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Electricity generation capacity in Scotland is currently around 16 GW, 12 GW (75%) of which is renewable power. The Scottish electricity system is considered secure, meaning it has enough secure supply capacity to meet peak demand.

The recent energy price crisis, which saw record electricity and gas prices in the UK, was predominately a result of tight gas supplies across the UK and EU. However, we are aware that low levels of electricity generation from renewables (20% reduction compared to the same period last year) contributed to the extent of the crisis as it increased the reliance on gas for power generation.

The Scottish Government believes that onshore wind has a significant role to play in both our future energy mix, and in our net zero ambitions and has launched a consultation on a draft Onshore Wind Policy Statement. This consultation will run until 21 October 2021 and can be accessed at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781802014990.

I welcome the report from the Climate Emergency Response Group and its emphasis on delivering action to tackle the climate emergency. The Scottish Government continues to work constructively with the Climate Emergency Response Group (CERG) on delivering the change required to end Scotland’s contribution to climate change within a generation. To that end, I have already met with CERG representatives to discuss their most recent report and its recommendations. On such matters, my officials continue to engage with the group on a regular basis.

I thank CERG for their continuous work offering recommendations to the Scottish Government and for their part in ensuring the climate emergency remains at the top of the political agenda.

Since the launch of the Young Person's Guarantee in November 2020, we have invested an additional £130 million which aims to provide at least 24,000 new and enhanced opportunities to support young people find and sustain employment.

The Guarantee is not a standalone programme and is building on our already significant investment into education, employability and skills. Therefore we are working with partners to produce a rigorous Measurement and Evaluation Framework that will support our understanding of the Guarantee's impact across a range of economic, education and equalities outcomes.

The framework will build upon a range of existing reporting mechanisms, including Skills Development Scotland's (SDS) Participation Measure, which recently reported a record annual participation measure figure , with 92.2% of 16-19 year olds participating in education, training or employment from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021. Other sources of information underpinning the framework include the regular reporting of Apprenticeships statistics from SDS and work completed by the Scottish Funding Council on Further/Higher Education provision.

As part of this work, we published the Guarantee's Key Performance Indicators on 28 July 2021 alongside the Implementation Progress Report . We also expect to shortly restart publications of the Local Authority Youth Labour Market Dashboard and Snapshot Participation Measure.

We will be announcing more details on the framework in the coming weeks.

The Scottish Government published a consultation on the Regulation of Electricians on 23 November 2020 which closed on 12 February 2021. An analysis of responses has been undertaken and report published on 23 March 2021. A link to the report, and submitted responses, where consent has been given to publish the response, can be found on the consultation webpage at http://consult.gov.scot/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/a-consultation-on-the-regulation-of-electricians .

The Scottish Government is currently considering its response to the consultation and key stakeholders will be updated in due course.

More widely, working with officials, the Electrical Contractors' Association of Scotland (SELECT) and the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) have introduced a new Single Certificate of Construction designed to help simplify the process of electrical certification in Scotland. The new multi-page document now combines all relevant certificates of construction and electrical installation, confirming that associated building warrant electrical work undertaken is fully compliant with all aspects of Scottish building regulations. Such work aims to improve efficiency and productivity across the industry as well as encourage greater use of certification schemes in Scotland.

Transport Scotland officials meet bus stakeholders, including both Stagecoach and First, on a fortnightly basis. This has recently included discussion on the impact of driver shortages on service provision. Bus operators receiving emergency COVID-19 funding are contractually obliged to run a range of pre COVID mileage, any deviation from which has to be agreed with Transport Scotland. They are also required to consult and cooperate with local transport authorities as to their service plans. These terms are set out in public service contracts with operators and a model contract is available on the Transport Scotland website at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/covid-19-support-grant/

COP26 presents a unique opportunity to empower and support individuals across Scotland to take collective action towards our net zero target.

In Glasgow, we have awarded £18,000 to support the COP26 Pop Up Climate Café Programme. Our funding will enable Climate Café and Climate Reality to host 18-22 events from 1 to 12 November. These will create informal and welcoming spaces in communities, workplaces and campuses to talk and act on climate. To extend the reach of the cafés, some events will be held virtually.

We have also provided up to £198,000 to Keep Scotland Beautiful to deliver the Scotland’s Climate Festival initiative, which Glasgow communities can apply to. This initiative will support communities across the country to plan and deliver their own local climate festivals. Between 35-40 festivals will be held, as well as a number of virtual online events, launching during COP26 and running to March 2022.

Furthermore, we have allocated almost £950,000 to support children and young people to engage at COP26. This includes funding events and initiatives that will be open to children and young people within Glasgow.

To enable greater access, we have provided around £8,000 funding for a digital platform which will allow the live-streaming of all Scottish Government events at Scotland’s Climate Ambition Zone and at Atlantic Quay. In addition, our fully-funded climate change website – Net Zero Nation – will be open to the general public enabling them to access live-streams of Blue Zone and other online events.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role that co-operative business models play in our economy and there is a significant and increasing interest in co-operative business models in Scotland.

Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) is the arm of Scottish Enterprise working in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise to support company growth through collaborative, co-operative and employee ownership business models. CDS raises awareness of the value of co-operative and employee ownership models, and provides specialist advice. Its services are integrated to those of Scottish Enterprise (SE), Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Business Gateway.

Scotland for EO is the industry leadership group for employee owned businesses in Scotland, established in 2018 to empower the employee owned sector to direct its own development. Led by industry working in partnership with the public sector, the group champions employee ownership in Scotland and drives industry-wide collaboration and alignment.

Co-operative business models including Trusts, Partnerships and Community Interest Companies have all been eligible for the Covid-19 financial support made available to support businesses impacted by restrictions, including the Strategic Framework Business Fund, Sector Top up Funds and the Business Restart Grant.

The Scottish National Investment Bank only opened in November 2020 but has so far committed over £120 million to eight businesses and projects in line with its strategic missions. Details of the each of the Bank’s investments are published on the Bank’s ‘Our Portfolio’ page: https://www.thebank.scot/our-portfolio/ .

In 2020-21 it invested in two businesses and projects with a total commitment of £52.5 million and so far in 2021-22 the Bank has committed £68.4 million to a further six businesses. The Bank’s forward plans are set out in the business plan and investment strategy which can be found on the Bank’s ‘Publications’ page: https://www.thebank.scot/publications/ .

The Bank has been established to make investments independently of Government but in line with the strategic missions set for it by Ministers. The pace of investment and investment decisions are therefore matters for the Bank’s board. The Scottish Government is committed to providing the Bank with £1 billion of funding for investment during the course of this parliament.

Full electrification of the line between Edinburgh Haymarket and Aberdeen is not an absolute prerequisite for achieving the decarbonisation of Scotland’s railway by 2035. As set out in the answer to question S6W-03041, however, it remains the expectation that the East Coast Main Line between Edinburgh Haymarket and Aberdeen will be fully electrified.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government is committed to ending our contribution to climate change within a generation. Our Programme for Government sets out our aim to generate 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources, and to have decarbonised our energy system almost completely by 2050.

Our vision and roadmap for the energy sector includes a Just Transition Plan for Energy at the heart of our refreshed Energy Strategy, publishing as one coherent document in spring 2022.

On our ambitions for offshore wind, we were clear in our policy statement published in 2020, that we have an ambition of up to 11GW of offshore wind by 2030. ScotWind bids are currently being assessed by Crown Estate Scotland with results of successful bidders known in early 2022 but this will provide us with a strong pipeline of projects. From that we want to ensure that economic benefits and supply chain opportunities are seized upon in Scotland.

This is why in August, the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) published its Strategic Infrastructure Assessment (SIA) for Offshore Wind. The report has five main recommendations which are directed at both the sector and government, and the primary recommendation focusses on bringing the manufacturing of floating offshore wind platforms to Scotland through creation of a Scottish Floating Offshore Wind Port Cluster, with ports acting in partnership to provide the required infrastructure area and capability needed to attract manufacturers to use Scottish ports and invest in Scotland.

I look forward to SOWEC taking forward next steps on the recommendations set out in the report.