Net Zero Pledges: EIR release

Information requested

You asked for answers to the following 6 questions on 'Net Zero Pledges':

Q1. What progress has been made in doubling the ‘Climate Justice Fund’ to £24 million as stated in the 2021 SNP manifesto?

Q2. How much has the Scottish Government invested to tackle the biodiversity crisis since May 2021?

Q3. How many recommendations form the Just Transition Commission have been implemented?

Q4. What progress has been made to have renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production capacity of at least 5GW by 2030? What is the production capacity as of the 1st January 2024?

Q5. What work has been done to explore the use of hydrogen trains as an alternative to dies and electrification? Have any pilot services been conducted or scheduled?

Q6. As of the 1st January 2024 what percentage of Scotland’s overall energy consumption is from renewable sources?

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exception(s) under regulation(s) 10 (4) (a) information not held, and , regulation 10(4)(e) (internal communications) of the EIRs applies to that information. The reasons why that exception(s) applies are explained below and in the Annex to this letter. These regulations apply to Question 3 and Question 6 of your request.

Below I have disclosed a copy of most of the information you have requested. The answers to your questions are as follows:

Question 1 Answer:

Subsequent to the 2021 SNP manifesto commitment, the Scottish Government committed at COP26 to increasing the Climate Justice Fund to £36 million to be spent over the course of this Parliamentary term.

Following on from the First Minister’s announcement at COP28 of a further £2 million for loss and damage in marginalised communities, £1 million to C40 for their Inclusive Action Programme and another £1 million to GiveDirectly for Malawi Loss and Damage Cash Transfers, the full £36 million of the Climate Justice Fund is now committed over the course of this Parliamentary term.

Question 2 Answer:

Government budgets achieve multiple overlapping outcomes and so it is not possible to distinguish clearly spending which is specifically directed towards tackling the biodiversity crisis. Rather, a wide range of Scottish Government spending addressing the biodiversity crisis both directly and indirectly alongside other outcomes.

The budget lines provided as a table in the Annex attached to this letter all contribute to tackling the biodiversity crisis. Taken together these budget lines amount to:

Budget bill	£m
2021-22 budget bill	264.7
2022-23 budget bill	276.0
2023-24 budget bill	304.6
2024/25 Draft Budget	275.6

For sight I have also provided online links to Scottish Government budgets from 2021 – 2025 that are readily available online and accessible to the public. The Scottish Budget for 2024 to 2025 was published on 19 December 2023 and is available here. The level 4 Scottish Government Budgets for 2021-22 & 2022-23 are published alongside the draft budget for 2022-23 and publicly available here. Level 4 Budgets with comparator figures 2022-22 – current financial year and forward plan are published alongside the draft budget for 2023-24 and publicly available here.

Question 3 Answer:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exception under regulations 10 (4) (e) of the EIRs applies to that information. The reasons why that exception(s) applies are explained in the Annex attached to this letter.

Question 4 Answer:

A portfolio of projects have come forward and are under various phases of development in Scotland including two projects – Whitelee (7MW) and Cromarty (15MW) – which have been shortlisted for Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 Funding from UKG. Production capacity of renewables and low carbon hydrogen as of January 1st 2024 is 3.3MW.

Question 5 Answer:

The Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Policy Statement sets out Scotland’s ambition to become a leading hydrogen nation, with an expectation that both battery electric and hydrogen systems assist in decarbonising transport in Scotland.

£3.5m Scottish Government funding was provided to convert a Class 314 train to a hydrogen fuel cell train in collaboration with St Andrews University and Scottish Enterprise which was displayed during COP26 in 2021, with trials on the track taking place during 2022. This also developed a local supply chain knowledge to support longer term zero emission fleets introduction.

Currently there are no pilot services scheduled.

Question 6 Answer:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Therefore, we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The reasons why that exception applies are explained below.

We do not hold the information to be able to provide a figure as at 1st January 2024. Currently we are expecting the last data to be able to compile the requested information towards the end of December 2025. However, this is dependent on data suppliers outside of Scottish Government and may change. The most up to date data we have as of 1st January 2024 is for 2021 and can be found on the Scottish Energy Statistics Hub.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

EIR 202400392748 - Information Released - Annex

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6 page PDF

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125.8 kB