Workshop 1 – all groups Highlands & Islands Enterprise

1. Workshop 1 – all groupsHighlands & Islands Enterprise • Reminder: all discussions will be recorded though non-attributable • Public bodies and local government play an extremely important role in tackling climate change because: • The public sector employs almost 24% of the Scottish workforce – local government employs 13% alone! • They sets and deliver policies which have a direct and indirect impact on emissions in communities • The Bill will create a framework for action for 4 decades – this is a long-term framework and will, hopefully, outlast this and many future administrations and, therefore, other single initiatives currently in place • The Bill can serve as a vehicle to introduce measures in the future – we may not need these measures currently and we can not anticipate the exact measures which will be needed, but using secondary legislation in the future can allow government to react quickly to changing circumstances while still ensuring parliamentary scrutiny • The Highlands and Islands have a very unique economy and many of its communities have particular challenges (and opportunities!) in relation to climate change – we want to know if there is a place in the proposed framework to take this into account

2. Workshop 1 – groups 1 & 3: Setting budgets • Possible factors to take into account when setting emissions budgets include: • Likely economic growth; • Likely population growth; • Likely technological progress; • Social impacts, including impact on rural areas; • Environmental impacts; • Impacts on the economy and business competitiveness; • International circumstances; • Scientific knowledge about climate change. • Examples of emission-intensive infrastructure include: fuel refining, transport, energy production • It is proposed that an independent body will provide advice to government on what level to set budgets at, based on the factors above; the UK Committee on Climate Change has been set up to provide that advice to the UK Government and the devolved administrations • Advice from the Committee on Climate Change will include broad advice on which sectors will be able to provide reductions and the basis for this advice will be published openly

3. Workshop 1 – groups 2 & 4: Holding government and the public sector to account • Consultation does not propose that a new scrutiny system on the Scottish Government should be created to compliment existing Parliamentary scrutiny but it does seek views on whether this is sufficient, what needs to be included in annual reports by the Scottish Government, and whether new functions be kept at arms-length from government (i.e. given to a public body) • No system of sanctions is proposed if government does not achieve targets or budgets • Enabling powers in the Bill would allow Ministers to create a duty on the public sector to take certain action on climate change – these have not been defined and there is no intention currently to use those powers – the creation of a new duty would be subject to further consultation

4. Workshop 2 – groups 1& 3 Measuring the target and unique issues 1) • The Greenhouse Gas Inventories measure emissions produced in Scotland; they are unlikely to show explicitly progress made in certain areas such as reducing energy demand, improving energy efficiency or increasing renewable electricity generation in Scotland (as Scotland is a net exporter of electricity and the grid is UK-wide) • An end-user inventory would take into account consumption of electricity, better taking into account reducing energy demand and renewable electricity generation • Separate targets could be given for energy demand and renewable electricity (where it is within devolved competence) but this would give Government less flexibility as to where to reduce emissions 2) See consultation document for further detail – if difficult, please skip • Excluding EU ETS effort: The disaggregated GHG inventory measures emissions produced in Scotland which means that for those installations that participate in the EU ETS there is no account taken of any allowances they buy and sell. • Including EU ETS effort: non-traded sectors would have to do more than their fair share to achieve the target

5. Workshop 2 – groups 2 & 4Unique issues for the Highlands and Islands • Possible factors to take into account when setting emissions budgets include: • Likely economic growth; • Likely population growth; • Likely technological progress; • Social impacts, including impact on rural areas; • Environmental impacts; • Impacts on the economy and business competitiveness; • International circumstances; • Scientific knowledge about climate change. • It is proposed that an independent body will provide advice to government on what level to set budgets at, based on the factors above; the UK Committee on Climate Change has been set up to provide that advice to the UK Government and the devolved administrations • Advice from the Committee on Climate Change will include broad advice on which sectors will be able to provide reductions and the basis for this advice will be published openly