3. To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will recommit to the leadership needed to tackle the climate emergency. (S6F-02266)

This Government absolutely will lead on that. As set out in the policy prospectus, I am absolutely committed to tackling the climate emergency, urgently and fairly. This week, we published our response to the United Kingdom Climate Change Committee’s annual report, accepting 98 of its 99 recommendations, with the other one being on a fully reserved matter.

Although it is, of course, disappointing that we have missed the 2021 greenhouse gas emission targets, so narrowly, that demonstrates that we are not far behind where those world-leading targets dictate that we should be. Our draft climate change plan, which will be published in November this year, will lay out how we will reduce emissions to meet future targets.

We will also deepen our global leadership on international climate justice, pushing for bold action across the world, advocating the human rights of those most impacted by climate change and supporting vulnerable communities through our climate justice fund.

I thank the First Minister for that considered answer. There is, of course, a consensus for deeper and more far-reaching action on the climate emergency. Scientists, campaigners and communities on the front line are demanding it, and the public mood is shifting. Most MSPs in the chamber—apart, of course, from the extremist and increasingly climate-denying Tories—know what must be done yet, too often, when action is proposed it gets drowned out by naysayers, defenders of business as usual and those who are content with watching the planet burn. Time is running out, so will the First Minister commit to a climate conversation later this year—[

Interruption

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The Presiding Officer:

Let us hear Mr Ruskell.

—bringing together those focused on action to speed up the journey to a greener, fairer future?

The First Minister:

We are committed to doing more than that. I am more than happy to take away consideration of the idea of a climate conversation or convention to bring together the appropriate stakeholders, because we know that, for the good of our planet, we have to go faster and put more urgency and pace behind the action that we are taking. That is why the Scottish Government has an enviable track record on making sure that we invest in our just transition and why we have an enviable record when it comes to ensuring that we unleash the potential of the green economy.

Mark Ruskell is absolutely right that, every time the Scottish Government brings forward proposals to tackle the climate emergency, there are far too many—across the chamber but particularly in the Conservative Party—who oppose our actions time and time again. We will continue with our commitment to that just transition to net zero and that unwavering £500 million fund, and I am more than happy to commit to a meeting, conversation or convention ahead of COP28—the 28th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—to discuss what more we can do to meet our climate ambitions. However, it is so important that we do not just talk the talk—[

Interruption

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The Presiding Officer:

Members!

The First Minister:

— but that, when the Scottish Government brings forward important interventions, they are not opposed time and time again by the climate-denying Conservative Party.

Given the cost of living crisis that is hitting both renters and home owners, and the urgent need to decarbonise our homes to meet our climate targets, how many homes will the Scottish Government’s funding help to retrofit this year? What lessons have been learned from last year’s failure to spend the allocated £133 million on refitting our homes to make them energy efficient and affordable to heat?

The First Minister:

I do not have the exact figures to hand, but I am happy for the appropriate minister to write to Sarah Boyack with the detail that she is requesting. It is so important that we reduce the emissions that come from heat in buildings, which is why the new standard was recently published, as we know that around 20 per cent of our emissions come from heat in buildings.

As well as investing in new buildings, we are committed to investing in retrofitting, which is an important issue. Of course, the issue does not just affect Scotland or the rest of the United Kingdom; the whole world will have to look at putting serious investment, both public and private, into retrofitting both residential and non-residential buildings.

We take the retrofitting issue seriously. The member will be aware of our heat in buildings bill, which we will introduce shortly. I ask all political parties to engage in it in the spirit of collaboration, because we know that, when it comes to tackling the climate emergency, we will all have to come together, particularly on issues around heat in buildings, in order to tackle the biggest threat that the planet faces.