Chamber and committees

Good morning, cabinet secretary. Scotland has adopted a suite of definitions that is different from those that England, Wales and Northern Ireland use. Why is that the case, out of interest?

I have a brief question. Mike Robinson, you said that the private sector will respond more quickly to the situation. What ought Governments to do to get out of the way of the private sector providing that innovation and/or to promote it doing that? For example, should the Government provide a stable long-term investment environment?

Yes, I am grateful.

It is important to follow the science. If we accept that, by 2050, there will still be a major demand for oil and gas in the UK, as the Climate Change Committee has said, what does the science suggest that we do to satisfy that demand while minimising the climate impact?

Thank you for that. I put the same question to Mike Robinson, and I might add to it. In addressing the question, Professor Reay has, in effect, equated the oil and gas industry with jobs and energy generation. However the Climate Change Committee says that there will still be demand for oil and gas in 2050, not just because of energy generation but because of the uses of oil and gas in plastics and so on. The fact is that we are still going to need oil and gas in 2050.

Going back to the question that Professor Reay alluded to, where will we get that from? We will either get it locally or import it, as Professor Reay pointed out. What does the science suggest is the best way to minimise the climate impact until 2050?

I want to pull back a little from that point. Professor Skea, in your answer to Collette Stevenson’s question you talked about ambitions, barriers and challenges. Many of those are not new. Is there sufficient planning and strategy in the Scottish Government’s approach? Does that approach both acknowledge the challenges and, crucially, address how we can achieve what we all wish to achieve?

Good morning. I wish to pick up on the second question that the convener asked. In your opening remarks, Ms Mehra, you said that targets will remain paper tigers unless Parliaments enact them. How great is the influence of the market here? Is it not the case that Governments and Parliaments can do only so much, and that what will ultimately decide success or failure are things such as investment decisions by businesses and consumer choices and behaviours? If that is accepted, how do we as a Parliament drive those changes in investment decisions and consumer behaviours?

That is very interesting.

I have a question off the back of Monica Lennon’s questions. The Scottish Government was planning to start an energy company. Did Ofgem see those plans? Does Ofgem take a view on whether the Scottish Government’s energy company would have achieved on its duty of reducing prices to consumers?

The Scottish Government is now proposing an energy agency. What impact do you foresee that agency having? Will it achieve all that an energy company could achieve in both prices and decarbonising the energy system?