1. To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding projects in Scotland that will contribute to meeting net zero targets. (S6O-02180)

Ministers and officials regularly meet UK Government counterparts to press for the action that is needed to meet net zero. For instance, I attend the monthly interministerial group for net zero, energy and climate change, alongside representatives of the Governments of the four nations.

The most recent meeting, which took place last week and which I chaired, was on the urgent need for grid infrastructure upgrades. That is one key area in which we are pushing for action, alongside transmission charging and progress on the Scottish Cluster. Those areas are critical to net zero. If the UK Government does not want to act on them, then it must devolve responsibility for those matters to the Scottish Parliament, so that we can.

Given that Andrew Bowie, Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, told the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee last week that he

“would be overwhelmingly delighted should Acorn be successful through the track 2 process” and that it was

“vital to Scotland’s 2045 net zero ambition ... that we get more carbon capture and storage on stream across the whole of the United Kingdom”,—[

Official Report

,

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

, 27 April 2023; c 10.]

does the cabinet secretary agree that it is vital that the UK Government finally delivers long overdue carbon capture funding for the Scottish Acorn project?

I agree with Jackie Dunbar that it is absolutely vital that the UK Government provides clarity on funding for Acorn and that the Scottish Cluster is part of track 2. It is inexplicable to all observers that Acorn was excluded from track 1. We urgently need a concrete timeline for track 2, instead of the vague commitments that have been given to provide further updates in the summer.

The fact of the matter is that we are in a climate emergency. Scotland is very fortunate to have natural resources to help us tackle it, but, while the UK Government has powers over our natural resources, we are at its will, and I am afraid that we are at risk of being left behind.

We all support the Scottish cluster, particularly the UK Government, which has provided more than £41 million in carbon capture funding. Given the sentiments that the cabinet secretary has expressed, can she tell the chamber how much of the £80 million that the Scottish Government promised to the Scottish Cluster in February last year, rounded to the nearest £1, has been paid over?

As ever, there is a large dose of irony and, I would have to say, hypocrisy in the questions that are coming from members on the Tory benches.

How much?

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

Members. Let us hear the answer.

The Government is investing heavily in supporting Scotland’s transition to net zero, not least with £500 million over 10 years through our just transition fund and £75 million through our energy transition fund. However, the member is challenging me to put a figure on investment in carbon capture, use and storage, when it is his party in Government down south that has failed to do what only it could do and prioritise Acorn for track 1 status. I will wait with bated breath for a date on the closure of track 2.