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As someone who has an all-electric house, I am well aware of the bills. Although I would like to see others move in the same way as I have done, it is difficult to tell folk who are on their uppers that they should do that. That is one challenge. In order for us to meet our climate change targets, we need that change at the UK level.

I will move on to another challenge. Those of us from the north-east have looked at carbon capture and the Acorn project, and carbon capture features in the draft plan. How difficult would it be for us to achieve our targets if carbon capture is not resourced by the UK Government and does not become a reality?

For my third point, you probably think that I am going to weigh in on hydrogen, as I normally would, but I will not. I am trying to tease out what our challenges are. Obviously, we all want us to deliver, but the UK Government also has challenges when it comes to meeting its climate change targets and, in some areas, it might be more difficult for that Government to do so than it is for us. Has there been discussion between the Scottish and the UK Governments about the UK Government changing some of the resourcing in order to help meet the targets in the UK as a whole? Investment in peatland restoration is an example. There is more peatland in Scotland than there is elsewhere in the UK. Peatland restoration could do a huge amount in reducing emissions—it is so helpful for that. Has there been discussion about the UK Government funding more of that, as doing so would actually help the UK Government to meet UK climate change targets?

We are beginning to conflate a number of things here, which is understandable. There were similar questions and discussions when the convener and I were in Aberdeen just a few weeks ago.

It would be extremely useful, not only for the committee but for others, to get a better sense of the global conventions for measuring all this, and to separate that from energy-security policy and other environmental policy areas. I wonder whether that could be provided in simple language, so that people can understand how all this is calculated.

Thank you.

As you have pointed out, cabinet secretary, it is always difficult to balance the books, but the just transition, which is close to my heart and yours, is something that we have to get right, particularly for the north-east of Scotland. Can the committee be assured that that investment will continue in the north-east to help with the just transition? Is the Scottish Government continuing to pressurise the UK Government in that area? Is there any ability to be more flexible with that funding to allow, for example, some revenue funding for community projects, in particular, which can make a real difference not only in the shift to net zero but possibly in securing future job opportunities?

I will ask a brief question, because I know that we are short of time. Does the fact that it involves a combination of resourcing, including financial transactions, give you more flexibility to shift that money about if the commercial opportunities arise?

Thank you.

On the point about creating better bus services, the concessionary fare scheme is scrutinised to the nth degree, and a fare cap is now being piloted in the Highlands and Islands. However, issues about reliability come up all the time. Would it be worth while having a pilot whereby we pick an area and consider bus priority measures and other things that can be done on reliability, so that we can see whether doing those would create the modal shift that we all want to happen?

The draft CCP predicts that there will be zero reduction in emissions from aviation and shipping until 2040, which is a fair while away. We have discussed the possibility of hydrogen for shipping, and I am sure that the Government will continue to push that. Obviously, consideration is already being given to what can be done on aviation.

An early way of reducing shipping emissions would be to look at what is happening at the port of Aberdeen, for example, where onshore charging, or shore-to-ship charging, is reducing emissions dramatically. The port has an ambition to become a net zero port in the near future. Is the Government looking at helping to enhance shore-to-ship charging? Is there any help from the UK Government with funding that approach, which would reduce emissions greatly? It would be particularly beneficial to ports that are in the middle of cities or towns, such as the port of Aberdeen.

10:15

The point that I am trying to get at is that a comprehensive pilot in one area might make the difference. So far, in certain places, there have been piecemeal measures that are unpopular with the public, such as the bus gates in Aberdeen, rather than there being priority measures right across the city. Would it be worth while having a pilot in one specific area to prove to the public that bus priority measures can work for everyone?