by the proposals, with more than 1,000 people attending. The rural affairs secretary has to look at the results of the consultation and take them seriously. An awful lot of information is included in the consultation, and she will advise the Parliament when she is ready to do so.”
“There have been significant issues, including a perceived bias and a lack of any detail on how a Galloway national park would or could be different from the two existing national parks, given the area’s hugely important dairy farming, forestry and renewables sectors. That has resulted in mistrust and divisions within communities, which will take years to heal. We have heard that the Scottish Government has now received the consultation report from NatureScot and that it is currently considering it. The Government promised that the report would be published, but it has not been, and constituents will have to wait until the end of June for the Government to respond with its decision. It is my understanding that there is not a majority in favour of the national park proposal and that a full designation order is unlikely to be made.”
“The Scottish Government received NatureScot’s report on the Galloway and Ayrshire national park proposal on Monday 5 May. We will now carefully consider the outcome of the consultation and NatureScot’s advice on the proposal before taking any further decisions. That will include full consideration of the potential environmental, social and economic impacts. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands will update the Parliament on the next steps before recess, subject to parliamentary business. Finlay Carson: Biodiversity, the natural environment and landscapes are, of course, key factors when it comes to designating any new national parks. Economic sustainability and growth are also critical considerations. The designation process in Galloway has been less than satisfactory.”
“We have already removed several barriers to enable greater deployment of solar across Scotland, particularly on the roofs of buildings. We will shortly publish our solar vision, which will outline further work that we are undertaking. Although matters relating to the regulation and operation of the electricity system are reserved, we continue to engage closely with the UK Government and NESO on their plans for the Great British Energy system. Nursery Mothballing (National Guidance) 3.”
“However, the current disparity in TIA thresholds—the threshold is only 200kW in Scotland, compared with the proposed threshold of 5MW in England and Wales—makes it easier and cheaper to connect projects south of the border. Can the cabinet secretary outline the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that solar is not left behind in Scotland, that it has a clear and growing role in our energy mix and that it can reach its full potential to help Scotland to continue to lead the way on clean energy and benefit fully from the transition to renewables? Gillian Martin: We recognise the importance of energy that is generated from solar in contributing to the decarbonisation of our energy supply in Scotland and to our just transition to net zero.”
“The Scottish Government regularly engages with key energy stakeholders, including Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator and transmission operators, along with our counterparts in the UK Government, to ensure that transmission infrastructure delivers for Scotland. That includes exploration of the transmission impact assessment threshold and consideration of the impact that that has on energy users in Scotland. Stephanie Callaghan: Solar Energy UK recently published a report that showed that solar and battery projects could contribute more than £5 billion in gross value added to the UK economy by 2035 if the sector continues to grow. For Scotland to secure its fair share of those economic benefits, it must remain attractive to investors.”
“A £3.1 million grant to Storegga’s Speyside hydrogen project in Moray is developing clean energy to help to decarbonise the whisky industry. I am immensely proud that our iconic whisky industry is one of the first movers in adopting that technology, which I think we will see happening at pace. Via the just transition fund, £6 million is also going to HydroGlen, which is a green farming pilot in Aberdeenshire. Additionally, the H100 project in Fife, a hydrogen for home heating trial that is run by Scotia Gas Networks and is the first of its kind in the world, is soon to commence. It is supported by £6.9 million in Scottish Government funding.”
“The first hydrogen allocation round—HAR1—delivered funding to two early Scottish projects—Cromarty hydrogen project and Whitelee wind farm—both of which are targeting production in 2026. A further eight Scottish projects, which were shortlisted last month in the HAR2 funding round, provide a significant boost to our progress on production capacity. Six Scottish projects have been boosted by capital funding awards from the UK net zero hydrogen fund. In addition to the UK Government’s support, the Scottish Government has invested £30 million in the hydrogen sector. That includes £7 million in grants to 31 projects across Scotland via the hydrogen innovation scheme. That has been driving advances in renewable hydrogen production, storage and distribution and the innovation that is associated with that.”
“Our hydrogen action plan and green industrial strategy dovetail to set out clear actions that will establish a thriving hydrogen economy in Scotland. Despite changing global conditions, we are firmly in delivery mode. We are not wavering from that ambition, and we have already made significant progress. We have a growing pipeline of more than 100 hydrogen production projects that are at varying stages of development, the majority of which are green hydrogen production projects. Those projects provide confidence in the future growth of the hydrogen economy in Scotland. The UK Government’s hydrogen allocation rounds—HARs—are a vital mechanism for supporting low-carbon and renewable hydrogen production across the UK and providing revenue support to bridge the gap between clean hydrogen and fossil fuels.”
“We are determined that no community—particularly not the ones that have powered our economy for generations—will be left behind as we move away from the burning of fossil fuels towards a low-carbon energy system. We are working to build a hydrogen economy in which the benefits of our energy transition are shared and that harnesses the full potential of our skilled workforce and world-class industries, both of which are the envy of neighbouring countries, as well as the natural resources that Scotland is so lucky to have. Our hydrogen action plan offers a pathway to decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors. It can balance our power system, improve our energy security and, at the same time, secure high-quality jobs in our communities.”
“That ambitious target reflects our determination not only to lead by example in the UK and Europe in our response to the climate emergency, but, critically, to harness the vast economic opportunities that an energy transition presents for Scotland. The global shocks that we have experienced since 2022—geopolitical instability, energy market disruption caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the urgent drive towards energy security in Europe—have only underscored the need to work together in Scotland, across the United Kingdom and with our international partners, particularly in continental Europe, to bolster our energy security. A just transition remains at the heart of our approach.”
“Colleagues, today’s debate on Scotland’s hydrogen future is important, and I am pleased to open it. Hydrogen stands as a critical pillar of Scotland’s route to net zero by 2045. Alongside the development of offshore wind capacity, it is one of Scotland’s greatest industrial opportunities since the discovery of oil and gas in the North Sea. I will set out some of the progress that we have made to further develop the sector, the challenges that we still face and need to overcome, and why collaboration across Governments, sectors and borders will continue to be absolutely essential if we are to realise our hydrogen ambitions for Scotland and those for the whole of the United Kingdom. As I have said many times, Scotland is committed to the target of reaching net zero by 2045.”