Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you for setting out Scotland’s strength in our energy now and in the future. With that, convener, I pass back to you.

I want to ask about two issues, one of which is to do with your opening remarks, minister. In which areas is the Scottish economy vulnerable, and what measures are you taking to support it?

I very much appreciate your joining us today, minister. The issue of the Acorn cluster is critical, not only to Grangemouth, which is the subject of our inquiry, but to a just transition in the north of Scotland. You refer to maturity and infrastructure being key factors in your decision making. This project is the most mature and the most developed and it uses existing infrastructure. You make the argument that we cannot decarbonise Grangemouth without having the Acorn project and that, if we do not decarbonise Grangemouth, we will not meet our net zero targets. The third leg of that is that the Climate Change Committee has said that the UK and Scotland will not meet our net zero targets unless we have CCUS. That all leads to one place.

The issue then is the timescale, and you have talked about 2030. For Scotland to meet its targets, we need to start sooner than that. Will you be cognisant of the timing of this when talking to your colleague Lord Callanan about any final decisions?

The issue is around net zero targets for the UK, and you talked about 2030. For Scotland to meet its targets, we need to start on our carbon capture, utilisation and storage journey sooner than that. If that is the imperative, and the logic of your argument is that the Acorn project is well placed, will you, in your discussions with Lord Callanan—whom you said is the lead minister on this—emphasise that the timescale is critical to Scotland, and probably more so than to the rest of the UK, although it is critical to the UK as well?

We are interested in knowing what you are doing to help to support that shorter supply chain, not just in Scotland but in the wider economy.

Convener, I think that the minister’s connection has frozen again.

I welcome the fact that the economy and energy portfolios have been brought together. The consultation on the draft energy strategy and just transition plan closed yesterday. When do you expect to respond to the consultation? When will you publish the energy strategy and the just transition plan?

The renewables industry welcomed the draft, which focused on electricity. The criticism was that it was so broad that it captured everything that had been done to date. Previously, the strategy was about generation, so we should be in a position to look at what that means for delivery, surely. The draft talks a lot about potential, but will you assure us that the final strategy will be about delivery on that potential as opposed to a description of it?

Thank you.

We have finished on time, convener.

In our inquiry into a just transition, we have heard that there is a potential gap in jobs and skills, particularly for the supply chain. The contracts might not be realised for some time and we might not be able to scale up in time so, when demand emerges, it might have to be met internationally. There is a gap in the funding for the skills and jobs for the supply chain. How can that be filled?