TO BE PUBLISHED June 2021
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference will be a timely opportunity to assess the next steps for climate change policy in Scotland.
The conference follows the recent publication of the Just Transition Commission’s final report, stating that Scotland’s transition to net-zero emissions by 2045 must be a ‘national mission with social justice at its heart’.
The report:
- recommends that The Scottish Government develop clear just transition roadmaps, and introduces more flexible skills and education system to meet the needs of a net zero society
- suggests that public sector finance can play a role in ensuring a just transition through directing public sector pension funds and business support towards ensuring companies align with net-zero goals
The conference also takes place as Scotland prepares to host COP26 in Glasgow with the Commission also recommending that in the new Parliament a Cabinet Secretary is made responsible for transition to net-zero and a national call for action is made at COP.
The discussion also follows The Scottish Government’s update in December to its Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero climate change plan and the First Minister recently announcing that The Scottish Government will set up a net zero leaders group in advance of COP to support state and regional governments in their climate ambitions and to provide support.
The conference will include a keynote address from the Just Transition Commission’s Chair, Professor Jim Skea and David Mallon, Head of Climate Change Policy and Implementation Unit, The Scottish Government.
The agenda will bring out latest thinking on:
- the pathway to a net-zero Scotland
- priorities for climate change adaptation
- securing a just transition in Scotland
- COP26 and Scotland’s role
The conference will be an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside a range of key policy officials who are due to attend from The Scottish Government, as well as Transport Scotland; BEIS; the British Consulate General; the Climate Change Committee; Defra; HSE; Natural England; and Transport for Wales.
The agenda
- Meeting the ambition for a net-zero Scotland by 2045 and key findings from the Just Transition Report
- Just Transition implementation - green jobs, sustainable change, and protecting local communities and economies
- Decarbonising Scotland’s energy system - renewables rollout, developing low-carbon heat, and managing transition across industry sectors and communities
- Addressing climate adaptation and resilience challenges for Scotland and the scope for nature-based solutions
- Agriculture and environmental protection - scaling up land resilience and implementation of nature-based solutions
- Flood preparedness and building collaboration across local and sectoral stakeholder groups
- Mitigating Scotland’s risk from extreme weather events and priorities for infrastructure development
- COP26 preparations - collaboration with key stakeholders and showcasing Scotland’s leadership in global climate policy
- Next steps for Scotland’s climate, energy and social policy, and supporting net-zero and green recovery
Key areas of discussion
- the pathway to a net-zero Scotland - looking at priorities and next steps for policymakers and industry in:
- decarbonisation - expanding onshore and offshore renewables, support for green businesses, and preparing for low-carbon electricity demand
- household energy efficiency - with discussion expected on:
- a pledge in the recently updated Scotland Climate Change Plan to create 1m zero-emission homes and 100,000 other buildings by 2030
- further commitments to accelerating retrofit and insulation rollout, fuel poverty policy and financial support, and developing Scotland’s heat network infrastructure
- energy-intensive industries - collaborating with offshore oil and gas stakeholders, and working towards transition and repurpose opportunities like hydrogen production
- climate change adaptation - what is needed to improve preparedness and tackle challenges across the natural environment, communities and industry:
- policy - clear messaging on next steps for reducing risk across society, business sectors and the ecosystem, and securing the engagement of natural and built infrastructure stakeholders
- agriculture and land use - financial challenges for rural stakeholders, low-carbon farming practices, and nature-based strategies such as peatland restoration and woodland creation
- flooding and extreme weather - scaling up risk identification and management activity, as well as local, coastal and industry collaboration, and large-scale infrastructure project delivery
- a just transition in Scotland - latest thinking on how goals around safeguarding society and the vulnerable can be combined with those of a green economic recovery following COVID-19:
- protecting and creating employment - sector-by-sector tailoring of support measures, preparing the economy for green industry growth, and widening training options across Scotland
- prioritising education and training - ensuring the workforce receives adequate support and can successfully adapt to changing employer demands
- safeguarding rural communities:
- identifying vulnerabilities and opportunities for addressing employment risks
- scaling up clean energy deployment for local management
- rolling out rural environmental protection
- ensuring small and rural communities receive the benefits of the transition, and are not unnecessarily burdened
- economic resurgence opportunities - latest thinking on policy design and long-term planning for key growth markets and clean industries in Scotland, dovetailed with post-pandemic economic recovery
- behavioural change and new ways of working - looking at investment and policy support in areas such as active travel options, efficient transport use, and support for connectivity and home working
- COP26 and Scotland’s role - demonstrating policy and target ambitions, international cooperation opportunities, and ensuring that key sectors and stakeholders can contribute and influence
A scan of relevant developments
- Just Transition Commission: advice on a green recovery - the Commission’s recently published final report, which sets out their key recommendations for Scotland’s transition to net-zero emissions, with an emphasis on skills and education and the aim of ensuring that Scottish communities benefit economically from the transition, recommendations include:
- creating a roadmap for an orderly net-zero transition which will generate new economic opportunities and benefits for people in every part of Scotland
- supporting the Scottish people throughout the transition by equipping them with the skills and education required to benefit from new opportunities
- empowering local communities to have a say in the net-zero transition, boosting social partnerships and local democracy
- using government intervention and public finance to boost community wellbeing, and ensure that the benefits and burdens of the transition are distributed in a fair and just manner
- the Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero: climate change plan 2018–2032 - the recent update by The Scottish Government, focusing on:
- policy measures needed for meeting the net-zero target and accelerating cross-sector decarbonisation, such as the launch of a £180m Emerging Energy Technologies Fund to support the development of Scottish hydrogen and carbon capture and storage over the next five years
- phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars, as well as pledges to reduce the distance travelled by cars by 20% by 2030
- latest thinking on the potential scope of institutional and financial mechanisms which can support the transition
- Scotland’s Energy Strategy Position Statement - a recently published summary of the Scottish Government’s the key energy goals and priorities for the near future which include:
- decarbonisation of heat and energy efficiency through continuing the roll out of current programmes such as Heat in Buildings capital funding
- renewed commitment to just transition
- renewed focus on local energy projects.
- Scotland’s Climate Change plan ‘doesn’t add up’ warn experts - concern from some surrounding the metrics used by The Scottish Government to predict future changes in emissions, and that the Government is over-relying on certain technologies, including carbon capture and hydrogen from fossil fuels
- Global Capital Investment Plan - recently published by The Scottish Government which sets out how it will attract investment to build a successful net zero economy
- Scottish Government funding and policy packages:
- £220m to help achieve net-zero - additional funding for the Scottish National Investment Bank aimed at green job creation
- the Green New Deal - with £1.6bn for developing jobs and skills in energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation, and helping energy-intensive industries across Scotland reduce emissions
- the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme and the Islands Green Recovery Programme
- the Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme - focused on building capacity for adaptation, nature-based solutions for land use, and infrastructure modernisation for protection against flooding and extreme weather events
- the CCC’s Reducing emissions in Scotland progress report - identifying priorities including an updated climate change plan, developing a net-zero aligned UK Emissions Trading System with other UK governments, low carbon heating, rural support, active travel, skill development, infrastructure resilience, and public engagement
- COP26 - being held in Glasgow in November, with the opportunity for demonstrating Scottish leadership on climate ambition and action, and for the summit to be a catalyst for international action
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons, and officials from The Scottish Government; Transport Scotland; BEIS; the British Consulate General; the Climate Change Committee; Defra; the Health and Safety Executive; Natural England; and Transport for Wales.
For this conference, we expect speakers and further attendees to be an informed group including Members of the Scottish Parliament, senior officials from the Cabinet Office, Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and relevant Scottish Government Directorates, as well as regulators and other agencies, representatives from local authorities and local government, the higher education and further education sector, business organisations, infrastructure developers, consultancies, lawyers, community groups, together with reporters from the national and trade media based in Scotland and elsewhere.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording and transcript to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
