A National Mission with Local Impact: Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-22 to 2025-26

Chapter 4: Theme 1: Enabling the Transition to Net Zero Emissions and Environmental Sustainability

Some achievements from our last, 2015 Infrastructure Investment Plan

• The Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme has awarded over £52 million of grant funding to low carbon demonstration projects across Scotland which encourage replication and wider uptake of innovative renewable technology. 
• £42 million has been spent annually on flood protection to properties and businesses across Scotland including the £1 billion Dundee Waterfront.

Scotland's world leading legislation – The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 – set new, tighter targets to achieve net zero domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Interim targets are set for 2020, 2030 and 2040, for emissions reductions of 56%, 75% and 90% respectively, requiring action in all sectors. 

This will require transformative action across all sectors of the economy and across society. The Scottish Government's investment in publicly-funded infrastructure has a critical role to play in supporting the transition – committing to multi-year investments in this Plan sends a clear signal to supply chains to invest in people and technology, and help us deliver the net zero transition. But it is only a share of the effort, and cannot deliver such targets on its own. It also requires UK and international action, such as in reserved policy areas of energy and aviation. Regulation, resource investment, incentives, business and individual behaviour change all have roles to play.

We already invest £1.8 billion of capital each year in low carbon policies and programmes. Scottish Ministers have committed to increasing the level of spending by an additional £2 billion over the next five years. New schemes have already been announced in Programme for Government 2020, deploying £1.6 billion of this investment, and in the Climate Change Plan update^[30] with £400 million of additional schemes. This update set out a full range of emissions reduction policies to secure our net zero ambitions, including new policies and outlining where existing policies have been boosted or accelerated since the initial plan in 2018.

We know that 1 in 11 homes and 1 in 7 businesses in Scotland are already at risk of flooding and, on average, around 2,000 more properties will be at risk every year due to climate change. We have set out how Scottish Government will increase resilience to climate change and invest more in adaptation measures to protect our homes, businesses and places from flood risk. Investing in coastal change adaptation will help protect our natural defences which protect an estimated £10 billion worth of assets.

Scotland's natural capital is fundamental to our economy and our wellbeing. It supplies the energy and resources on which many industries depend and is the essence of our global brand. It supports our health and quality of life, providing the essentials we all need to survive and thrive, and protecting our communities from flooding and extreme weather. It plays a vital role in tackling climate change – removing carbon from the atmosphere and securing it in natural habitats. Natural areas or systems that are managed to provide multiple benefits for the environment and human wellbeing can be described as 'natural infrastructure'.

Investment in natural infrastructure creates significant opportunities for improving biodiversity and reducing emissions, while also creating jobs and a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits, including improved urban air quality and protection from flooding.

Case Study

Glenrothes Energy Network

In 2016, the Scottish Government's Low Carbon Transition Infrastructure Programme, which is co-funded by the European Development Fund provided £8.6 million of support to the Glenrothes Energy Network. The remainder of funding was provided by RWE and Fife Council. 

The project is utilising the heat loss from the RWE biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plant based in Markinch in an ambitious district heating network, which includes thermal storage and a back-up energy centre to supply low carbon heat to a wide range of local customers in the centre of Glenrothes. The Glenrothes Energy Network was officially opened on the 25 April 2019. It is successfully delivering low carbon heating to Fife House complex, Rothes Halls and the sheltered housing complex at Jubilee Grove.