Chamber and committees

Mark Ruskell, you wanted to come in.

Does Cornilius Chikwama want to add anything to that?

Good morning, and welcome to the 27th meeting in 2024 of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. Under agenda item 1, does the committee agree to take item 3, which is consideration of the evidence that we will hear this morning on the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill, in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Okay, but the 2045 target remains the same, so it appears that we are going to have to ramp everything up. Is that right? Is that your feeling?

That is perfect. I call the deputy convener.

That was a very nice segue back to the subject area—well done.

The deputy convener wishes to come in.

Welcome back after that short break. We have just a few questions to go.

For those who have been waiting for Jackie Dunbar’s questions, they are next. Jackie—you are on.

Let me push you slightly on that point. Should we state, or try to state, in the legislation that the Government is introducing that the climate change plan must be fully costed, so that people know where they are going? Surely, setting out a management plan without knowing how much it will cost in pounds, shillings and pence ain’t gonna work, is it?

I am a great one, certainly in business, for setting out milestones that are achieved each year. We are setting out milestones for a five-year budget and the Government is proposing that there is annual reporting. The fact that there are no defined milestones suggests that it would be difficult for people to identify where we are at, apart from taking a subjective view on whether we would reach the five-year point.

What Cornilius Chikwama just said slightly worries me, in the sense that the report will not be published until two years after the five-year budget term has concluded. At the moment, it is set up so that it will come out at what I will rudely call the fag end of the parliamentary session, or not even that—it will be available only in the next parliamentary session, so we will not be able to hold the Government to account on it. Do you see there being problems with that under the bill?